Here are 12 vegetarian side dishes that you can serve with any meal, whether it’s a healthy family meal or a holiday meal.
Like a lot of confirmed vegetable lovers, I am all about the side dishes. In fact, stuff the turkey – give me ALL the sides!.
Turkey is a staple centerpiece for many holiday meals and family gatherings. While the succulent, juicy turkey may be the main attraction, the vegetable side dishes are what truly bring the meal together. Choosing the right vegetables to serve alongside turkey can accentuate flavors, provide delicious contrasting textures, and make for beautiful, colorful platters. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the very best vegetable pairings for turkey and provide tips to cook them to perfection.
Why Vegetables Matter with Turkey
Turkey has a versatile, mildly flavored meat that pairs well with a wide variety of vegetables. The vegetables add nice pops of color, contrasting crisp textures, and complementary flavors. Hearty roasted and mashed vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash provide comfort and balance out the turkey’s richness. Brighter green vegetables like Brussels sprouts, green beans, and asparagus add freshness. And earthy roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and beets contribute natural sweetness.
Choosing seasonal vegetables to serve with turkey not only improves the flavor, but can also reduce the cost of your holiday spread. Taking advantage of ripe, readily available produce helps make the meal special
The Best Vegetables to Pair with Turkey
Potatoes
Mashed, roasted or scalloped potatoes are a no-brainer pairing with turkey. They soak up all the tasty pan juices and their creaminess perfectly balances the turkey’s textures. For extra flavor use chicken or turkey stock instead of milk when mashing them.
Sweet Potatoes
Honey-glazed sweet potatoes or a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top makes for a perfect holiday side. Roast cubed sweet potatoes simply with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme to allow their natural sweetness to pair nicely with turkey
Squash
Butternut squash and acorn squash varieties work well when roasted or pureed into a velvety soup. Their innate sweetness and smooth consistency complements turkey. For roasted squash, just toss cubed squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Brussels Sprouts
Roasted Brussels sprouts become caramelized, sweet, and crispy. Toss halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic before roasting. For extra flavor, top with crispy bacon bits or toasted nuts.
Carrots
Glazed carrots are a fast, easy vegetable to make for a holiday meal. Cook peeled baby carrots in broth with brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup to get a nice glaze. Season with thyme or ginger for extra flavor.
Parsnips
Though they resemble white carrots, parsnips have a sweeter, nuttier flavor when roasted. Prepare them just like carrots – they pair nicely with the savory turkey.
Green Beans
Fresh green beans provide texture contrast and color vibrancy. Roast them with olive oil, salt, and pepper or quickly steam or sauté them. Garnish with slivered almonds or crispy fried shallots.
Asparagus
When in season, fresh asparagus can be worth splurging on for the holidays. Simply roast or grill it with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Zest lemon or add Parmesan cheese for extra richness.
Beets
Roasting brings out beets’ natural sweetness. Toss beet wedges with olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting. Top with crumbled feta or goat cheese and chopped walnuts for balance.
Corn
When in season, grilled or boiled corn on the cob makes for a fun, hands-on side dish. Serve with flavored butter. Creamed corn also pairs deliciously with turkey.
Green Beans
Quick-cooking green beans pair nicely with turkey when steamed, sautéed, or roasted with olive oil and seasonings. For extra flavor, top with toasted almond slices or crispy fried shallots.
Tips for Cooking the Perfect Vegetables
- Chop vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly
- Toss veggies with oil and seasonings before roasting
- Use broth or stock instead of water when steaming for more flavor
- Roast vegetables alongside the turkey to allow them to soak up juices
- Don’t overcook! Vegetables should be fork-tender with some bite
- Garnish with fresh herbs, nuts, cheese, or breadcrumbs
Sample Recipes
Honey Glazed Carrots
Ingredients: baby carrots, honey, butter, thyme
Instructions: Simmer carrots in broth. Add honey and thyme. Cook until glazed.
Roasted Parsnips and Beets
Ingredients: parsnips, beets, olive oil, salt, pepper, goat cheese
Instructions: Toss and roast vegetables. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
Green Bean Casserole
Ingredients: green beans, mushroom soup, fried onions
Instructions: Mix together green beans, soup, and onions. Bake until hot and bubbly.
Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients: potatoes, butter, milk, garlic, chives
Instructions: Boil and mash potatoes. Mix in butter, milk, and seasonings.
Make Your Turkey Feast Unforgettable
With so many options for delicious vegetable pairings, transforming your holiday turkey into a mouthwatering feast is easy. Combining classic roasted and mashed veggies with vibrant, fresh green vegetables can provide the perfect balance of flavors, colors, and textures. Getting creative with seasonings and toppings for your vegetable sides will keep your holiday spread feeling festive yet comfortable. Your guests will leave talking about both the succulent turkey and the delightful vegetable dishes.
Southern Cornbread Stuffing
My childhood was full of vegetables. I have clear memories of a holiday table covered in lace that was barely visible because of a jigsaw puzzle of vegetable dishes, fried chicken, steak, and the obligatory Jello salad. But the star was always the side dishes, mainly vegetables. Most of the time, they were picked right from my grandmother’s garden (her parents were farmers), lightly cooked, and some may have been pickled earlier in the long Tennessee growing season.
I ate all of the other stuff too, including Southern Cornbread Dressing(stuffing). I remember it made by my grandmother with chicken or turkey giblets and stock – rich and savoury. There were a few vegetables in it too, but I can’t recall exactly which. Most likely just onions and celery. Possibly some bacon leftover from an earlier meal. I can still remember how soft it was, with the desired crispy bits on the sides and a savory, custardy center that poked through.
This vegan recipe, which I’ve worked on for years, is a small tribute to the warm, loving, and skilled cooking of my grandmother Mimi. Maybe not as good as hers, but it’s pretty good, and my family loves it. And no bacon grease. Also, this one-pan squash and kale stuffing with sour cherries and pecans is vegan and might be something you like. The texture is great, and the taste is savoury, slightly sweet and a bit tangy. Sub in dried cranberries if you can’t get the sour cherries.
Smoky Maple-Pecan Hasselback Butternut Squash
The trick to the perfect Hasselback Butternut Squash is to part-bake, and only then slice and flavour up. You save a lot of time and effort, as well as your fingers! To prepare ahead of time, partially roast the squash, then cut it into thin slices without cutting all the way through. Let it cool, then put it in the fridge until it’s time to serve. You can also cook it all the way through up to four hours before you eat it and then just heat it up quickly. This recipe can be tweaked all kinds of ways, introducing some bold spices, or even some tangy ones. This minimal-ingredient recipe is so easy, and looks suitably festive on the table.
Vegetable Dish to go With Turkey
FAQ
What vegetables are good for turkeys?
What is a popular accompaniment for turkey?
What is traditionally served with turkey?
What are the best vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving?
Get recipes for our best vegetable side dishes for Thanksgiving, including potatoes, Brussels sprouts, squash, casseroles, green beans, and more.
What vegetables go well with celery?
Celery is a vegetable with several therapeutic properties and can be used in salads, soups or even eaten on its own. It can be prepared alone or accompanied by onions, nettles, parsley or cabbage.
What can I eat with turkey & stuffing?
Pair your turkey and stuffing with our Roasted Honeynut Squash or Carrot Casserole for a festive meal that you’ll want to make each year. From green bean casserole to hearty salads, everything you need for your Thanksgiving veggie sides is in this collection of highly-rated recipes.
Are fennel and celery underrated vegetables?
Fennel and celery share more than just the dubious honor of being incredibly underrated vegetables. Their snappy crunch is awesome raw, as proven by this densely textured salad recipe. Delicious Thanksgiving vegetable recipes for green beans, brussels sprouts, carrots, squash, and all your other favorites.
Can one have turkey and carrots?
Eating turkey and carrots is part of healthy habits. The turkey has meat like chicken and is another healthy poultry option. Carrots are rich in carotenoids, it is a source of vitamin A, fiber, potassium and vitamin B3.
Which vegetables are kidney friendly?
One of the main functions of rinses is to filter the blood. Therefore, taking care of food is important for the health and functioning of these organs. Some vegetable suggestions are: Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, broccoli and cabbage, rich in phytochemicals that help protect against inflammation; garlic, which has allicin, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action.