The holidays are all about cozy comfort foods.
There's a reason the table is our main gathering place with our loved ones.
Food offers comfort and connection, and our holiday meals create an opportunity to express gratitude for all we have.
While the quality time you spend with family and friends will always be more important than the foods you make, we also recognize that picking out your holiday recipes can be a daunting task.
That's why we've gathered up our favorite vegetable-based side dishes for the holidays to share with you today!
Key Ingredients & Flavors of Holiday Dishes
When you think of holiday cooking, some specific ingredients and flavors may come to mind.
Combining practically any of these ingredients will set you up for success with your holiday cooking.
Winter Vegetables: The perfect foundation for holiday side dishes, including potatoes, carrots, broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, and radishes that make excellent accompaniments to any main course.
Nuts and Texture: Pecans and walnuts contribute both earthy flavors and satisfying crunch, versatile enough to enhance both sweet and savory holiday dishes.
Festive Fruits: Apples, dried cranberries, and pomegranate seeds add essential sweetness and tartness, especially in holiday salads where they create perfect flavor balance.
Natural Sweeteners: The holidays call for sweetness, making honey, maple syrup, and brown sugar ideal ingredients for creating festive treats and adding depth to dishes.
Warming Spices: Holiday cooking comes alive with spices like thyme, rosemary, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, creating multiple layers of flavor that result in comforting and festive dishes.
Sweet and Savory Combinations: Many traditional holiday recipes successfully blend sweet and savory elements, creating complex and satisfying flavor profiles that define seasonal cooking.
Hearty Salads
1. Warm Brussels Sprout & Kabocha Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
You can never go wrong with Brussels sprouts and bacon, but add a beautiful pop of color and flavor by roasting up some kabocha squash to go along with it.
Garnish with freshly torn mint for a wintry twist!
2. Broccoli Farro Salad
Broccoli is one of the most popular winter vegetables, which is why it's a feature in many of our favorite holiday side dishes.
This broccoli and farro salad adds lots of color and nutrition to your holiday plate.
Make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge to let the flavors mingle.
3. Napa Cabbage and Radicchio Salad
This napa cabbage and radicchio salad features a delicious mixture of holiday flavors, including almonds, pears, and olive oil.
The recipe calls for grilling the cabbage and radicchio until charred, but you can cook the veggies on your stovetop or roast them in the oven as an alternative.
4. Winter Wedge Salad
Our favorite winter wedge salad recipe makes a great appetizer or healthy side dish for your holiday meal.
Topped with poached pears, toasted pine nuts, salami, and gorgonzola cheese, this salad is sure to impress.
You can make your own balsamic vinaigrette to drizzle over the wedges, but feel free to substitute your favorite store-bought dressing to save time.
Cheesy Dishes
5. Cheesy Green Bean Casserole
Green bean casserole is the quintessential holiday side dish.
This recipe has it all: nutritious green beans, creamy cheddar cheese, and crispy fried onions.
Even better, you can assemble your green bean casserole in 10 minutes or less if you use canned ingredients.
Throw it in the oven for about an hour, and you're ready to dig in.
6. Broccoli Gratin With Breadcrumbs & Gruyere Cheese
Broccoli topped with breadcrumbs and cheese? Count us in!
This is a delicious (and healthy) alternative to the more traditional potatoes au gratin, but we like this veggie version better!
7. Broccoli Burrata Crostini
This broccoli burrata crostini is a great appetizer for your holiday gatherings.
Bread and cheese make the perfect comfort meal on their own, but the seasoned broccoli and pomegranate seeds add some festive colors and flavors.
8. Frittata With Napa Cabbage and Feta
Cheese and vegetable frittata is one of the best healthy side dishes, especially for vegetarians.
It's full of protein, healthy fats, and fiber, so you could even serve it as your main course.
This recipe uses napa cabbage, green onions, and crumbled feta for a festive and flavorful dish.
Frittata is incredibly versatile, though, so you can experiment with your favorite veggies and cheeses.
9. Hidden Veggie Mac and Cheese
Some people will argue that no holiday meal is complete without mac and cheese.
If you want to sneak some vegetables into your mac and cheese, this recipe is exactly what you're looking for.
It incorporates cooked and pureed veggies into the cheese sauce, so no one will ever know!
Seasoned Roasted Veggies
10. Broccoli and Cauliflower With Chermoula
Roasted broccoli and cauliflower are classic holiday sides, but this recipe kicks it up a notch by topping the veggies with chermoula, raisins, and olives.
The chermoula is packed with flavor, making the broccoli and cauliflower more palatable for those who say the vegetables are too bland.
Sweet raisins and briny olives add even more depth of flavor to the dish, making it a standout on your plate.
11. Roasted Purple Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts have long been associated with the holidays, so you shouldn't miss out on your chance to add them to your table.
Roasted purple Brussels sprouts tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper make a simple yet healthy side dish.
To ensure the sprouts get perfectly crispy, avoid overcrowding the pan.
12. Roasted Brussels Sprouts With Beets and Delicata Squash
If you're looking for something a little more elaborate than traditional roasted Brussels sprouts, try this recipe for roasted sprouts, beets, and delicata squash.
All the veggies can be roasted together, so prepping the dish is still quick and easy.
The end result is a warm, crisp, and colorful vegetable medley.
13. Roasted Carrots With Lemon and Dates
Roasted carrots are excellent on their own, but if you want to add more flavor to this popular side dish, try this Middle Eastern-inspired recipe for roasted carrots with dates and lemon vinaigrette.
With a combination of orange and purple carrots, dried dates, pistachios, and herbs, this recipe is an incredible blend of flavors, colors, and textures.
14. Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet potatoes are another classic holiday favorite, although recipes vary widely from family to family.
While some people embrace the "sweet" in sweet potatoes by topping them with marshmallows and brown sugar, this recipe brings out the savory side of the root vegetable.
These sweet potato fries are simply seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika, but they're sure to be a hit at your holiday feast.
Decadent Vegetable Mashes
15. Mashed Potatoes With Leeks
We love incorporating veggies whenever we can, so why not sneak some into your mashed potatoes?
Try this delicious and creamy mashed potato recipe with leeks! This is our new go-to recipe for mashed potatoes.
16. Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
If you're looking for a healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, give these cauliflower mashed potatoes a shot.
Not only is cauliflower a superfood, but it can mimic the texture of tons of other foods, which is why it's such a popular healthy substitute.
Just make sure you squeeze as much water as possible out of the cooked cauliflower so your mashed "potatoes" aren't runny.
17. Savory Sweet Potato Mash
Sweet potatoes are full of potassium, fiber, and vitamins, so mashed sweet potatoes are a great way to get your nutrients in.
This recipe includes instructions for both sweet and savory garnishes, allowing you to choose your own adventure.
You can either boil or bake your sweet potatoes before mashing.
18. Creamed Pearl Onions
Creamed pearl onions are a staple at many holiday tables.
This recipe calls for half-and-half cream and chicken broth, which mix together to make a delicious, savory cream sauce.
You can garnish the dish with parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage, or your other favorite holiday seasonings.
19. Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is one of the best ways to get your greens in.
This recipe calls for heavy cream and cream cheese, resulting in an indulgent dish that's perfect for the holiday season.
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan top off the dish, adding some extra kick and umami flavor.
Delicious Stuffed Sides
20. Stuffed Peppers
Stuffed peppers are hearty enough to be eaten as a main dish, but you can also serve them as a side during your holiday dinner or bring them to a potluck.
This recipe uses ground beef, rice, onions, and tomato sauce, but you could add chopped mushrooms, spinach, or any of your other favorite vegetables for a more nutritional punch.
21. Steak Lettuce Cups
Lettuce cups make the perfect healthy vessel for so many different foods.
These lettuce cups are stuffed with chipotle marinated steak, black bean, and corn salsa, chopped bell peppers, and cotija cheese.
Add some Southwestern flavors to your holiday meal!
22. Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash
A halved acorn squash makes a delicious boat for meats, veggies, and cheeses.
This sausage stuffed acorn squash recipe can be a main dish or a hearty side.
It calls for chopped apples, another winter favorite, for some sweetness to complement the savory sausage.
Chopped mushrooms also add extra flavor and substance.
23. Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms
If you have vegetarians at your holiday gathering, these stuffed mushrooms are an excellent alternative to ham or turkey for a main dish. They're also a crowd-pleasing side or appetizer.
Stuffed with chickpeas, walnuts, Parmesan, herbs, and aromatics, these mushrooms offer a beautiful medley of flavors and textures.
24. Garden Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Another vegetarian favorite, these garden stuffed baked potatoes are equal parts healthy and delicious.
Microwaving the potatoes is an easy way to partially bake them before loading them up with your favorite ingredients and baking them in the oven.
This recipe calls for onions, broccoli, and ranch dressing, but as always, feel free to sub in your own desired toppings.
Enjoy the Holidays With These Delicious Recipes!
We hope these recipe ideas give you inspiration for your holiday cooking.
This season is all about gathering with those we love, and food is an excellent way to bring people together.
Happy holidays, and happy cooking!
FAQ
What vegetables are in season during the holidays?
Some of the most popular fall and winter vegetables include squash, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and root vegetables.
Can I make vegetable side dishes ahead of time?
Most of the side dishes on this list can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator.
Some recipes even taste better when kept in the fridge overnight because the flavors have more time to mingle.
How do I make my holiday side dishes healthier?
Adding extra vegetables is one of the easiest ways to make your side dishes healthier.
It's hard not to love veggies when they're paired with cheese, butter, nuts, spices, and other classic holiday ingredients!
