Vegetable Side Dish Recipes

Gazpacho
This is an easy version of the classic refreshing and healthy cold vegetable soup.

2 large tomatoes
2 carrots
2 stalks celery
½ - 1 cucumber
½ green pepper
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
1 Tb. olive oil
½ Tb. apple cider vinegar

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Chill before serving. Serves 2.

Cold Avocado Soup
This is a wonderfully creamy and rich, yet delicate dairy-free soup.

3-4 ripe avocados
2 cups nut milk, or 2 Tb. almond butter and 2 cups water
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Himalayan or sea salt
2 garlic cloves, minced

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill before serving. Serves 4.

Green salad with Basil, Pear, and Sunflower Seeds
A nice fresh salad. See healthy salad recipes for more salads.

8 cups mesclun (mixed baby greens) or 8 cups red leaf lettuce, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds ("crispy", if possible- see nuts and seeds)
2 pears, chopped

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Dress with a simple dressing of 2 parts olive oil to 1 part vinegar or lemon juice or use the herbal vinaigrette dressing.

Carrot Apple Salad
Simple, sweet, and delicious.

8 large carrots
2 apples
½ cup raisins
1-2 Tb. fresh ginger

Directions:

Chop all ingredients in a food processor. Serves 6-8.

Cabbage Pepper Salad
A healthy version of cole slaw.

1 small green cabbage, outer leaves removed and chopped
1 red pepper, cored and chopped
1 green pepper, cored and chopped
1 yellow pepper, cored and chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 green onions, minced
½ Tb. Himalayan or sea salt
1 Tb. raw honey
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup coconut oil
¼ cup olive oil

Directions:

Chop the vegetables by hand (or shred them in a food processor) and place them in a large bowl. In small pan warm the honey with the vinegar and oils until the mixture is liquefied and slightly thickened. Pour over chopped vegetables and salt and mix well. Makes about 8 servings.

Vegetable “Pasta”
A healthy gluten-free low-carb alternative to pasta.

2 zucchini
2 yellow squash
2 carrots
2 Tb. olive oil
1 cup basil, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped- optional
Himalayan or sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash the vegetables and with a vegetable peeler, slice into long thin strips. You can also use a spiral slicer to create pasta-like strands. Over medium heat in a stainless pan or wok, heat oil or butter. Add carrot strips and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add other vegetables and cook for 3 or 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add salt, pepper and herbs. Serves 2.

Thai Green (or Red) Curry Vegetables
A delicious and nutrient-rich curry dish.

1 sweet potatoes, chopped
1/2 head of broccoli or cauliflower, chopped
1 red peppers, chopped
1 carrots, chopped
1 cups spinach or kale, cleaned and chopped, tough stems removed
1/8 cup Thai green (or red) curry paste
1 cans whole coconut milk
1-2 Serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded and cut in half lengthwise (omit if you don't want it to be spicy
1/2 cup fresh basil or cilantro

Directions:

Place the coconut milk with the curry paste in a soup pot. Stir to combine thoroughly. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add vegetables. Return to a simmer. Add chilies, if using, and cook until all vegetables are very tender, about 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil and optional sugar. Serve over brown rice or another gluten-free grain.

Steamed Mixed Vegetable Plate with Tahini Sauce
Simple and satisfying steamed veggies with a delicious creamy sesame sauce.

2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups carrots, cut on the diagonal
2 cups zucchini, cut on the diagonal
4 cups kale, chopped
2 sweet potatoes or 3 cups winter squash of choice, cut into bite-sized pieces

Tahini Sauce
½ cup sesame tahini
3 Tb. brown rice vinegar
1-2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
½- ¾ cup water
Himalayan or sea salt to taste

Directions:

Arrange vegetables in a steamer or colander over boiling water. Steam sweet potatoes (or squash) until soft (they will take the longest); steam other vegetables until colorful and still crunchy (they will take only a few minutes). While the vegetables are cooking, put all ingredients for the tahini sauce into a Vita-mix or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Remove vegetables from heat and cool slightly. Serve with tahini sauce.

Kale with Garlic
Leafy green like kale are so amazing for you- here's an easy yummy way to eat them.

2 large bunches of kale
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups of water
Himalayan or sea salt to taste

Directions:

Clean the kale by filling a bowl with cold water and swishing the kale around to loosen any dirt. Rinse and repeat. Strip leaves from stalks. You can chop the stalks to use if they are tender (if not, they should go in the compost. Chop kale leaves into bite-size pieces. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add kale, return water to boil, and cover. Cook over high heat until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Sauté 2 minced garlic cloves in 2 tsp. coconut oil. Add cooked kale and heat through. Add salt to taste.

Roasted Winter Squash
Basic and delicius roasted squash. Feel free to add any other root veggies, such as turnips and beets.

2 lb. winter squash (you can use acorn, butternut, delicata, etc.)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 Tb. maple syrup
Himalayan or sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Reserve to make pumpkin seeds. Cut squash into cubes. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and maple syrup. Spread on a baking sheet and cook for 35 minutes or until very tender.

Baked Sweet Potatoes
Easy and delcious!

4 sweet potatoes

Directions:

Pierce sweet potatoes all over with a fork. Wrap each one in foil and place in the oven at 350 degrees. Cook for 1 hour or until very soft to the touch.

Pureed Root Vegetables
These are heavenly in the winter.

3 sweet potatoes
1 carrot
3 turnips
1 rutabaga
¼ cup fresh dill
2 Tb. organic butter
Himalayan or sea salt and pepper to taste
½ cup nut milk, raw milk or cream, or coconut milk

Directions:

Clean and coarsely chop the sweet potato, carrots, turnip and rutabaga, then place in a pot. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove vegetables from water, add optional butter, and cool slightly. Mash with a fork or place in a Blendtec or Vitamix high speed blender and puree with optional raw milk, cream, or coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dark Greens with Corn
Another yummy way to get your greens.

2 Tb. butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 onion, diced
2 pounds mustard greens, collard greens, or kale, washed and trimmed of heavy stalks, and chopped
2 cups organic frozen corn
4 slices cooked preservative and additive free bacon—optional
Himalayan or sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a heavy skillet, cook onions in butter or oil. Add corn and cook until heated through. Add greens and cook over high heat for 6-8 minutes. Add additional water, if necessary, to prevent burning. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and add crumbled bacon, if desired.