Healthy Mexican Side Dish Recipes

Make this spicy poblano, corn, black bean and quinoa salad recipe to serve with whatever you're grilling, or have a larger portion as a main dish. To use canned beans, skip Step 1 and add about 2 1/2 cups beans in Step 7.

This recipe takes cornbread to the next level with added spice from green chiles and cheesy Cheddar on top.

In this easy quinoa recipe, tomatillos work double-duty: some are pureed to flavor the cooking liquid, others are chopped and stirred in raw for color and texture. Serve with grilled chicken, steak or fish, and a dollop of sour cream.

Street vendors across Mexico sell this style of roasted or grilled corn--topped with mayonnaise, chili powder and Cotija cheese. You can serve the unadorned corn on a platter with small bowls of the sauce, cheese and lime on the side so everyone can make their own.

Freshly harvested corn, charred green chiles and roasted tomatoes make this corn salad recipe a must-make for any summer potluck. Serve with grilled steak or chicken, as a taco topping or with tortilla chips as a dip.

This quick broccoli side dish recipe gets heat from your choice of pepper. If you prefer things on the mild side, use a mini red bell pepper instead of the chile pepper. Serve alongside roasted chicken or salmon or toss with pearled barley for a healthy grain salad.

Chopped pickled tomatillos make a delicious garnish for tacos and quesadillas.

This healthy spinach salad recipe uses one avocado two ways: half goes into a healthy creamy ranch dressing and the other half of the avocado gets chopped to top the spinach salad.

These spicy pickled vegetables are like a Mexican version of Italian giardiniera and are delicious with tacos and as a condiment for any sandwich or burger. The recipe makes a large batch but it keeps well in the refrigerator. Packed into glass jars, it makes a nice gift.

Zesty and cheesy, this casserole is easy to make ahead of time for entertaining.

These easy black beans are the perfect accompaniment to any Mexican fiesta.

Crunchy jicama and apple plus oranges and avocado combine in this crisp and refreshing dairy-free slaw.

Cumin, garlic, lime and a jalapeño pepper spice up this roasted butternut squash recipe. If you like the consistent look of squash rounds, look for a long-necked butternut or use just the necks from a couple, reserving the bulbous bottoms for another use, such as for healthy muffins or soup.

Refried beans are always fried in lard or bacon drippings in Mexico and the Southwest. In this recipe their flavor comes from the cumin and chili, which are sauteed with them, and from the garlic, onion and cilantro, which are simmered with them in the boiling water.

The bright assorted colors of rainbow chard are especially lovely in this spicy, cheesy dish. Make a double batch and enjoy it as a quesadilla filling, as we did often in the Test Kitchen for lunch.

Crunchy jícama and carrots combine with a zesty dressing for a terrific summer side dish. It can be made ahead--perfect for summer potlucks.

This hot salsa recipe is typically made in a large molcajete (lava-rock mortar and pestle), but this recipe calls for a food processor or blender to make it easier. If you have a molcajete, feel free to use it instead. If you can't find the bright orange manzano chiles, sold at Mexican grocery stores, double the amount of jalapeño (or for a hotter salsa, double the habanero).

To reduce the fat in these tortillas, we added a little flour to canola oil and froze the mixture so it would act like shortening.

Making mole (a traditional Mexican sauce) doesn't have to be an all-day process--and eating it doesn't have to be a dietary nightmare, especially if you use sweet cranberries for flavor, cut down on the oil and reduce the huge quantity of nuts and seeds often used. This recipe makes more than you may need for Thanksgiving dinner, but the leftovers are delicious on Southwestern-style turkey sandwiches or quesadillas.

Quesadillas are a terrific quick snack to feed the family. They're also great served alongside chili or southwestern stews.

Here we serve roasted pears with arugula and mixed greens and an agave-sweetened pomegranate dressing. The chipotle in the dressing gives a hint of smokiness and just a touch of heat that is wonderful with sweet pear. Apples may be used in place of the pears. Adapted from Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2008) by Deborah Szekely and Deborah M. Schneider with Chef Jesús González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta.

This version of tamales, made into a casserole rather than little cornhusk-wrapped bundles, can be whipped up in minutes and has the same great taste and texture of traditional tamales. It's filled with shrimp here, but this is a forgiving recipe that works well stuffed with whatever you like. Quick-cooking seafood, such as scallops, cheese or even some of the mole also make great fillings. Serve the casserole topped with Three Sisters Black Mole or your favorite salsa. Adapted from Chef Jesús González, Chef of La Cocina Que Canta at Rancho La Puerta.

For savory breakfast lovers, these griddlecakes fit the bill. Serve them alongside jalapeño chicken sausages.

Chiles and cheese turn mild summer squash into a zesty, satisfying casserole. The jalapenos make this dish quite hot; if you prefer a milder version, use a second can of diced green chiles instead.