Still not sure about a side dish for the holiday meal? Here are 28 recommendations
Finding a festive main course is easy, but side dishes require a delicate balance between simplicity and festivity. We have selected options that are not only delicious but also healthy.
Recipes for Rosh Hashanah
Green rice with herbs and corn
We are big fans of white rice, but for a Rosh Hashanah dinner, it needs an upgrade. We add plenty of herbs for flavor and beauty, and a little corn for sweetness, turning it into a worthy festive side dish.
To the recipe: Green rice with herbs and corn
Quinoa salad with cauliflower and chickpeas
Roasted crunchy chickpeas, tender quinoa, and crispy cauliflower—the texture combination here is addictive. Add a zesty vinaigrette to coat everything, and you have a dish that will make health-conscious guests shine with pleasure.
To the recipe: Quinoa salad with cauliflower and chickpeas
Warm mushroom salad
Is it a stew or a salad? It’s a side dish that elevates any meal. The current version is spicy and full of umami, just as mushrooms should be. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to prepare.
To the recipe: Warm mushroom salad
Eggplant chips in a sour sauce
Baked eggplant is always good, but with this sauce, it reaches an addictive level. A bit of acidity, spice, herbs, and garlic—the combination is simply perfect.
To the recipe: Eggplant chips in a sour sauce
Inside-out potatoes
If you are tired of the same old potato recipe, try this one: start with a high-heat shock and add garlic and herbs only toward the end of roasting.
To the recipe: Inside-out potatoes
Crazy oven-baked potatoes
So crispy and tasty that it’s not our fault we can’t stop eating them.
To the recipe: Crazy oven-baked potatoes
Roasted cabbage and acorn squash
We love cabbage-based sides lately. Paired with cubes of acorn squash, each vegetable gets its own treatment and seasoning. The original recipe uses butter, but you can use olive oil for the holiday.
To the recipe: Roasted cabbage and acorn squash
Green buckwheat with vegetables
Why not be a bit unconventional and adopt green buckwheat as a legitimate New Year side dish? Trust us, it’s worth a try.
To the recipe: Green buckwheat with vegetables
Bakhsh
Whether this is traditional Bukharian or not doesn't matter. When you have a stew of rice, meat, and herbs on the table, it’s best to load up before it runs out.
To the recipe: Bakhsh
Red cabbage stew
Sometimes you shouldn't ask questions and just do what Rotem Liberson says.
To the recipe: Red cabbage stew
Rice with chard and lemon
Perhaps the easiest rice dish you’ll ever make, yet it garners plenty of compliments. No need to fry onions, and the result is wonderfully zesty.
To the recipe: Rice with chard and lemon
Yellow bean chips
Not everything in life is carbs, these roasted beans tell us. A wonderful, easy side dish that resembles chips but is entirely vegetable-based.
To the recipe: Yellow bean chips
Lobia salad
Thai beans are a favorite, and this is a great way to serve them.
To the recipe: Lobia salad
Lobia stew for Rosh Hashanah
A recipe for dry lobia with onions, chard, and a stunning seasoning of turmeric and a touch of honey.
To the recipe: Lobia stew for Rosh Hashanah
Potatoes roasted with lemon
We thought you might not need help with oven potatoes, but for this specific version, you definitely do.
To the recipe: Potatoes roasted with lemon
Roasted colorful carrots
Beautiful to look at and incredibly easy to prepare.
To the recipe: Roasted colorful carrots
Quinoa with spinach and mushrooms
We promise: everyone will leave your holiday dinner as a die-hard quinoa fan.
To the recipe: Quinoa with spinach and mushrooms
White beans in tomato sauce
Forget the canned stuff; preparing these yourself results in a high-quality dish worthy of a holiday dinner.
To the recipe: White beans in tomato sauce
Kitchari
It’s so tasty you’ll keep coming back for more, and so filling you won’t have room for anything else. A perfect holiday dish.
To the recipe: Kitchari
Rice with grape leaves
In this version, the grape leaves go into the rice rather than the other way around. Much simpler, more original, and truly delicious.
To the recipe: Rice with grape leaves
Brown rice with tomatoes and peas
Brown rice cooked in tomato sauce with sweet little peas—a winning combination.
To the recipe: Brown rice with tomatoes and peas
Buckwheat salad with roasted vegetables
With butternut squash, red onion, and herbs, this salad is a masterpiece of health and good taste.
To the recipe: Buckwheat salad with roasted vegetables
Root vegetable salad with crispy lentils
A cool trick: add small fried lentils to your root vegetable salad to make it truly one-of-a-kind.
To the recipe: Root vegetable salad with crispy lentils
Colorful red quinoa salad
Our suggestion for a festive dinner: a beautiful red quinoa salad with finely chopped vegetables and a stunning mustard dressing.
To the recipe: Colorful red quinoa salad
Black lentil and sweet potato salad
A classic recipe that will convince you that lentil salad can be even tastier than you thought.
To the recipe: Black lentil and sweet potato salad
Asian red lentil salad
Packed with vegetables, herbs, and a soy-sesame sauce that ties everything together.
To the recipe: Asian red lentil salad
Tabouli with pearl barley
We started making tabouli with pearl barley instead of bulgur, and the feedback has been excellent.
To the recipe: Tabouli with pearl barley
Vegan liver-flavored spread
A lovely vegan spread based on red beans and cashews that does a beautiful job.
To the recipe: Vegan liver-flavored spread
Bon appétit!
