Perfect Pairings: 7 Best Side Dishes for Roasted Vegetables

Vegetables are healthy and nutritious, a great addition to any meal.

The flavor of roasted vegetables is unmatched by any other method of cooking vegetables.

There are hundreds of varieties of vegetables that may be used in roasting, from root veggies, non-root veggies, cruciferous veggies, leafy green veggies, and more.

You can roast vegetables or add any number of items to add flavor and nuance.

Roasting vegetables is a simple process – by cooking them in the oven at high heat, their flavors are enhanced and intensified, while dietary fiber is preserved through this method.

In other words, the roasting process makes plants even healthier for you.

Roasted vegetables are an excellent side dish for many different meals.

For example, they are ideal with grilled foods, stews, chowders, egg dishes of all types, some bread, and pasta.

Roasted vegetables are also great on their own as a snack or appetizer.

In this article, we will list seven different side dishes that could be served with roasted vegetables.

We will give a short description of each item and its flavor to help you choose the best one to serve with your favorite roasted vegetables.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Roasted Vegetables?

Roasted vegetables are delicious on their own or paired with your favorite meal.

However, they also make an excellent side dish, accompanying grilled foods or your favorite baked entrée.

This makes roasted vegetables extraordinarily versatile and valuable for any cook to have in their repertoire.

The flavor of roasted vegetables is unmatched by any other method of cooking vegetables.

However, adding in a side dish can enhance the meal and make it even more rewarding.

Vegetables with starch content (e.g., potatoes) or proteins (e.g., tofu) go particularly well with roasted vegetables to create a satisfying meal.

For example, grilled foods and roasted vegetables make a great team.

Grilled foods, such as meats and fish, go well with many side dishes (e.g., grilled vegetables).

However, roasted vegetables stand out as the best accompaniment to these types of entrees.

For this pairing to work well, the side dish is essential to be somewhat “neutral” and not too powerful.

For example, roasted beets and other root veggies can take away from the flavor of grilled entrees because they’re so strong in flavor.

What to Serve with Roasted Vegetables? 7 BEST Side Dishes

If you’re looking to serve roasted vegetables as a side dish, here are seven great options.

Each of these side dishes goes well with roasted vegetables because their flavors are pretty neutral.

These items are particularly great accompaniments for grilled foods, which are the best ways to serve roasted veggies.

1 – Grilled Vegetables and Steamed Rice

This meal is perfect for any entrée with a grilled flavor, like fish or meats.

The steamed rice has a mild flavor that won’t overpower the grilled entree, while the grilled vegetables provide some complementary boldness.

The rice provides carbohydrates to fuel an active lifestyle and extra dietary fiber, while the grilled vegetables provide some fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

2 – Grilled Bread with Caramelized Onions

This side dish works particularly well when serving roasted root veggies like potatoes or carrots.

The onion’s flavor is somewhat complementary to the taste of roasted vegetables.

If you serve this side dish with a spicy entree, the bread can help cut some of the spice.

Caramelized onions are also healthy because they’re high in dietary fiber and antioxidants such as quercetin and anthocyanins.

They also contain chromium which helps improve insulin sensitivity, hence glycemic control.

If you want to reduce the calories in this dish, try serving the bread with some hummus instead of butter or margarine.

Hummus is an excellent dipping option because it’s high in dietary fiber and protein (which will help provide satiety).

3 – Spaghetti Squash with Marinara

This side dish works well with any entrée.

Although it’s not exactly a “neutral” food in terms of flavor, spaghetti squash has an incredibly mild taste that goes well with just about anything.

If you’re looking for additional nutrients to improve the meal, try serving the spaghetti squash with some tofu or beans.

Both tofu and beans boost the protein content of your side dish while providing additional fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Tofu and black beans also contain antioxidants such as isoflavones and anthocyanins, which protect the body against oxidative damage from free radicals.

4 – Frittatas

Frittatas are an excellent way to use up any leftovers (e.g., roasted vegetables, meats, etc.) that you have in your fridge.

The food is pretty neutral in terms of flavor and goes well with almost anything.

Frittatas also contain healthy ingredients like tomatoes (high in antioxidants like lycopene) and eggs (high in vitamin B12, choline, selenium, etc).

You mustn’t boil the frittata because this will reduce the nutrient content of your side dish.

Instead, cook it at a lower heat, so it doesn’t lose any moisture.

5 – Salad with Broccoli, Spinach

This side dish provides a healthy portion of veggies that are high in dietary fiber and nutrients.

While it’s not exactly the most “neutral” food in terms of flavor, the salad works well with almost any other type of entree because it doesn’t have too much boldness.

There’s nothing particularly unhealthy about this dish, except that you might want to make sure to avoid piling on high-calorie salad dressings.

Some great dressing options include balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a little bit of lemon juice.

6 – Fried Rice

Fried rice is an excellent option for when you want to use up any leftover veggies in your fridge.

It’s also fairly neutral in terms of flavor, although the “fried” aspect might be a little bit more pronounced than you were hoping for.

The fried rice is pretty healthy on its own because it contains some vegetables.

However, one concern about fried rice is the high sodium content due to soy sauce.

You can reduce the saltiness by substituting some soy sauce with lemon juice or even just water.

You can add some nutrients to the fried rice by adding some tofu (which provides protein and other nutrients).

7 – Mashed Sweet Potatoes

While this side dish is a little bit sweet, it’s pretty neutral in terms of flavor.

Sweet potatoes are also high in dietary fiber and vitamin A (in beta carotene), excellent for eye health.

Of course, there’s a potentially negative aspect to sweet potatoes: they contain high amounts of carbohydrates and sugar.

These can be reduced by adding some plain yogurt or some cinnamon (which provides antioxidants).

Mashed sweet potatoes are also reasonably easy to make at home because you peel them, dice them, and boil them.

You can then mash the potatoes with a fork or spoon (or use a potato masher) and add some other ingredients.

For instance, consider adding some salt, pepper, garlic powder, and coconut milk or olive oil to improve the dish’s taste while also providing additional nutrients.

Conclusion

In conclusion, roasted vegetables go well with many different types of food, especially those high in dietary fiber and antioxidants.

Some side dishes you may want to try to include roasted spaghetti squash with bean or tofu, frittata, salad, fried rice, and mashed sweet potatoes.

It’s important to mention that these are just some suggestions, and you can certainly experiment with using roasted vegetables in combination with other side dishes.

Just try to avoid putting too much extra salt on your food or piling high-calorie salad dressings on top of your salad.

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