Healthy, Quick & Easy Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

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

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.

A mixture of tomatoes, spinach, feta, olives and fresh oregano gives portobellos a Mediterranean vibe in this healthy stuffed mushroom recipe. Serve these along with chicken, fish or tofu as a super-satisfying side dish, or add a hearty salad and make them the centerpiece of a vegetarian dinner.

This flavorful corn couldn't be easier to prepare. Just cover the ears of corn in a quick garlic-and-chive-flavored butter and wrap in foil and they're ready to throw on the grill at home or over coals at the campsite.

This healthy side dish recipe couldn't be simpler--or more delicious. Broccoli is roasted until brown and crispy, then topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a savory and sweet flavor combination that can't be beaten. Try this quick vegetable dish along with chicken, fish or really any main course. It's also great in salads or warm grain bowls. Tip: Preheating the pan helps the broccoli to brown and develop nutty flavors.

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

Air-fried sweet potato fries are crispy, tender and delicately sweet. They're also made with less fat than traditional fries, so they're a healthier option when you're craving crunchy spuds. If the cinnamon-pepper spice is too intense, try thyme, oregano, paprika or garlic instead.

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.

If you don't have a spiralizer to make this healthy zucchini noodle casserole (aka zoodles), use a vegetable peeler to make long thin strips of the squash and zucchini, stopping when you reach the seedy center. Just a few minutes under the broiler gives these ricotta-and-basil-filled nests a light golden top.

Baking sweet potato fries in the oven brings out their inherent sweetness.

Steaming green beans in the microwave is quick and convenient, helping you to get dinner on the table in minutes. This basic recipe is a great starting point for the seasoning of your choice--a little butter, toasted nuts or a creamy sauce.

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

Skip the bun and serve all of your favorite cheeseburger ingredients--beef, cheese, tomatoes, red onions and lettuce--with baked potatoes for a hearty and easy dinner recipe that kids and adults will love. Feel free to swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or tofu crumbles.

These roasted Brussels sprouts are about to be your new favorite side dish. In addition to getting brown and crispy in the oven, they're topped with Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar for a hit of salty, savory flavor. This makes a great vegetable side to serve with roasted meats.

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.

A quick roast in the oven brings out the zucchini's delicate, earthy flavor, plus it's an easy hands-off way to cook zucchini for a fast vegetable side.

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.

Grilled vegetables in foil is a great recipe to have on hand when camping or cooking over an open fire, but it's also nice on your backyard gas grill too. Here, we cook asparagus, mini peppers and zucchini together with a hint of garlic and butter. Delicious!

When cauliflower is pulsed in a food processor, it magically turns into a vegetable that really resembles white rice. In this easy recipe, cauliflower rice is made into an herbed pilaf.

This easy vegetable side dish shines alongside roasted or seared steak, chicken, shrimp or firm fish, such as cod or salmon. Sumac lends punchy, fruity, sour-lemon notes to this fast and simple recipe. Find ground sumac spice online, in specialty markets and in well-stocked grocery stores.

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.

Roasting chicken thighs directly on top of the vegetables bastes the scallions and potatoes with delicious drippings in this healthy dinner recipe.

A gratin is any dish topped with cheese or breadcrumbs mixed with butter, then heated until browned--but it needn't be heavy. This one has plenty of garden-fresh tomatoes and herbs, a touch of full-flavored cheese and a crispy crumb topping.