50 Best Thanksgiving Vegetable Sides to Elevate Your Turkey Day Spread
From bright, crunchy salads to uber-flavorful roasted veggies, these stellar sides are anything but an afterthought.
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As much as we love Turkey Day’s namesake bird, no holiday spread is complete without an assortment of delicious Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes. Rather than relegate them to mere sidekick status, think of these veg-centric Thanksgiving sides as crucial components of the symphony that is the Big Meal — we’re talking creamy soups, crisp salads, actually exciting veggies, yummy potato recipes and so much more.
If you’re on the hunt for a healthy Thanksgiving side, we’ve got a slew of great options for you: Tender, oven-roasted vegetables with natural sweetness, bright, punchy Thanksgiving salads that help cut through the richness of other foods and even some vegan Thanksgiving recipes that ensure everyone’s dietary needs are met. But we also have plenty of comfort food that veers classically indulgent — it is a holiday, after all! Heavy hitters like buttery mashed potatoes and green bean dishes make an appearance, because how could they not?
Coming up with an entire Thanksgiving dinner menu — and then executing it — is no small feat (Psst: If you’re feeling stressed, check out our Thanksgiving meal plan to pull off this annual feast like a pro). That’s why these standout Thanksgiving vegetable side dishes are here to help: They’re easy to make, packed with crave-worthy flavors and textures and will make your T-Day table shine. Paired with a show-stopping turkey recipe, a few Thanksgiving cocktails and mocktails and one (or more!) of our Thanksgiving dessert recipes, your spread is bound to be epic.
Without further ado, here are the best vegetable sides to make this Thanksgiving:
Air Fryer Green Beans
Fresh tarragon and a zippy shallot and mustard vinaigrette add intrigue and welcome acidity to plain green beans. Trust us, guests will go for seconds!
Get the Air Fryer Green Beans recipe.
RELATED: 22 Best Thanksgiving Green Bean Recipes to Spruce up Your Turkey Day Menu
Roasted Carrots and Red Onions
The orange and sherry vinegar dressing complements the carrots’ sweetness, and almonds and sesame seeds bring nutty flavor and crunch.
Mashed Potatoes with Buttery Sliced Scallions
Goodbye, bland spuds! Mash potatoes with a garlic, peppercorn and thyme-infused mixture, then top with a lemony scallion relish for a zesty hit and pop of color.
Get the Mashed Potatoes with Buttery Sliced Scallions recipe.
RELATED: How to Reheat Mashed Potatoes
Kohlrabi and Apple Salad
This refreshing salad spotlights kohlrabi, a crunchy cruciferous vegetable that has the mild flavor of broccoli stems and a lovely natural sweetness.
Get the Kohlrabi and Apple Salad recipe.
RELATED: 10 Easy Kohlrabi Recipes That Are a Must-Try for Dinner
Mushroom Lovers’ Soup
This umami-packed, vegan pleaser features ‘shrooms three ways: dried (and rehydrated with mushroom bouillon), pureed into the broth and roasted as a crispy topping.
Get the Mushroom Lovers’ Soup recipe.
RELATED: 40 Best Mushroom Recipes That Are Packed With Natural Flavor
Roasted Okinawan Sweet Potato Wedges
These vibrantly hued, crispy-creamy roasted sweet potatoes from Byrant Terry’s 2020 cookbook, Vegetable Kingdom, are finished with sweet, creamy coconut milk and shredded coco. Pure luxury!
Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad
This elegant salad gets a boost of flavor from chopped capers and Parmesan, and is exactly the light bite you need to add balance to your holiday spread.
Get the Shaved Fennel and Celery Salad recipe.
RELATED: 22 Holiday Salads to Kick Off Any Festive Dinner Menu
Quinoa-Stuffed Honeynut Squash
These earthy-sweet squash boats are hearty enough to be a meatless main for vegetarian feasters — or to serve up as a scrumptious side for all.
Get the Quinoa-Stuffed Honeynut Squash recipe.
RELATED: 55 Healthy Vegetarian Recipes You’ll Absolutely Love
Winter Green Salad
This chic chicory salad stands up to big meat dishes and celebrates winter’s bounty of hardy vegetables (think frisée, endives and radicchio) with some delicious add-ons (lookin’ at you, candied pecans and aged Gouda).
Get the Winter Green Salad recipe.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Crisps
Sprout-haters in attendance? A foolproof way to convince them otherwise: Toss the veg with crispy shards of baked cheese. Magic!
Get the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Parmesan Crisps recipe.
RELATED: 38 Brussels Sprouts Recipes That Will Have You Asking for Seconds
Air Fryer Parmesan-Thyme Artichokes
Topped off with grated lemon zest and a sprinkle of chopped parsley, this cheesy, crispy-edged side makes a hero of canned artichoke hearts — and your air fryer!
Orange- and Garlic-Roasted Broccoli
Smashed roasted garlic, cumin seeds and a double whammy of orange juice and zest take broccoli to bright, flavorful heights.
Vegetarian Antipasto Salad
This large-format salad is filled with fresh, crunchy vegetables that are the perfect balance for the heavier dishes on the Thanksgiving table.
Get the Vegetarian Antipasto Salad recipe.
Spice-Roasted Cauliflower with Green Beans
Roasted cauliflower and green beans are punched up with garam masala, brown sugar and cayenne in this flavorful dish that's perfect for fall weather.
Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad
Every Thanksgiving meal needs something light and fresh. Enter: This bright, crunchy side you'll happily chow down.
Get the Lemony Brussels Sprout Salad recipe.
Roasted Beet and Orange Salad
Packed with roasted beets, two kinds of oranges and shaved ricotta salata, this colorful salad is almost too pretty to eat.
Get the Roasted Beet and Orange Salad recipe.
Roasted Kale and Mushrooms
This easy, versatile and crowd-pleasing side pairs well with just about any protein — and will be gone before you know it!
Get the Roasted Kale and Mushrooms recipe.
Roasted Asparagus with Anchovy Breadcrumbs
Toasty, salty breadcrumbs sprinkled over tender roasted asparagus make for the ideal Thanksgiving side.
Air Fryer Squash Soup
The veggies for this creamy, earthy soup are cooked in the air fryer, leaving your oven free for the turkey.
Get the Air Fryer Squash Soup recipe.
RELATED: 78 Best Air Fryer Recipes That Are Easy and Delicious
Crispy Roasted Potatoes
These crispy smashed potatoes can be loaded up with whatever toppings you like. Can't decide? Mix and match!
Get the Crispy Roasted Potatoes recipe.
Samantha (she/her) is the Senior Editor at Delish, where she edits the most-talked-about food news and features on the internet. In her previous role as Assistant Editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, she taste-tested hundreds of products and recipes (tough job!). A graduate of Fordham University, she considers the kitchen to be her happiest place.
Joy (she/her) is an assistant food editor in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, where she develops and tests recipes to ensure both deliciousness and accuracy before they appear in titles like Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Woman’s Day, Prevention and Country Living. After graduating from UChicago with a major in political science, she made the (best) decision to pursue her passion for food by enrolling in pastry school and working at her dream restaurant, Gramercy Tavern. Before joining the GH team, Joy assisted on cookbook and editorial shoots, ran an Instagram micro bakery, and worked as a freelance writer and developer with bylines appearing in Eater, Food52, Simply Recipes, Food Network and more. Joy has a special place in her heart for croissants and tiramisu, and is always on the hunt for the next cafe to explore in the city (a journey that never ends!).
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