Recently I wrote an article about some of the favorite side dishes I make for my family. It seemed to go over pretty well with readers, so I decided to revisit that theme with five more ideas that we love which are fast or easy – or fast and easy.
I like to keep things varied when it comes to side dishes, playing with flavors and textures. I use legumes and vegetable purees in place of starches, though there is room in the meal-planning for a bit of potato or pasta now and then.
These side dishes are vegetarian-friendly. A couple of them could even be served on their own as a light meal.
Warm lentil salad with mustard vinaigrette
Lentils are a lovely option for a side dish. And with some help from pre-cooked legumes that I find at Trader Joe’s, this dish is ready in minutes.
Normally I serve this warm, tangy salad on a bed of arugula with a small piece of roasted salmon or Arctic char. But I have also made it with an over-easy egg on top, letting the yolk run through the lentils to make a nice, gooey sauce that blends into the mustard dressing.
To make: Heat one 17.6-ounce package of pre-cooked lentils according to package directions. While lentils heat, whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 finely minced shallots and ½ cup finely chopped Italian parsley. When lentils are warmed, gently stir them into the vinaigrette. Season to taste with black pepper and, if desired, salt.
Carrot-yellow pepper puree
I’ll admit that when I was making all of my son Ben’s baby food, pureed carrots were one of my favorites. I never minded sampling the batch to see how it had turned out.
I liked it so much I started making a thicker version of it as a side dish for the adults. Recently it evolved even further when I saw a lone yellow pepper needing to be used.
I added the pepper to the carrots as they cooked then pureed it all together with a hint of cumin and a little butter. I used my immersion blender and pureed it all in the same pan rather than dirtying my large blender or food processor.
This is now my new favorite way to eat carrots. Something about that yellow pepper just makes the dish shine. You know you are getting carrot, but that little hint of something else in there is really delicious.
To make: Peel and dice 1 pound of carrots. Remove stem and seeds from a large yellow pepper and cut into 1-inch pieces. Place carrots and yellow pepper in a medium sauce pan and cover with vegetable broth (about 3 cups). Cook on medium high heat for 25-30 minutes, or until carrots are fork tender. Drain vegetable broth and discard. With vegetables in the pan, add two tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon of cumin. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree carrots and yellow pepper until very smooth. If you like more cumin, add more. If you don’t like cumin, try Chinese five spice or nutmeg to add a little extra flavor.
Roasted artichoke and pearl onion salad
I love artichokes. Love. Always have. And I like introducing Ben to new things. So far, he is also a fan of this wacky thistle.
So when I saw the frozen artichokes at Trader Joe’s, I knew I wanted to try something with them. It would be so much easier than dealing with the thorny fresh ones (though I do enjoy that battle on occasion).
I found a recipe in Barefoot Contessa: How Easy is That?for an antipasto item of roasted artichoke hearts. It looked tasty and easy and like something I could adapt it to suit my needs.
Instead of serving this on a platter with the cheeses and meats of the antipasto, I made this as a side salad with grilled steaks.
As I was chopping the roasted red peppers that go in this, Ben came over to ask for a taste. I figured that was a good sign. I was right.
To make: Defrost and drain a 12-ounce bag of frozen artichoke hearts and 1 cup of frozen pearl onions. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place defrosted artichoke hearts and pearl onions on a baking sheet in a single layer, toss with 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes, turning halfway through. While that roasts, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 chopped shallot, juice from one lemon, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar and ¼ cup fresh basil leaves in a food process and pulse until smooth. Once artichokes and onions are roasted, toss them with the dressing. Mix in ¼ cup chopped roasted red peppers (the jarred kind, packed in water) and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley. If desired, mix in 2 tablespoons capers. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at room temperature.
Sweet potato hash
For some reason, I’m just not good at making those yummy sweet potato oven fries. So I gave up.
Instead I put my efforts and my sweet potatoes into a nice little hash. I get the same sweet potato flavor that I wanted. Plus there is some red pepper, garlic and green onion to zip it up in the taste and looks department.
Plus I can avoid turning on my oven. Which means I will make this even in summer. It’s a great side dish with barbecue.
To make: Peel and dice (large dice) two large sweet potatoes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan and add sweet potatoes. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring a few times so they have a chance to brown, but not stick. Stir in 1 diced red pepper, stem and seeds removed. Cover and cook about three minutes. Add 4 sliced green onions (white and dark green parts) and two cloves minced garlic. Stir to combine. Cover and cook about 10 more minutes, until sweet potatoes are tender.
Mostly hands-free risotto
Risotto is generally known to be a pain in the, um, Arborio. At least for an easy, weeknight option.
But making it in the oven means you have 45 wonderful, hands-off minutes, to do other things. And since this side dish is actually hearty enough to be a main dish if you choose that, you can have 45 hands-off minutes to do nothing if that is what you prefer.
This is another Ina Garten adaptation. For a side dish, I kept it very simple, adding only peas and mint. I served it with grilled shrimp and sliced tomatoes from the one plant we have that has produced any fruit this year.
It can be made with chicken broth, but I used vegetable broth to keep it on the lighter side. This makes a good size pan of risotto, which means leftovers. Plan to have a little salad and it makes a nice lunch.
To make: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1 ½ cups Arborio rice and 4 cups warm chicken stock in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake that for 45 minutes or until most of the broth is absorbed and the rice is just done, or al dente. Remove from the oven and 1 more cup of broth, 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, ½ cup dry white wine and 3 tablespoons butter and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. You should have a thick, creamy mix. Fold in 1 cup frozen peas, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
