Healthy 4th of July Side Dish Recipes

Find healthy, delicious 4th of July side dish recipes including green beans, grilled vegetables and corn on the cob recipes. Healthier recipes, from the food and nutrition experts at EatingWell.

Staff Picks

Japanese Cucumber Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This Japanese-inspired cool, crisp salad is as elegant and well balanced as it is simple.
By Jessie Price

Vinaigrette Coleslaw

If you prefer, make this salad with broccoli slaw mix instead of the coleslaw mix.
By Diabetic Living Magazine

Fresh Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
This refreshing fruit salad is a classic combination that will be the favorite at any potluck or cookout. Serve with a creamy yogurt dressing to take this side (or dessert) to the next level.
By Carolyn Casner

Quick Pickled Beets

Rating: Unrated
4
For these easy pickled beets, you only need to let them marinate in the pickling mixture for about 30 minutes to get great flavor. Marinating them longer just enhances the taste. Try them in place of cucumber pickles as a condiment or as a vegetable side dish for roasted chicken or beef.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moroccan Kidney Bean & Chickpea Salad

Rating: Unrated
4
The bold flavors of the lemon-cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe make it a wonderful side dish to grilled beef and lamb, yet it's also a stellar meatless main when served with whole-wheat couscous.
By Katie Webster

Baked Parmesan Tomatoes

Rating: Unrated
12
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Parsley Smashed New Potatoes

Rating: Unrated
4
Freshly dug, true “new” potatoes are so creamy and flavorful they hardly need any additional ingredients to make them spectacular. Here we tumble them with a bit of butter, tangy yogurt, scallions and just-chopped fresh parsley. If new potatoes are not available, use any small red potatoes.
By Katie Webster

Purple Fruit Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy plums, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like red, green and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.
By Carolyn Casner

Creamy Coleslaw

Rating: Unrated
2
Red and green cabbage and bright orange carrots make a colorful, healthful combination. For an especially nutty flavor, use Savoy instead of regular green cabbage.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Crunchy Bok Choy Slaw

Rating: Unrated
1
A versatile side dish to go with grilled meats or poultry. Crispy, crunchy and thoroughly delicious.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Zucchini Noodle "Pasta" Salad

This healthy zucchini noodle salad has all the flavors you love in a classic Mediterranean pasta salad but we've swapped in zoodles for wheat pasta, which makes the salad lighter, lower in carbs and gluten-free. Serve it with grilled chicken or fish for a light and healthy summer dinner.
By Robin Bashinsky

Fresh Herb & Lemon Bulgur Pilaf

Rating: Unrated
4
This pilaf, made with nutty bulgur, gets plenty of bright flavor from fresh dill, mint, parsley, ginger and lemon.
By Marie Simmons

Inspiration and Ideas

Composed Bean Salad

Composed Bean Salad

Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe.
Pear & Chioggia Beet Slaw

Pear & Chioggia Beet Slaw

Raw shredded beets, pears and carrots make a crunchy, vibrant and sweet beet slaw. This healthy slaw is delicious on its own or as a topping!
Backyard Coleslaw

Backyard Coleslaw

27 Easy Vegetable Side Dishes Perfect for 4th of July

27 Easy Vegetable Side Dishes Perfect for 4th of July

Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Watermelon & Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
2
Broccoli-Bacon Salad

Broccoli-Bacon Salad

Rating: Unrated
17

Red Fruit Salad

Serve this refreshing fruit salad featuring juicy watermelon, grapes and berries on its own or with other colorblock fruit salads (like green, purple and orange) for a fun, crowd-pleasing rainbow side dish.

All Healthy 4th of July Side Dish Recipes

Classic Potato Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. To hard-boil the eggs while your potatoes are steaming, place them directly on top of the potatoes in the steamer basket. They'll be perfectly hard-boiled when the potatoes are tender.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Baked Beans

If you're a fan of classic baked beans, give this healthy recipe with curry powder, lime juice and molasses a whirl. These stovetop baked beans also have half the sugar and three-quarters of the sodium compared to a traditional recipe--and take a few hours' less cooking time. Serve with pistachio-crusted pork tenderloin or grilled fish.
By Carolyn Malcoun

8-Layer Taco Salad

Rating: Unrated
3
This gorgeous and colorful 8-layer taco salad recipe is made healthier by using ground turkey in place of beef, adding Greek yogurt and bumping up the amount of vegetables. Serve this salad in a clear glass bowl and you'll have an eye-catching party-worthy dinner or potluck side in just 30 minutes.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Curried Potato Salad

In this healthy and creamy potato salad recipe, yogurt replaces half of the mayo and we keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium. Red bell pepper and green peas add even more color to the yellow-tinted potato salad.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Banana-Kiwi Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Put away any preconceived notions of Grandma's fruit salad. This unusual combination of tropical fruit in a savory shallot vinaigrette will have you dreaming of the tropics.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Zucchini Rice Casserole

Rating: Unrated
23
We pack extra vegetables into this cheesy baked rice casserole. Plus we substitute brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage for pork sausage. If you're bringing it to a potluck, plan to reheat it before serving.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Green Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

Rating: Unrated
5
This lively salad captures the essence of early summer with ripe strawberries, chives and baby spinach. To make it a meal, top it with grilled chicken breast.
By Hilary Meyer

Tomato Gratin

Rating: Unrated
1
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.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad

Rating: Unrated
5
This whole-grain wild rice and quinoa salad recipe is perfect for toting to summer potlucks. It features sweet cherries, crunchy celery, nutty aged goat cheese and toasted pecans. If you can find red quinoa, it's particularly pretty.
By Carolyn Malcoun

Braised Green Beans & Summer Vegetables

Rating: Unrated
4
When green beans, summer squash and cherry tomatoes are plentiful in backyard gardens and farmers' markets, try this quick braise. We like the salty, nutty flavor of Parmesan, but you can use any flavorful cheese.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Super-Green Edamame Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Avocado, fresh chives and spinach are blended right into the creamy, bright-green dressing in this healthy edamame salad recipe. Pink beans are popular in the Caribbean, but you can substitute pinto beans or light red kidney beans if you can't find them.
By Katie Webster

Composed Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette

Rating: Unrated
2
Channel your inner food stylist while arranging the beans and vegetables for this show-stopping composed bean salad recipe. Serve at a potluck or for a beautiful salad at brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops or fish.
By Katie Webster

Seven-Layer Salad

Rating: Unrated
7
This makeover of a Midwestern classic tops layers of lettuce, peas, bell pepper and tomatoes with a creamy, tangy dressing. The salad stays fresh underneath until it's served and gets even better when held overnight.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Macaroni Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing

Give classic pasta salad a fresher, more flavorful spin. This fast pasta dish calls for avocado to replace some of the mayonnaise, which makes it extra creamy. Whole-wheat elbow macaroni and fresh vegetables lighten up this healthy pasta salad that you'll be making all summer long.
By Carolyn Casner

Black-Eyed Peas & Okra

Rating: Unrated
1
This bean and okra recipe is a classic Southern side dish perfect for potlucks. Adding the okra toward the end of cooking guarantees a tender--not mushy--texture.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Moroccan Lentil Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
This healthy date, carrot and lentil salad recipe is flavored with a spiced preserved-lemon dressing. While most salads taste best when freshly assembled, lentil salads appreciate time for the flavors to marry so try to make it at least a few hours ahead if you can. Bring the salad to room temperature before serving and adjust salt if needed.
By Joyce Goldstein

Cucumber & Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
An easy salad to serve with grilled chicken or steak for supper or on a bed of greens for a satisfying lunch. Substitute white beans or chickpeas for the black-eyed peas if you prefer.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Mama's Potato Salad

Rating: Unrated
2
Tossed with mayo, celery, hard-boiled eggs, onion and relish, this is one of the most simple and traditional potato salad recipes around. Sprinkling the still-warm potatoes with vinegar infuses them with more flavor than if you had added the vinegar to the dressing.
By Virginia Willis

Herbed Corn & Edamame Succotash

Rating: Unrated
4
Fresh green soybeans, called edamame or sweet beans, are a great addition to this classic American dish, where they stand in for the traditional lima beans. The succotash is wonderful as it is or topped with grilled shrimp, salmon or chicken.
By Kathy Farrell-Kingsley

Bobby Flay's Honey-Rum Baked Black Beans

Rating: Unrated
4
Chef Bobby Flay cooked these baked black beans, spiked with chorizo and rum, on one of his television shows, Throwdown! with Bobby Flay, to compete with a more-traditional batch of Carolina baked beans. We adore the results. If you bring them along to a summer party, reheat before serving or bring them in a crock-pot and plug it in when you get to the party. Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's Throwdown! by Bobby Flay with Stephanie Banyas and Miriam Garron (Clarkson Potter, 2010).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Greek Potato Salad

In this healthy potato salad recipe, a white-wine vinaigrette dresses the potatoes, tomatoes, feta and olives. Waxy potatoes, such as red and yellow, make the best potato salad because they hold their shape when cooked. Keep the potato skins on for more fiber and potassium.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Southwestern Calico Corn

Rating: Unrated
5
Peppers, cumin and chili powder are a natural combination with corn and hominy (dried corn that's had its hull removed).
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Tropical Cucumber Salad

Rating: Unrated
6
Combine cucumber, avocado and mango with a salty-sweet dressing for a taste of the tropics.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen

Quick Giardiniera

This quickly pickled, spicy Italian salad of mixed sliced vegetables is great for an antipasto platter, served with grilled meat or chopped up and put on a sandwich.
By EatingWell Test Kitchen
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