Perfect Combinations: 8 Tasty Side Dishes for Coq Au Vin

Have you ever heard of Coq Au Vin? It’s French cuisine that was originally made with chicken (or coq) and wine.

As time went by, different kinds of meats were used in this recipe; however, the taste remains the same.

Coq Au Vin is well-known for its unique taste.

The ingredients are simple – onion, bacon, mushrooms, chicken (or other kinds of meat), plus red wine.

That’s it. It sounds simple enough, but the taste is just unbelievable.

This dish is well-known for its luxury taste that cannot be found elsewhere.

Since Coq Au Vin requires red wine, people also go to the trouble of finding the best pairings for this dish.

Of course, some wines work better than others.

Coq Au Vin requires a specific taste that cannot be satisfied by just any wine.

The most popular side dishes served with Coq Au Vin are mashed potatoes, bread/croutons, and rice.

These side dishes go hand in hand with the taste of Coq Au Vin.

In this article, we will list 8 of the best side dishes that you can serve with Coq Au Vin.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Coq Au Vin?

First-course side dishes help round out the flavor and texture of a classic dish like Coq Au Vin.

While you can offer your guests nothing more than a simple green salad before their main course, many people enjoy having an option that’s just as satisfying as the entree itself.

The flavors of Coq Au Vin are very rich, and many people do not feel like having an equally heavy side dish.

Offering lighter options can help balance out what might otherwise be too much food on the table while also helping your diners pace their meals with food they look forward to enjoying.

The fattiness of coq au vin can often be a turn-off for people that aren’t used to eating these kinds of dishes.

Primarily, Americans and Italians fall into this category.

Still, most cultures do not regularly eat rich food like coq au vin with a side dish of equally heavy potatoes or rice.

Offering lighter options such as vegetables blanched in salted water or salad are both healthier, as well as more familiar to your guests.

If you are using coq au vin to impress dinner guests, serving it with light side dishes can help them enjoy the meal just as much without feeling overwhelmed by richness.

After all, sometimes, what makes a dish truly special isn’t the flavors of the meat but the richness of the meat.

What to Serve with Coq Au Vin? 8 BEST Side Dishes

Here are 8 of the best side dishes to serve with Coq Au Vin.

1 – Basmati Rice

If you want to go the easy way, serve Basmati Rice with Coq Au Vin.

It adds a nice flavor and is very delicious.

Basmati rice is originally from India and Pakistan and is considered one of the healthiest side dishes in the world.

This comes due to its natural ingredients, which are mostly water and fiber.

There is also very little sodium in Basmati rice, making it the perfect side dish for people on a diet.

To prepare Basmati rice, you cook it with water, salt, and oil.

You can also use chicken broth instead of water to give the dish an even better taste.

After cooking it for about 20 minutes, you let it sit so all flavors are soaked in.

You can serve this side dish plain or with vegetables mixed into it, such as carrots, cauliflower, or peas.

2 – Cheesy Baked Potatoes

Serve cheesy baked potatoes with Coq Au Vin for a starchy side that will taste great and fill.

To make this dish, you need potatoes cut into cubes and then fried until they start to brown.

You can also add onion and garlic to improve the flavor.

Then you add in some salt, pepper, and paprika if you wish.

You then remove them from the pan and add cheese on top before putting it back in the frying pan until all of the cheese melts and becomes stringy and delicious.

This is served in a bowl so everyone can eat at once.

3 – Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts are a delicious vegetable side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

They are also full of nutrients and make eating vegetable fun.

To cook these, you cut them up into pieces (halves or quarters) and then blanch them for five minutes in boiling water.

Then you can fry them in a pan with some salt and garlic.

This dish is served in small bowls or on plates, not in a communal bowl.

4 – Green Beans

Green beans are an excellent side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

They bring in many flavors and can be eaten by themselves or mixed into other dishes like rice, potatoes, or pasta.

To cook green beans, you need to blanch them for three minutes in hot water before frying them in oil along with some garlic and onion.

You can also fry them with bacon or mushrooms to add an even better flavor.

5 – Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is a great side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

It goes very well with the chicken and has a delicious flavor that everyone will love.

However, this is not a healthy dish as it is made from mainly processed ingredients.

The first step for this side dish is boiling pasta in water until it is soft.

You can add some salt, oil, or spices for extra flavor.

After taking the pasta out of the water, you mix in cheese to get a nice blend of flavors and then put it back into boiling water until it becomes stringy and delicious.

Then you have to put it on a plate with Coq Au Vin and serve.

6 – Winter Panzanella

Winter Panzanella is a good side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

It is also full of flavor and texture, perfect for anyone who likes different tastes.

First, you have to make bread crumbs by taking some stale bread and chopping it up into small pieces.

You then fry these in oil until they are crispy and brown.

You can add garlic and onion to the bread crumbs while they are frying for a better flavor.

The second step is preparing the vegetables by chopping them up into small chunks.

These include carrots, celery, onions, and tomatoes.

Then, mix these with cucumbers, oil, vinegar, and salt in one big bowl, so all flavors mix.

After this, you take them into a baking dish, then bake them for half an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can serve this hot or cold out of the oven.

7 – Grilled Asparagus

Grilled asparagus is a good side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

It brings in many flavors, and it’s healthy too, making it the perfect way to eat vegetables.

It’s also something that most people enjoy eating because it brings back memories of summertime barbecues.

The first step for this dish is to prepare the asparagus by cutting off the bottom two-thirds.

Then you have to fry them in a pan with salt, pepper, and garlic until they are soft enough to eat.

After this, you lay them out on a piece of aluminum foil big enough to cover the whole pile of asparagus.

You then grille the asparagus and sprinkle some cheese on top before taking it off the grill and wrapping it up in aluminum foil.

8 – Sauteed Spinach or Kale

Sauteed spinach or sauteed kale is an excellent side dish to serve with Coq Au Vin.

This is because it has many flavors and is nutritious too, so everyone can enjoy eating their vegetables while still enjoying the delicious flavors of the chicken meat with mushrooms in red wine sauce.

The first step for making this side dish is to blanch the kale or spinach in boiling water for about three minutes.

Then you put it into a pan and fry some onion and garlic with it along with some salt, pepper, and oil.

After cooking, you can serve the sauteed vegetables on their own or on top of chicken or steak.

You can also add some other ingredients like bacon and cheese for better flavor.

Conclusion

In conclusion, coq au vin is a delicious dish that is best served with side dishes.

One of the best side dishes to serve is macaroni and cheese because it is full of flavor, and everyone will love it.

It can also be paired with many other delicious foods like winter Panzanella, grilled asparagus, sauteed spinach or kale, and more.

It’s important to always serve side dishes with Coq Au Vin because it brings in the flavors that everyone loves so much about this dish without overdoing it so you can enjoy your meal.

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