Healthy Greens Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious greens side dish recipes including arugula, chard, watercress and endive recipes. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Roasted Kalettes

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

Simple Sautéed Spinach

Rating: Unrated
13
Sautéed spinach (or any greens) with garlic and a squeeze of lemon (or vinegar) is a simple formula that lets spinach shine and will never go out of favor.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Parmesan Spinach Cakes

Rating: Unrated
62
If you like spinach-cheese pie, try these simple but elegant-looking little spinach cakes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spinach & Tuna Noodle Casserole

Rating: Unrated
5
Homemade mushroom sauce kicks the can of soup out of the picture in this veggie-centric, healthy riff on a classic tuna-noodle casserole recipe. Serve with steamed green beans.
By Breana Killeen

Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

Rating: Unrated
3
In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.
By Lia Huber

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps

Rating: Unrated
2
Stuff crisp lettuce leaves with a savory filling inspired by PF Chang's famous lettuce wraps. These low-carb wraps made with tofu, mushrooms and daikon radish are an easy vegetarian dinner that beats takeout! Garnish the wraps with julienned carrots for added crunch.
By Carolyn Casner

Balsamic-Parmesan Sautéed Spinach

Rating: Unrated
1
Tender spinach with a hint of garlic, Parmesan cheese and sweet balsamic vinegar makes a quick and flavorful side dish. The sturdy leaves of mature spinach hold up best during cooking.
By Carolyn Casner

Spinach & Warm Mushroom Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
In this hearty mushroom and spinach salad recipe, sturdier “mature” spinach leaves hold up better than baby spinach when tossed with the warm mushroom-and-bacon vinaigrette.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Chickpea & Potato Hash

Rating: Unrated
8
The eggs cook right on top of this chickpea and potato hash--cook them a few extra minutes if you prefer hard-set eggs. Serve with warm pita bread and a cucumber salad with mint and yogurt.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Japanese-Style Spinach (Gomae)

Rating: Unrated
1
Typically you puree sesame seeds to make the dressing for this traditional spinach side dish recipe, but we use tahini to make it easier and quicker.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Egg Salad Lettuce Wraps

We love the retro vibe of these egg salad lettuce wraps. Iceberg lettuce makes a perfect low-carb swap for bread to serve the egg salad.
By Katie Webster

Roasted Red Peppers Stuffed with Kale & Rice

Rating: Unrated
15
You can vary the filling by substituting robust mustard greens or collards, or milder greens, such as spinach, escarole or Swiss chard. (Cook the greens until just tender in Step 2.)
By Marie Simmons

Inspiration and Ideas

Spinach Salad with Ginger-Soy Dressing

Spinach Salad with Ginger-Soy Dressing

Rating: Unrated
4
This spinach salad tossed with spunky ginger dressing was inspired by the iceberg salads served at Japanese steakhouses across the U.S. Add shrimp for lunch or a light supper.
Tomato & Kale Pesto Pasta

Tomato & Kale Pesto Pasta

Rating: Unrated
1
This 25-minute pasta side dish goes well with chicken or fish and can be served either warm or at room temperature. Kale and basil create a fresh-tasting pesto that is packed with protein and taste, thanks to the addition of chickpeas. We like shaved Parmesan sprinkled on the top, but feel free to add toasted pine nuts or walnuts for some crunch.
Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach

Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes with Spinach

Rating: Unrated
1
Air-Fryer Kale Chips

Air-Fryer Kale Chips

Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole

Vegetarian Quinoa & Squash Casserole

Rating: Unrated
10
Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes

Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
3

Chipotle Black-Eyed Peas & Collards with Crispy Shallots

Instead of getting flavor from a ham hock, this mess of black-eyed peas and collards gets its smokiness from canned chipotles and caramelized shallots, thereby keeping it vegetarian.

All Healthy Greens Side Dish Recipes

Kale-Butternut Squash Gratin

This colorful gratin dish livens up any holiday plate. Creamy melted Gruyère is comforting, while a blend of cumin, nutmeg, and cayenne pepper lends a warm, spicy note.
By Andrea Kirkland M.S., RD

Basic Sautéed Kale

Rating: Unrated
7
Simply sautéed kale seasoned with a blast of sherry vinegar is a deluxe combination.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Wilted Kale with Warm Shallot Dressing

Rating: Unrated
2
Vinegar is the key to making this sautéed kale recipe special. Look for vinegar that's cloudy--it likely still has some of the mother in the bottle and will give you a sweet acidity rather than a harsh bite. Organic apple cider vinegar is usually your best bet. For the most eye-catching version of this side, use different colored varieties of kale.
By Summer Miller

Indian-Spiced Kale & Chickpeas

Rating: Unrated
11
Chickpeas make this exotic dish a terrific player in any vegetarian menu.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Creamed Spinach

Rating: Unrated
6
EatingWell's updated version of creamed spinach has a low-in-fat cream sauce that's rich with Parmesan cheese and nutmeg.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Vegan Black-Eyed Peas

Rating: Unrated
1
Two Cypriot specialties--good olive oil and fresh lemons--lend sunny flavor to this simple bean dish, served as a side in Cyprus. Chard adds a hearty touch. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt, or nondairy yogurt to keep it vegan, for a meatless meal.
By Jen Rose Smith

Creamed Spinach Casserole

Rating: Unrated
5
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Kale Turkey Wraps

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.
By Sara Haas, R.D.N., L.D.N.

Catalan Spinach Sauté

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Southern Kale

Kale becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender in this recipe. Assertive garlic and salty country ham stand up to kale's bold flavor.
By Sarah Fritschner

Watercress with Rice Wine-Oyster Sauce

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By Grace Young

Stir-Fried Carrots, Corn & Peppers

Rating: Unrated
2
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.
By Grace Young

Grits & Greens Casserole

Rating: Unrated
9
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.
By Katie Webster

Sauteed Spinach with Toasted Sesame Oil

Rating: Unrated
2
A delicious and quick spinach saute is a nice addition to any meal.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Spinach & Goat Cheese Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Rating: Unrated
10
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.
By Breana Killeen

Green Risotto

Rating: Unrated
5
Serve this pretty, pesto-flavored risotto alongside roasted chicken or pork roast or serve with a big salad for a light dinner. We add a splash of wine along with each addition of broth to give the dish a more pronounced wine flavor. If you'd prefer the wine to be more subtle, add the entire cup at the end of Step 3 and cook, stirring, until the liquid is gone, then begin adding the broth. You can substitute more broth in place of the wine.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Collard Greens

Collard greens are meltingly tender when cooked for a long period of time. Smoked turkey in place of bacon adds the traditional smoky taste.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Kale & Potato Hash

Rating: Unrated
23
Serve as a side with a steak or pork chops or set a poached egg on top for a hearty breakfast or brunch.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Stir-Fried Mustard Greens with Eggs & Garlic

Rating: Unrated
1
In this simple egg-and-mustard-greens stir-fry recipe, Chinese greens are cooked with garlic, ginger and chile. Serve these sautéed greens alongside other Asian dishes. Fried baby anchovies or bonito flakes are a traditional garnish. Look for them in Asian specialty markets.
By Bjorn Shen

Broccoli Rabe with Olives & Garlic (Broccoli di Rape Stufati)

In this healthy Italian vegetable side recipe, garlic, olives and olive oil tone down broccoli rabe's bitterness a bit. Serve with your favorite Italian pasta, chicken or steak.
By Nancy Harmon Jenkins

Waldorf Salad Lettuce Wraps

This Waldorf Salad recipe uses fat-free Greek yogurt for the sauce. Wrap up all the ingredients in a Bibb lettuce leaf for a very healthy meal.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Wild Mushroom & Barley Risotto

Rating: Unrated
9
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Florentine Hash Skillet

Rating: Unrated
16
Here's a super-quick all-in-one-skillet breakfast to start your day, loaded with hash browns, spinach, egg and cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Little Gem Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese & Herb Dressing

Little Gem lettuce is like a cross between romaine and butterhead. It's perfect for making an updated take on the wedge salad in this healthy recipe. If you can't find Little Gem, use half a romaine heart for each serving. You can order Point Reyes Original blue cheese online from pointreyescheese.com or substitute another raw-milk blue cheese.
By Lisa Weiss
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