Healthy Greens Side Dish Recipes

Smooth, lacinato kale (aka dinosaur kale) is topped with barbecue chicken, carrots and cabbage in this healthy, gluten-free lettuce wrap recipe. Try them for a low-carb dinner or light lunch.

Layers of tortillas, chicken and vegetables with a creamy goat-cheese sauce create a lasagna-like Mexican casserole dish for an easy, healthy dinner the whole family will love.

Fancy up regular mashed potatoes with a layer of mushroom duxelle--a sauté of finely chopped mushrooms and shallots. We omitted the traditional butter in the duxelle and added chard for a nutritional boost. Serve this hearty side in place of mashed potatoes at any holiday feast or enjoy it as a vegetarian main dish.

These collards can be served as a vegan main dish or as a hearty side. If possible, serve with injera, the traditional crepe-like bread common in Ethiopia (see Associated Recipe).

Go light and fresh when you're craving pizza: these easy lettuce wraps have all the taste with fewer carbs and calories.

This eclectic stir-fry is a colorful combination of carrot, red bell pepper, corn and romaine lettuce. This recipe exemplifies how to stir-fry vegetables with different textures. The carrots, which are a “hard vegetable,” should be stir-fried for a minute before adding “medium-hard” vegetables like peppers or corn, which require slightly less cooking. Finally, add “soft or leafy vegetables” in the last 30 seconds to ensure all the vegetables achieve the same level of doneness. Make sure the lettuce is dry--if it's wet when added to the pan, it will turn the stir-fry into a braise.

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

In this quick and easy sautéed spinach recipe, a handful of standard pantry items transform frozen spinach into a satisfying side dish or omelet filling.

Simply sautéed kale seasoned with a blast of sherry vinegar is a deluxe combination.

Using kale leaves instead of bread to wrap your filling makes this healthy turkey lunch recipe low-calorie. If you can't find lacinato, also known as Tuscan kale, try cabbage for your wrap.

This creamy spinach casserole recipe is a more sophisticated cousin to creamed spinach. It's perfect for weekend entertaining or as a holiday side dish.

In this healthy Asian vegetable stir-fry recipe, watercress is cooked then tossed with traditional Chinese oyster sauce. Use a salad spinner so the watercress is dry to the touch, or the stir-fry will become too wet. If the watercress is young and tender, stir-fry the whole stems. If the stem ends are woody and tough, discard them.

A delicious and quick spinach saute is a nice addition to any meal.

Full of peppers and a broccoli slaw, these beef lettuce wraps are crunchy and delicious. Chili-garlic sauce brings a slight heat to the dish.

Oak leaf and baby romaine lettuces are so tender they're best eaten straight from the garden or at least within a day or two of picking. Mild and delicate, they pair wonderfully with peppery radishes and chopped hard-boiled eggs in this easy salad.

Chickpeas make this exotic dish a terrific player in any vegetarian menu.

Using frozen spinach in these crispy pan-fried fritters saves you the steps of having to chop and cook the fresh greens down yourself.

In this pungent mushroom risotto, we substitute fiber-rich barley for the more traditional arborio rice. Any combination of mushrooms will work; if you use shiitakes, remove the stems from the caps before using.

Stuff low-carb lettuce wraps with Asian-inspired bang-bang chicken for an easy weeknight dinner that beats takeout! Sichuan peppercorns aren't peppers--they're the dried berries of the Chinese prickly ash bush. Don't have any on hand? Substitute 1/2 tsp. each crushed red pepper and five-spice powder for the Sichuan pepper.

In Korea there is an entire category of side dishes called namul. These are boldly seasoned vegetables from the land and the sea. This particular recipe reflects Korea's love of both spinach and sesame seeds. The seeds are always toasted before serving for a boost of flavor. This namul can be served alone or as one of the colorful elements in bibimbap.

With layers of soft, buttery leeks and tender-crisp kohlrabi, this is not your grandma's gratin--it's better. Use a mandoline for the most even slices of kohlrabi. Serve this healthy side dish in place of potato gratin with roast chicken or pork for a satisfying dinner.

These decadent-tasting wraps are lightened up with fat-free Greek yogurt in place of mayo--and lettuce makes a crisp, fresh alternative to a flour wrap.

Here we've combined two favorite Southern side dishes--grits and greens--into one casserole; it's a natural choice to serve with Easter ham. Try omitting the bacon and using vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian dish.

This simple pasta side dish combines sweet strawberries and creamy avocado with a tart balsamic vinaigrette. You can make the dressing ahead iand keep it separately, tossing with the pasta salad just before serving. Make this salad even more special by adding crumbled feta or goat cheese.