The Best Winter Vegetable Side Dish Recipes (2024)

Roasted Honeynut Squash

Honeynut squash looks just like mini butternut squash, but on the inside you'll find an even sweeter, deeper orange flesh. This winter squash has only been available at farmers' markets and in select grocery stores for a few years. If you see it, grab a few to try! This simple roasting method enhances the natural flavor of the squash with butter and spices.

Cheesy Roasted Cauliflower

You'll be craving your vegetables with this easy and oh-so-delicious recipe. Cauliflower gets sweet and tender as it caramelizes from the high heat of roasting. A sprinkling of Cheddar and herbs and a squeeze of lemon on top make it crave-worthy.

Maple Roasted Carrots

Roasting brings out the inherent sweetness in carrots--but add a little maple syrup and butter and you have a caramelized vegetable your kids (and you!) will actually want to eat seconds of.

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Parmesan-Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts

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.

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Roasted Broccoli with Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

Resist the temptation to turn the broccoli over while it roasts in this easy recipe. Leaving it cut-side down means you'll get deliciously caramelized results.

Sweet & Spicy Roasted Carrots

A little bit of cayenne adds an unexpected kick to these classic roasted carrots.

Sauteed Broccoli & Kale with Toasted Garlic Butter

In this easy vegetable side dish, broccoli and kale are drizzled with a butter, garlic and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe alongside roasted chicken, turkey or ham--or on top of your favorite whole grain, such as quinoa or farro.

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Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Bacon & Onions

Fresh herbs, onion and bacon sauté alongside Brussels sprouts in this easy vegetable side dish recipe. This savory dish is delicious in the fall and winter months, when Brussels sprouts are in season. If you can find them still attached to the stalk, don't be intimidated--buy them, as they're likely more fresh. Recipe adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

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Cauliflower Casserole with Mixed-Seed Crust

The cheesy-seedy crust that tops this healthy cauliflower casserole recipe evokes "everything" bagels. Serve for the holidays or as a hearty side dish with roast chicken.

Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Basil Sauce

Swapping spaghetti squash for pasta is a great way to cut back on carbs and calories in this saucy vegan dinner. Here, we have tossed the squash with a simple fresh tomato sauce. Jazz up the sauce with crushed red pepper flakes, Kalamata olives and/or capers, if you like.

Acorn Squash Soup

This pureed vegetable soup gets smooth and silky after a quick whirl in the blender. Mild-flavored acorn squash gets a Southwestern-inspired makeover in this flavorful soup that has a hint of spice from chipotle pepper--opt for more if you like the heat!

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Whir cauliflower into a creamy low-carb substitute for mashed potatoes. This easy recipe gets a kick of flavor from garlic-infused olive oil, making it a dairy-free (and vegan) vegetable side dish.

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Broccoli Casserole

The lightened-up luscious sauce elevates this easy casserole recipe over standard broccoli and cheese side dishes.

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Wilted Kale with Warm Shallot Dressing

Vinegar is the key to making this sautéed kale recipe special. Look for vinegar that's cloudy--it likely still has some of the "mother" in the bottle and will give you a sweet acidity rather than a harsh bite. Organic apple cider vinegar is usually your best bet. For the most eye-catching version of this side, use different colored varieties of kale.

Green Beans with Parmesan-Garlic Breadcrumbs

In this easy green bean recipe, browning the butter before tossing it with the breadcrumbs produces a nice nutty flavor. Serve this green bean dish as a healthy alternative to green bean casserole or as an easy side with steak, chicken or fish.

Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

Roasted Salt-&-Vinegar Turnips

In this healthy root vegetable recipe, we take the flavor of salt-and-vinegar chips and apply them to turnips. We found that simmering the turnips with vinegar before roasting infuses the flavor throughout. Try this technique with other root vegetables and potatoes too.

Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower

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.

Dukkah-Spiced Carrots

Pan-roasted carrots become an exotic winter side when topped with dukkah, an Egyptian spice blend, in this healthy vegetable recipe. Dukkah plays nicely with other vegetables too. Try it on steamed asparagus in the spring, grilled eggplant in summer and broiled romanesco or cauliflower steaks in the fall.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Chef Michael Symon loves Brussels sprouts because they can be cooked so many different ways. In this healthy recipe, the rich flavor of the walnuts, Dijon and capers is perfection with roasted meats.

Garlic-Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

A combination of baked, mashed and roasted, these crusty, garlicky smashed potatoes are a healthy and creative alternative. Serve alongside a seared steak or roasted pork tenderloin and green beans.

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Balsamic & Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Roasting isn't usually the first cooking method you think of for cauliflower but the results are quite delicious. The florets are cut into thick slices and tossed with extra-virgin olive oil and herbs. Wherever the flat surfaces come into contact with the hot roasting pan, a deep browning occurs that results in a sweet, nutty flavor.

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Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

In this easy vegetable side dish recipe, sweet potatoes are tossed with maple syrup, butter and lemon juice and are roasted until tender and golden brown. The delicious glaze that forms on these maple-roasted sweet potatoes transform this ultra-simple dish into something sublime.

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Spanakopita Loaded Potatoes

In this healthy take on twice-baked potatoes, spinach, feta, garlic and oregano are stuffed into the potato shells along with the mashed potatoes. Serve with steak or chicken sprinkled with oregano or marjoram.

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Simple Sautéed Spinach

Sautéed spinach (or any greens) with garlic and a squeeze of lemon (or vinegar) is a simple formula that lets spinach shine and will never go out of favor.

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Warm Pear & Spinach Salad with Maple-Bacon Vinaigrette

Mature, larger-leaved spinach holds up better to the warm bacon vinaigrette than baby spinach in this healthy spinach salad recipe. If you don't want the spinach to wilt, let the dressing cool before tossing it with the salad.

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Roasted Delicata Squash & Onions

Roasting intensifies delicata squash's flavor. Seasoned with rosemary and maple, this recipe's great with pork or turkey.