50 Vegetable Sides That'll Have Everyone Grabbing Seconds

Side dishes can be a tricky thing. Not only do you have to find one that perfectly compliments your main dish — be it chicken thighs, ground beef, baked pasta or more — but it also needs to satisfy everyone at your dinner table, picky kids and adults included. It’s no easy feat! Thankfully, veggie sides deliciously meet both of those requirements. Not only are they extremely versatile, but vegetables of all shapes, sizes and varieties can be used to enhance and transform just about any other ingredient. Need some more convincing? Just check out our Kale Salad with Strawberries and Fennel recipe below. Though mixing sliced strawberries in with kale might seem like a strange suggestion, this simple step makes this weeknight side dish a total gamechanger! Roasted sunflower seeds and thin stalks of fennel also give the side ample crunch and texture, which nicely offsets the chewiness of the kale. Keep clicking through this gallery to see even more fun and creative ways you can dress up all your favorite veggies year-round!

The perfect roasted asparagus should be lightly browned and tender, yet bright green and crisp. Roasting the spears at a high temperature helps achieve this. We also browned grated Parmesan to make a nutty, crumbly frico topping. Wait until ready to serve to top the vegetables so the crisped cheese stays crunchy.

Ina adds nutmeg to enhance the nutty flavors of Gruyere and Parmesan, then tops her dish with breadcrumbs to form a rich, buttery crust.

This simple side is both easy and delicious, thanks to a clove of garlic and dried red chili flakes.