Healthy, Quick & Easy Side Dish Recipes

This festive salad features colorful greens, fruit and cheese tossed with a light and zesty dressing.

Traditionally, the star of this famous Burmese salad, laphet, is made by fermenting just-picked tea leaves for several months underground. While laphet is starting to be imported, it is still hard to find. This version, using readily available green tea, offers a quick alternative. Mix the salad at the table so everyone can appreciate the diversity of ingredients--from crunchy to savory--that make it so special.

Skip the bag of microwaved popcorn and satisfy a snack craving by making your own flavored popcorn. In this healthy popcorn recipe, we use Parmesan cheese, lime zest and a hint of chili powder, but feel free to use your favorite spices. For the best flavor, opt for olive oil cooking spray to help the toppings stick to the popcorn.

The delicious dipping sauce makes this easy Brussels sprouts recipe an irresistible appetizer or side dish. If you want to double the recipe, use two large rimmed baking sheets and swap their spots in the oven halfway through cooking.

Just a touch of butter adds silkiness to the balsamic sauce that coats broccoli and meaty mushrooms in this easy broccoli side dish recipe.

A refreshing accompaniment to a main course of meat or fish, this cucumber-yogurt salad also makes a tasty filling for pita bread. If the cucumbers are grated instead of chopped, this mixture can be served as a dip.

Add a little shallot and dried dill or tarragon to any mixture of frozen vegetables and have a delicious side dish on the table fast. If you'd like to make this recipe with fresh vegetables instead, cut them into bite-size pieces and add a tablespoon or two of water to the skillet when you add the vegetables; adjust the cooking time as needed.

Mix up these nutrient-packed cruciferous vegetables for a flavorful and healthy side dish.

Oven-roasted fingerling potatoes can be a special holiday side dish, but they're quick enough to enjoy on a weeknight too. The secret to these crispy roasted fingerling potatoes? Getting the baking sheet nice and hot before you spread the potatoes on it.

Serve this simple side dish with grilled turkey burgers. Other fresh herbs, like thyme or oregano, work well too.

Cheddar cheese, scallions and bacon flavor these "twice baked" sweet potatoes. Cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave first (instead of baking them) helps keep this easy loaded sweet potato recipe quick.

Kalettes, a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts, cook quickly in a hot oven in this easy vegetable side dish recipe.

How long does zucchini take to cook? This foolproof way to cook zucchini is also the easiest and fastest. Just steam it on the stovetop for a few minutes and you have a healthy vegetable side dish to add to dinner.

Topping steamed broccoli with a good-for-you cheese sauce is an easy way to entice picky eaters to eat their veggies.

Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.

Roasting cauliflower transforms it into a crispy, tender vegetable. A sponge for other flavors, cauliflower can absorb any spice mix or marinade you add, like this warm and toasty combination of turmeric, cumin and garlic. Serve as a simple side dish, or stir it into salads or grain bowls to add more plant power.

Sweet balsamic vinegar and nutty Parmesan cheese complement roasted green beans and shallots in this easy and healthy side dish. Roasting the green beans gives them a sweet, caramelized flavor while they still retain some bite. Serve with chicken, fish, pork--you name it. These green beans are also a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving meal.

This simple technique of cooking onions and peppers is a useful way to get your veggie servings in. They're quite versatile--use these peppers and onions on a burger or sausage sandwich, stuff them into quesadillas or layer them into casseroles.

Roasting carrots in the oven brings out their inherent sweetness, while Parmesan and garlic give this easy side dish a flavorful savory accent.

Classic broccoli salad, the perfect dish for a potluck, is updated with cauliflower, bacon and a sprinkle of crunchy sunflower seeds in this so-easy recipe that's sure to be a new picnic favorite.

A picnic favorite, this salad combines broccoli, water chestnuts, cranberries and just a little bacon for delicious results. Our version has plenty of creaminess without all the fat. Make it once and it will become a regular on your backyard barbecue menu.

Here a pungent garlicky dressing is infused into kale by massaging the greens and the dressing together with your hands. Any type of kale will work in this recipe, just remember to remove the tough stems before you start.

A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of your favorite whole-wheat country bread.

This quick homemade applesauce recipe makes a healthy snack or fruit dessert for kids. Applesauce is also a fabulous complement to potato pancakes or latkes.