Roasted Spring Vegetables with Mustard-Sherry Vinaigrette
For a fresh pop of flavor, we drizzle roasted spring vegetables with a vinaigrette. If you can find small salad turnips, try them in place of radishes.
Roasted Carrots with Pine Nut Gremolata
Starting the carrots at a high temp gives them a pretty browned exterior; finishing at a lower temp makes them tender. Pair with chicken or fish.
Herby Shallot Toasts
These toasts are an easy starter for any meal or a fun side for steak night. Slightly sweet, nutty Manchego cheese pairs well with the savory shallot flavor, but any hard grating cheese would taste great.
Millet and Tomatoes
Millet is a naturally gluten-free whole grain with a nutty corn flavor. Its nutty corn flavor pairs well with fresh cherry tomatoes, thyme, and Parmesan in this easy side.
Radicchio and Chickpea Salad with Lemon-Tahini Vinaigrette
Serve as a side with grilled lamb chops or chicken or double it for a satisfying vegetarian main. For a kid-friendly version, swap chopped romaine or spinach for the radicchio.
Curried Peas with Mint and Lime
Green peas are a freezer staple, making this side dish that much easier to bring together. Serve this herby side with roast beef or lamb. Stir any leftover peas into an Indian-style curry on another night.
Radish, White Bean, and Olive Salad
This quick side is all about texture, from the meaty olives to the creamy cannellini beans and crunchy radishes. The mild bean makes the salad a great match for nearly any main.
Braised Fingerling Potatoes with Oregano and Thyme
A stovetop sauté and an oven braise gives the spuds a bronzed exterior and creamy interior. The stock mixture reduces in the oven, giving the potatoes their own rich gravy. Serve with a simply roasted chicken or pork loin.
Warm Butter Radish and Edamame Salad
Radishes are so much more than a salad garnish. They lose their pepperiness once sautéed and turn a faint rosy pink. For a boost of protein, we contrast the radishes with edamame, a great alternative to frozen green peas.
All the Green Things Salad
This salad is full of lovely textures ranging from crunchy to creamy. You can make the zippy lemon dressing and blanch, drain, and chill the peas and asparagus up to 2 says ahead, but combine all the elements shortly before serving to preserve the color of the avocado and the crunch of the greens.
Avocado and Almond Salad
Creamy avocado and crunchy almonds make for a perfectly balanced salad.
Parmesan Carrots with Lemon-Parsley Dressing
Steaming and sautéing the carrots in the same pan is the time-saving trick to making them tender and beautifully glazed.
Roasted Cauliflower with Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette
Mild cauliflower soaks up the tangy flavors of lemon and capers.
Berry and Walnut Salad
Bright berries soften the tanginess of goat cheese for a balanced side salad.
Tarragon Carrots with Green Beans
Get the benefits of two veggies in one simple side.
Radish and Parmesan Salad
Tender lettuce allows flavor-forward radish and Parmesan to shine.
Sweet-and-Sour Carrots
These mildly spicy carrots make the perfect side for an Asian-inspired meal.
Wilted Chard with Red Onion and Pine Nuts
Don’t toss those gorgeous stems! Instead, thinly slice and give them a head start in the pan before adding the leaves. Swiss chard and rainbow chard actually have a lot of natural sodium; you’ll find that just a small amount of salt is all you need.
Roasted Red Pepper and Pine Nut Salad
Spring mix, a blend of small, tender lettuces, is an ideal base for side salads with a more delicate profile (think herbs, berries, and nuts rather than croutons, pungent cheeses, or big, crunchy vegetables). This Mediterranean version would be a perfect side for citrus-and-herb baked chicken and Greek-style roasted potatoes.
Balsamic Onion and Thyme Carrots
The secret to making perfectly cooked onions is a dash of baking soda.
Baby Bok Choy and Cucumber Salad
Thinly slice the bok choy stalks and leaves for an Asian cucumber salad that's full of color and texture. You can also use larger bok choy, but save the wide, fibrous ends of the stalks for a dish where they'll be cooked.
Roasted Cauliflower with Red Onions and Oranges
Sweet orange is accented by savory red onion and a sprinkle of red pepper.
