Name: Healthy Side Dishes
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 11 min
Total time: 16 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 3 medium yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 5 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped; 10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Jump to Recipe

These delicious, healthy side dishes are all easy to make and full of fresh ingredients.

From pasta salads to grilled veggies, we've got some great easy side dish recipes for you!

Many of these are great pairings for chicken, salmon, pasta, and more.

Hopefully, you'll find some new healthy sides to try!

Sautéed Yellow Squash

This simple sautéed yellow squash recipe allows the crisp, fresh flavors of the squash to shine. The mildly sweet, nutty flavors of the squash are deepened over the heat.

It's topped with fresh herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice for maximum flavor.

Sautéed yellow squash topped with herbs in a white serving bowl.

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables

This delicious oven-roasted root vegetable recipe is a fantastic, healthy side dish!

This side dish is a wonderful addition to a holiday meal or just a regular weeknight dinner. You can also roast the vegetables and add them to a grain bowl or salad.

Oven roasted root vegetables on a white serving platter.

Grilled Corn in the Husk

This grilled corn in the husk recipe is the absolute easiest way to cook sweet corn!

It's super simple and results in tender, succulent corn that you can serve as a side or cut up to use in salads, soups, or pasta.

Grilled corn in the husk on a white platter.

Black Bean Salad

You're going to love this black bean salad with bell peppers, red onion, and a kick of fajita seasoning. It's a hearty side dish that has a great crunch from the fresh peppers.

Roasted Turnips

These delicious roasted turnips are a simple, flavorful side dish that's easy to make.

Roasted turnips are a perfect side dish for a weeknight meal or a special occasion like a holiday dinner.

Oven roasted turnips in a serving bowl with a spoon.

Grilled Baby Bok Choy Recipe

This healthy, grilled baby bok choy is an easy recipe for a delicious side dish. It has a zesty, savory Asian sauce with a little chili kick.

The best part is, it’s ready in less than 15 minutes!

A closeup shot of a bowl of grilled baby bok choy with a silver spoon.

Italian Tomato Salad

This fresh Italian tomato salad recipe (Insalata di Pomodori) is a simple, easy summer side dish. It's perfect for a BBQ or picnic and absolutely bursting with fresh flavors.

Roasted Golden Beets

Roasted golden beets are one of the most delicious vegetable side dishes. You'll roast the whole beets in a foil packet till they're tender.

This cooking method is incredibly simple. You don't even have to peel the beets before roasting, as the skin will pull right off after they come out of the oven.

Roasted golden beets in a white bowl with a serving fork.

Grilled Asparagus Recipe

This delicious grilled asparagus recipe is ready in minutes! It's a great dish to serve at a BBQ or a fantastic side dish for salmon or chicken.

Grilled asparagus on white plate with lemon slices.

Mediterranean Grilled Vegetables

These delicious grilled Mediterranean vegetables are a perfect side dish! They're char-grilled to perfection and topped with herbs, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Grilled vegetables on metal skewers after coming off the grill.

Melon Prosciutto Salad

This delicious melon prosciutto salad combines cantaloupe, honeydew, little mozzarella balls, and prosciutto for a refreshing summer salad!

Melon and prosciutto salad on a white serving dish.

Roasted Parmesan Green Beans

These delicious parmesan cheese green beans are topped with panko and roasted to perfection.

They're a crispy, savory, and tasty side dish that's ready in less than 30 minutes. The majority of which is hands-off time while the beans are baking in the oven.

Parmesan panko green beans in a blue serving bowl.

Crispy Roasted Sunchokes

Roasting sunchokes to crispy perfection is easy to do and requires very little hands-on time! Sunchokes have a lovely, delicate and sweet flavor for a root vegetable and taste great when roasted.

Brussels Sprouts Kale Salad

This shredded Brussels sprouts salad with kale and apples is quick and easy to make!

It's full of crunchy bits (apple and toasted nuts) and savory bits (olive oil massage kale and shredded parmesan).

An overhead shot of a white serving bowl with shredded brussels sprouts kale salad, topped with apples.

Smashed Brussels Sprouts

These crispy smashed Brussels sprouts are baked to perfection. They're a delicious side dish that's fun to make and goes great with pasta or grilled chicken.

The Easiest Green Salad

This easy green salad is quick + delightful. It's got a mustardy dressing that tastes great tossed with any soft green.

A simple green salad on a white plate with a fork and a knife.

Pesto Pasta Salad Recipe

This healthy pesto pasta salad recipe is full of flavor. The roasted veggies, grilled corn, and homemade pesto make this a standout recipe.

Roasted Broccolini

This roasted broccolini recipe is a ridiculously simple side dish that tastes great.

It’s a fresh side dish that's ready in less than 20 minutes. Broccolini is sweeter and milder than regular broccoli - it's well worth trying!

Togarashi Fries

These baked togarashi fries are deliciously flavored and crispy!

If you like french fries, you've got to try these. They're easy to make and don't require much hands-on time.

Togarashi fries in a white bowl with a side of spicy mayo.

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

This grilled corn and black bean salad is a delicious summer side dish or light lunch. It's full of flavor and easy to make!

It's a great side dish for a BBQ and it packs well - you can take it to a potluck or a picnic.

Grilled corn salad with black beans and bell peppers in a serving bowl.

Oven Roasted Okra

This tasty oven-roasted okra is a fantastic side dish! It can be made with fresh or frozen okra and only involves a few simple steps.

Whether you are a long-time okra lover or new to the vegetable, this will be your new favorite way to prepare okra.

Serve with a main course like shrimp or grilled fish.

Oven roasted okra on a white plate with a spoon.

Roasted Purple Potatoes

These roasted purple potatoes with garlic and herbs are a flavorful and beautiful side dish. Purple potatoes are so fun to cook with because they keep their vibrant color even after roasting.

Avocado Caprese Salad

This Avocado Caprese Salad is a perfect side salad recipe. It's easy to make, highlights fresh, seasonal ingredients, and is full of flavor!

Shaved Asparagus Salad with Quinoa

This shaved asparagus salad with quinoa recipe is a delicious side dish!

It's topped with a zesty dressing made from orange juice and mustard - it adds a punch of flavor that pairs well with the subtle asparagus and quinoa.

Shaved asparagus and quinoa salad in a white bowl with a spoon.

Roasted Honeynut Squash

This delicious roasted honeynut squash recipe is topped with miso maple butter for a savory and sweet side dish. This is the best way to enjoy these cute little squash.

Serve with a main dish like roast chicken or turkey for a hearty meal!

A platter of roasted honeynut squash, topped with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.

Asian Style Green Beans

These delicious Asian-style green beans are going to be your new favorite side dish!

They're a fantastic way to cook fresh green beans that not only highlights the natural flavors but adds a zesty kick.

Asian green beans on a large white serving platter.

Roasted Carnival Squash

You're going to love this roasted carnival squash recipe - it's so easy to make and results in creamy, succulent squash.

Carnival squash is a hybrid of acorn and sweet dumpling squash. It has bright, colorful skin and rich, sweet flesh.

An overhead shot of a large serving platter of roasted carnival squash topped with feta and pomegranate.

Heirloom Tomato Salad Recipe

This heirloom tomato salad recipe is summer in a bowl! It's a fantastic side salad or light lunch.

This recipe is similar to a Caprese salad in that it pairs tomatoes with mozzarella and basil, but adds some delicious fresh summer stone fruit.

A stone fruit and heirloom tomato salad in a bowl with a large spoon.

Za'atar Roasted Butternut Squash

This delicious roasted butternut squash is topped with za'atar seasoning for a flavorful bite.

It takes some time to roast the squash, but this is a simple and easy side dish to make.

Butternut squash topped with za'atar on a serving plate.

Roasted Red Cabbage

This roasted red cabbage is a gorgeous side dish recipe!

It's our favorite way to eat red cabbage - roasting it really brings out the flavor but also adds some great crunchy bits.

Roasted red cabbages on an oval white plate with a fork.

Honey Roasted Baby Carrots

This delicious honey roasted baby carrots recipe is a fantastic, simple side dish. It requires very little hands-on time and results in the tenderest and tastiest carrots.

Roasted baby carrots topped with chopped parsley.

Roasted Purple Cauliflower

This delicious roasted purple cauliflower recipe is an excellent side dish!

Yield: 4 servings

Healthy Side Dishes

Try one of our favorite healthy sides - this easy sauteed yellow squash recipe is the best! It comes together quickly and has great flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Total Time 16 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 medium yellow squash, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
10 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter.
Once the oil is hot and the butter is bubbling, add the yellow squash. Stir the squash to coat them in the butter and oil. Sauté for 5 minutes. Stir again and flip the squash over and cook for 4 more minutes.
Add the garlic and thyme to the pan. Stir to combine and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove the squash from the heat and add the chopped basil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Stir and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 112Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 291mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 3g

Which one of these healthy side dish recipes will you try?

25 Healthy Side Dishes

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

More Side Dishes

Leave a Reply Cancel reply