These recipes cater to vegetarians and vegans and appeal to anyone seeking a delightful and wholesome dinner option.
Whether you’re looking to incorporate more plant–based dishes into your diet or simply exploring the world of vegetables in a new light, this collection has something for everyone.
1. Whole roasted cauliflower
We start this vegetable roundup with a family–friendly meal: whole roasted cauliflower with chermoula sauce.
Make it in about 40 minutes with simple seasonal ingredients and serve it as a colorful addition to your meal with tahini sauce and a drizzle of cilantro-garlic chermoula.
3. Roasted Brussels sprouts
If you have a special dinner planned, you’ve got to try these roasted Brussels sprouts with our mustard-maple syrup dressing, tahini drizzle, and pomegranate seeds.
The dressings coat the crevices of the roasted Brussels sprouts with sweet, acidic, and slightly spicy notes. It’s a luxurious yet easy-to-make vegetable side!
4. Steamed artichokes
Tender, soft, and buttery smooth! This recipe for braised artichokes is an Italian appetizer of braised artichokes that are simmered in a pot with water, olive oil, and herbs.
Serve this vegetable side dish with chimichurri sauce, vegan mayonnaise, and fresh mint leaves.
5. Sauteed mushrooms
Here’s how to make perfect sauteed mushrooms on the stovetop with a few simple ingredients in about 15 minutes.
It’s an easy, tasty, juicy side dish and a versatile topping idea for pasta, soups, salads, and bruschetta.
6. Easy kale salad
Our kale salad with honey mustard dressing is a refreshing and nutritious recipe you can serve as a side dish for a special meal or as a main for a light and tasty lunch.
The fresh flavor of kale is softened by a creamy, tangy, and slightly sweet dressing made with olive oil, mustard, and maple syrup.
7. Microwaved sweet potato
Microwave sweet potato is one of the easiest meals you’ll ever make and by far the easiest and fastest way of cooking sweet potato.
You can enjoy this vegetable-rich meal for lunch and dinner, as a side dish, main dish, and even as a healthy dessert with cinnamon and maple syrup.
8. Fennel orange salad
Fennel and orange salad is an easy and delicious winter salad that is very popular in Italy and especially Sicily, where oranges are sweet and ripe throughout fall and winter.
You can make this quick salad in a few minutes with easy-to-find ingredients. It’s an excellent recipe for a delicate appetizer or side dish for a special occasion.
9. Shaved Brussels sprout salad
This shaved salad is the perfect side dish for the fall and winter when Brussels sprouts are readily available.
It’s a beautiful side dish for a quick lunch or everyday dinner, and it’s excellent for a memorable vegetarian thanksgiving dinner.
10. Potato mash
With only five ingredients, we find this to be the creamiest mashed potato recipe we’ve tested.
We took inspiration from my Italian grandma’s recipe book; this mash has been a family favorite for generations. It’s easy to make, light, and creamy to eat vegetables next to a meatless main or high protein dish.
11. Moroccan carrot salad
Serve this Moroccan carrot salad as a side, or upgrade it to a main dish by adding a grain or legume of your choice.
For example, serve it with our delicious Moroccan couscous and a dollop of Greek-style yogurt or tzatziki for a tasty, wholesome, delicious Mediterranean-inspired meal.
12. Aloo Gobi (potatoes and cauliflower)
This aloo gobi recipe is the essence of Indian home cooking (in this case, Northern India, Punjab, and up to Pakistan), where simple ingredients create a nourishing and satisfying dish.
Our interpretation of aloo gobi is that the potatoes and the cauliflower are roasted in the oven before being mixed with the curry sauce.
13. Roasted butternut squash
Oven-roasted butternut squash has a pleasant, naturally sweet, and nutty taste; it’s tender and melts in your mouth.
We show you how to make it savory and sweet and use the roasted vegetables for salads and soups.
These air fryer zucchini bits are tender-crisp, chunky zucchini wedges that are a pleasure to bite into.
Each air-fried zucchini piece is a little charred on the outside but still perfectly juicy and “meaty” inside.
TIP: serve with your favorite condiments, such as chipotle or romesco sauce.
16. Steamed asparagus
Asparagus is one of the easiest vegetables to steam, air fry, and stir fry.
Their flavor blossoms, and they get tender and juicy when steamed. You can serve them with a pinch of salt, a twist of freshly ground black pepper, and a squeeze of lemon.
17. No-bacon broccoli salad
In one tasty bowl, this broccoli salad combines indulgence and health, creamy and light.
We use almonds and sun-dried tomatoes instead of sharp cheddar cheese and bacon bits. The result is a crunchier, nuttier, and healthier broccoli salad that everyone will love.
18. Roasted bell pepper
Oven roasting is a simple, clean, and healthy way to make smokey and juicy roasted peppers.
Roasted peppers are easy to make, and you can serve them as an appetizer or side dish and use them in roasted pepper pasta, red pepper hummus, wraps, and more.
19. Stuffed zucchini
These tender and stuffed grilled zucchini are excellent for easy potluck meals, meal prep, and family dinners.
We make a delicious meat-free filling with dairy-free ricotta, herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes, then bake the zucchini until tender-crisp and golden.
20. Sauteed eggplant
Our next vegetable recipe is easy to make on the stovetop in just 20 minutes, and it’s great as a last-minute dinner.
Serve sautèed eggplant as a side dish, on bruschetta, or use it as a delicious sauce similar to Italian pasta alla Norma.
21. Roasted eggplant
Roasted eggplant is an easy side dish you can serve with most mains or use to make other wonderful eggplant recipes.
From stuffed eggplants to eggplant pizza and creamy Baba ghanoush, roasting eggplants is an essential cooking skill you’ll want to master.
22. Avocado tomato salad
Tomato and avocado salad is refreshing, easy to put together, and perfect to cool you down during those scorching summer months.
Serve it with garlic crostini or no knead focaccia bread to soak up all the flavorful tomato juices for a simple light lunch or as a dinner side dish.
23. Dill potato salad
You’ll love this creamy dill potato salad recipe with simple and healthy-ish ingredients. It’s comforting with classic flavors and creamy yet light and refreshing.
The star of this dish is, without a doubt, the dressing. We combine egg-free mayo and Greek yogurt for a beautiful summer salad.
How to make vegetables more interesting
If you want to add more flavor to your vegetables, we recommend using fresh herbs, spices, and condiments. For cooked vegetables, dry drizzle with a green sauce, such as:
You can also always experiment with dips or a side of marinara sauce, ketchup, and mayonnaise.
How to store these easy vegetable recipes
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.
- Reheat them in a preheated oven at 360°F or 180°C for 10 minutes or in the microwave.
- Alternatively, you can reheat the vegetables on a nonstick pan with a drizzle of olive oil.
If you tried these vegetable ideas or any other recipe on our blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it goes in the comments. We love hearing from you!
25 Easy Vegetable Recipes
Roasted vegetables are colorful, tasty, tender, and aromatic, perfect as an all-year side dish.
Follow our roasted veggie mix recommendations or make this recipe yours by picking your favorite seasonal vegetables; we’ll show you how.
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 30 minutes mins
Servings: –+ – 6 people
Course: Side dish, Starter
Cuisine: Italian
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