A really good side dish does not need a special occasion or a specific main course to justify making it. Some of the best ones are worth putting together just because they are that good, and they have a way of making whatever else is on the table feel more complete. Having a few reliable options in your back pocket makes pulling a full meal together a lot easier on any given night.
This list has a good range of recipes that are simple to make and work well alongside just about anything you are serving. Some are light and easy for nights when you want to keep things simple, and others are hearty enough to hold their own as a standout part of the meal. Try a few and you will always have a solid answer ready for what to put on the side no matter what the rest of the menu looks like.
Tabbouleh Salad
Tabbouleh is a salad that has stayed popular for a good reason, and every fresh bowl reminds you exactly why. The mix of herbs, grain, and bright lemon dressing makes it taste alive, and it only gets better as it sits. Because the herbs take center stage, the whole salad has its own distinct personality.
People who try tabbouleh for the first time are usually surprised by how much flavor comes from such simple ingredients. It travels well, so it’s easy to bring along wherever you’re headed. Once you’ve made a big bowl of this, it becomes one of those recipes you keep making on repeat.
Get the Recipe: Tabbouleh Salad
Sugar Free Honey Roasted Carrots
Sugar free honey roasted carrots come out tender and slightly caramelized, with a sweet, warm flavor that makes them really enjoyable to eat. The roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the carrots, so they taste rich and satisfying without needing much added to them. Because they pair well with so many different main dishes, they’re an easy side to fit into almost any meal.
People who try these often comment on how good they are for something so simple. Once you’ve made them this way, plain roasted carrots start to feel like a missed opportunity. Make them once, and they’ll earn a spot in your regular side dish rotation without any debate.
Get the Recipe: Sugar Free Honey Roasted Carrots
Oven Baked Riced Cauliflower
Oven baked riced cauliflower is light, fluffy, and works as a great base for almost any meal you want to build around it. Baking it gives it a slightly toasted flavor that steaming just doesn’t deliver, so the result tastes more interesting. Because it pairs well with so many different dishes, it’s an easy side to fit into almost any meal.
What I love about this recipe is how little effort it takes to get something genuinely good on the plate. Once you’ve made this a few times, the process becomes quick and the result is always consistent. Once you’ve tried oven baked riced cauliflower, you’ll reach for it far more often than you expected.
Get the Recipe: Oven Baked Riced Cauliflower
Mashed Cauliflower ala Mashed Faux Potatoes
Mashed cauliflower faux potatoes are creamy, smooth, and have a flavor that comes really close to a classic mashed potato without any of the heaviness. The texture is so well done that people often don’t realize what they’re eating until you tell them. Because it comes together quickly, it’s an easy side to add to any meal.
What I love about this recipe is how satisfying it feels without leaving you heavy after eating. Once people try it, they’re usually surprised by how much they enjoy it compared to what they expected. Once this becomes a regular side in your kitchen, you’ll keep making it on repeat without any hesitation.
Get the Recipe: Mashed Cauliflower ala Mashed Faux Potatoes
Skewered Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Skewered brussels sprouts with bacon are one of those appetizers that go fast no matter where you set them out. The bacon wraps around each sprout and crisps up nicely, while the sprout underneath turns soft and flavorful. Because they’re on a skewer, they’re easy to grab and just as easy to keep eating.
People who say they don’t like brussels sprouts usually change their minds after trying one of these. Once someone grabs the first one, they almost always come back for another pretty quickly. Make plenty, because they disappear fast and nobody wants to be left without one.
Get the Recipe: Skewered Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Steamed Artichoke
Steamed artichoke is simple, but it feels like a treat every time you sit down with one. The leaves pull off easily, and the tender part at the base of each one is really enjoyable to eat, especially with a good dipping sauce. Because it’s such a hands-on eating experience, people genuinely enjoy it from the first leaf to the last.
What I love about making these is how easy they are to prepare while still feeling a little special at the table. The heart at the center is the real reward once you get there, so working through the leaves is always worth it. Once you’ve had a properly steamed artichoke with a sauce you love, it becomes a regular thing to make.
Get the Recipe: Steamed Artichoke
Roasted Butternut Squash Mash with Parmesan
Roasted butternut squash mash with parmesan is creamy, warm, and has a flavor that feels richer than a regular mash. The squash roasts first, so the flavor gets deeper and more concentrated before it’s mashed into something really smooth. Because the parmesan adds a salty edge, it balances out the natural sweetness of the squash really nicely.
What I love about this recipe is how much the roasting step changes the final flavor of the whole dish. Once you’ve made this, plain mashed squash starts to feel like it’s missing something important. People who try it always want to know what makes it taste so different from a regular squash side.
Get the Recipe: Roasted Butternut Squash Mash with Parmesan
Fried Rice from Cauliflower
Cauliflower fried rice gives you all the flavor of a classic fried rice dish but with a much lighter base. The cauliflower picks up the seasoning really well, so it ends up tasting bold and satisfying despite being lighter than regular rice. Because it comes together so fast, it’s a great option on any night you need something good without a lot of time.
What I love about this recipe is how well it pairs with so many different dishes, making it easy to fit into almost any meal. Once you’ve made it a couple of times, the process becomes quick and the result is always worth it. Once you’ve tried cauliflower fried rice done right, it becomes a regular in your weekly lineup.
Get the Recipe: Fried Rice from Cauliflower
Old Fashion Squash Casserole
Old fashion squash casserole has that classic, homey flavor that reminds a lot of people of meals from years back. The squash bakes up soft and tender, while a creamy, cheesy topping adds richness to every bite. Because the squash softens so nicely as it bakes, the texture ends up creamy and really satisfying all the way through.
My family has always loved this one, and making it now brings back a lot of good memories. It’s simple food, but that simplicity is exactly why it’s stayed popular for so long at so many tables. Once you’ve made this casserole, you’ll see why it’s been a favorite for such a long time.
Get the Recipe: Old Fashion Squash Casserole
Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Feta
Tomato and cucumber salad with feta looks great in the bowl and tastes just as good as it looks. The juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and salty, creamy feta come together into something simple and really enjoyable. Because every bite has a little something different going on, the whole salad stays interesting from start to finish.
The feta pulls everything together and makes the vegetables taste even brighter by contrast. What I love about this recipe is how little it needs to taste genuinely great, since the ingredients do so much of the work on their own. Make a big bowl, and it’ll be gone faster than you planned.
Get the Recipe: Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Feta
Refreshing Cucumber Dill Salad with Red Onion
Cucumber dill salad with red onion is cool, crisp, and full of flavor that makes it really easy to eat a big bowl of. The dill adds a herby brightness that works perfectly with the cucumber, while the red onion gives it a mild kick. Because it gets better the longer it sits, making it ahead is always the right move.
What I love about this recipe is how quickly it comes together and how well it pairs with so many different meals. Once it’s had time to sit in the fridge, the flavors develop in a way that makes it taste like more effort went into it. Once you’ve made this a few times, it becomes one of those sides you keep coming back to all the time.
Get the Recipe: Refreshing Cucumber Dill Salad with Red Onion
Pumpkin Fries
Pumpkin fries come out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, giving you that great fry texture with a bit of natural sweetness. They’re a fun change from a regular fry, and once they’re seasoned well, they’re really hard to stop eating. Because the pumpkin flavor comes through clearly, every bite feels a little different from a typical fry.
What I love about this recipe is how it takes something familiar and makes it more interesting without complicating anything. Once you’ve tried pumpkin fries done right, you’ll want to make them again pretty soon after. They bake up nicely, so you don’t need a deep fryer to get a really good result at home.
Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Fries
Whole Baked Onions with Filling
Whole baked onions with filling turn a simple vegetable into something that looks and tastes like a real dish worth sitting down for. The onion gets soft and sweet as it bakes, so it becomes the perfect base for whatever savory filling goes inside. Because every bite mixes that tender onion with the filling, the combination works really well together.
People who try these for the first time are usually surprised by how much flavor the baked onion brings to the whole dish. Once the oven does its thing, the result looks a lot more impressive than the effort involved would suggest. Once you’ve made these, they earn a spot in your regular rotation pretty fast.
Get the Recipe: Whole Baked Onions with Filling
