55 Easy Vegetable Sides Dishes for Thanksgiving to Complete Turkey Day
From classic green beans to healthy greens and more!
Everyone knows turkey is the star of the show when it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, but some people look forward to the side dishes the most. Who can resist fluffy mashed potatoes, fresh salads, and crunchy green beans? And of course, healthy side dishes are practically essential to a good Thanksgiving spread, since they provide a little freshness to balance out the heaviness of a turkey dinner. Luckily, we've rounded up some of the best Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes to add to your table this year.
The best part is that many of these healthy Thanksgiving recipes are super easy to make! Some of them can even be prepped ahead of time, so you can focus on spending time with your friends and family on Thanksgiving. Plus, these vegetable side dishes are hearty enough to be filling for any vegetarian Thanksgiving guests who might be skipping out on the turkey. And if you're looking for vegan Thanksgiving dishes, good news: many of these dishes are already vegan, or can be easily modified to exclude animal products.
So once you decide on which Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes you'll be serving, you can start brainstorming festive Thanksgiving drinks and which pies you'll have for Thanksgiving dessert this year to complete your amazing Turkey Day feast!
Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Marinated Feta
Give roasted veggies an upgrade with flavorful, creamy feta and protein-packed chickpeas. Shallots and chilies add an even bigger dose of flavor.
Get the Roasted Carrots and Chickpeas With Marinated Feta recipe.
Roasted Asparagus With Anchovy Breadcrumbs
Toasty, salty breadcrumbs sprinkled over perfectly roasted asparagus makes for the perfect Thanksgiving side.
Rosemary Roasted Carrot Salad
Cozy roasted carrots and peppery arugula come together in this simple but delicious side dish.
Get the Rosemary Roasted Carrot Salad.
Air Fryer Squash Soup
A cup of this cozy soup is a perfect Thanksgiving side. Bonus: It mostly comes together in the air fryer, leaving your oven free for the turkey.
Get the Air Fryer Squash Soup recipe.
RELATED: 46 Easy Air Fryer Recipes That Are Fast and Super Delicious
Charred Broccolini
No one will complain about eating their greens with this simple grilled side dish. Even if you don't have a grill or it's too cold to use it, you can get that beautiful char using a grill pan on the stovetop.
Get the Charred Broccolini recipe.
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
These crispy smashed potatoes can be loaded up with whatever toppings you like, making them a perfect choice for a Thanksgiving dinner side.
Get the Crispy Roasted Potatoes recipe.
Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Almond-Thyme Gremolata
This elegant side dish comes together with creamy cauliflower, heavy cream, and plenty of veggies. The almond topper adds the perfect amount of crunch.
Get the Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Almond-Thyme Gremolata recipe.
Old Bay–Spiced Potato Salad
Who says potato salad is only for summer cookouts? This flavorful mayo-free potato salad brings plenty of flavor to the Thanksgiving table.
Get the Old Bay–Spiced Potato Salad recipe.
Balsamic Roasted Red Onions
With so many dishes to prep for Thanksgiving, we love a simple but eye-catching dish like this one. It only takes a few ingredients to make!
Get the Balsamic Roasted Red Onions recipe.
Glazed Green Beans
This plate of greens gets a sour-sweet upgrade from sherry vinegar and brown sugar.
Get the Glazed Green Beans recipe.
Vanilla Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Fresh red chile and a whole vanilla bean pod make these potatoes perfectly balanced between spicy and sweet.
Get the Vanilla Roasted Sweet Potatoes recipe.
RELATED: 40 Best Sweet Potato Recipes That Are Perfect for Any Fall Occasion
Hasselback Butternut Squash With Maple Brown Butter
This is not just a delicious side, it's practically a work of art!
Get the Hasselback Butternut Squash With Maple Brown Butter recipe.
Colcannon
Typically a St. Patrick's Day food, this mashed potatoes recipe with greens is perfect for Thanksgiving too.
Get the Colcannon recipe.
Coriander-Maple Glazed Carrots
Maple syrup and lime juice create a delicious glaze that'll keep everyone coming back for more.
Vegetable Torte
With squash, kale, potato and tomato, this side offers multiple vegetables in one layered pie.
Get the Vegetable Torte recipe.
Bacon-Roasted Potatoes
Bacon and potatoes turn extra crispy in the air fryer, all in under 30 minutes.
Get the Bacon-Roasted Potatoes recipe.
RELATED: 58 Easy Potato Recipes For Weeknight Dinners, Thanksgiving and More
Shaved Carrot and Radish Salad
Crunchy carrots and radishes offer a crisp, colorful contrast to all of the heavier sides on your plate.
Lime and Aleppo Pepper Green Beans
Save space on the stovetop and make grilled green beans instead. Mildly spicy, earthy and a little bit fruity, Aleppo pepper adds major flavor.
Hasselback Potatoes
Dollops of scallion butter are essential here; it seeps into all those crispy nooks and crannies.
Get the Hasselback Potatoes recipe.
Grilled Sweet Potatoes With Lemon-Herb Sauce
For Thanksgiving, we'd skip the yogurt but keep all of the flavor of the fiery, fragrant relish.
Get the Grilled Sweet Potatoes With Lemon-Herb Sauce recipe.
Becca Miller (she/her) has been working in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen since 2018, where she researches and writes about tasty recipes, food trends and top cooking tools. She graduated from NYU with a liberal arts degree focusing on creative writing. She makes killer scrambled eggs, enjoys a glass of un-oaked chardonnay and takes pride in her love of reality television.
Samantha (she/her) is an Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she writes about tasty recipes, must-try food products and top-tested secrets for home cooking success. She has taste-tasted hundreds of products and recipes since joining GH in 2020 (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.
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