When your gut health is struggling, you might experience some surprising symptoms, like frequent headaches, skin problems, and fatigue. Luckily, these side dishes are packed with delicious ingredients that support gut health, like broccoli, pineapple, and beans. They’re also packed with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving, making them a great way to turn your main dish into a complete meal. Options like Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Glaze and Parmesan and Composite Bean Salad with Basil Vinaigrette will leave you feeling full and satisfied, helping you feel better inside and out.
Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Balsamic Glaze and Parmesan
This whole roasted cauliflower recipe is incredibly easy, taking just 5 minutes to prepare, yet makes a satisfying, healthy side dish for entertaining. Mix in some Parmesan cheese and a balsamic glaze for extra flavor.
Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
Photography: Caitlin Bensel, Food Styling: Emily Neighbors-Hall, Prop Styling: Kristin Keeley
The roasted broccoli and cauliflower are cooked to perfection with just the right amount of seasoning and oven char.
Bean salad with basil vinaigrette
This eye-popping bean salad recipe channels your inner food stylist as you plate up beans and veggies. Serve at a potluck or as a beautiful salad for brunch alongside grilled chicken, scallops, or fish.
Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Sage Brown Butter
Impress your guests with colorful carrots in brown butter and sage sauce that can be roasted in just 15 minutes.
Sautéed Broccoli and Kale with Garlic Butter
In this easy veggie side dish, broccoli and kale are tossed in a butter, garlic, and crushed red pepper sauce. Serve this healthy recipe with roast chicken, turkey, or ham, or over your favorite whole grains like quinoa or farro.
Parsley Tabouli
Photographer: Rachel Marek, Food Stylist: Holly Dreesman
This tangy, parsley-filled tabouli recipe is a flavorful side dish perfect for any gathering. The recipe can easily be doubled to feed a large crowd. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Chickpeas with garlic yogurt and toasted pita (fatteh hummus)
Fatteh means “broken” and is a dish made of toasted bread crumbs mixed with other ingredients. In this easy recipe, the yogurt is also “broken” with tahini, garlic and oil. Serve immediately before the yogurt gets too soggy on the flaky bread.
Pineapple and avocado salad
This refreshing and simple salad recipe recreates the flavors of the tropics. Serve with spicy chicken or pork, rice and beans.
Summer squatash salad
This summer salad is based on the Southern classic succotash and combines butter beans, corn, summer squash and tomatoes for a fresh flavor.
Szechuan style broad bean, bean sprout and radish salad
This fresh and spicy salad uses fava beans, which not only add volume to this radish salad but are also the main ingredient in a typical Sichuan tofu paste.
Sauteed Broccoli with Peanut Sauce
Peanut butter with a little soy sauce and vinegar makes a delicious sauce for broccoli and other veggies. Steam the broccoli before stir-frying it with other veggies so they all cook deliciously at the same time.
Super Green Edamame Salad
This healthy edamame salad recipe blends avocado, fresh chives, and spinach in a creamy, vibrant green dressing.
Apple, Fig and Brussels Sprout Salad
A salad dressing made with sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances the bold greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy salad. A small slicer makes slicing the sprouts and apples a breeze.
Tomato and fennel salad
We love using heirloom tomatoes for this simple salad. They’re in season in the summer and worth seeking out at your local grocery store or farmer’s market. The variety you choose is up to you; any variety will work well here.
Corn salad with charred onions, okra and feta cheese
This corn and okra salad gets a ton of flavor from the grill. If okra isn’t your thing, you can also cut a large zucchini into slabs, grill it, and chop it into the salad. Serve with grilled chicken thighs or tofu steaks.
Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Pasta Salad
Serve this colorful, veggie-packed pasta salad at your next outdoor get-together. From creamy avocado to crunchy bell peppers, this pasta salad is packed with texture and flavor, and a homemade herb-lime vinaigrette brings it all together.
Creamy Broccoli and Mushroom Casserole
This creamy broccoli and mushroom casserole is the ultimate heartwarming dish. Tender, crisp broccoli is tossed in a mushroom-rich cheese sauce and topped with breadcrumbs for a crunchy texture. This crowd-pleasing side dish is perfect served with roast chicken, pork or steak.
Parmesan White Beans
Keeping a mirepoix blend (basic ingredients of chopped carrots, celery, and onion) in the freezer can save you a lot of time in preparing this simple bean side dish.
Grilled Broccoli with Smoky Yogurt Sauce
Blanching the broccoli florets before browning them helps to soften the whole bunch, which then crisps up quickly in the very hot skillet, and the creamy yogurt sauce adds a delicious smoky flavor that pairs well with the veggies.
Herb Marinated Beans
If you’re an avid meal prep fan, consider adding these marinated beans to your weekly routine. They’re so versatile, you can toss a spoonful on a salad, tuck it into a wrap, or warm it up and spoon it over a grain bowl. It’s worth marinating the beans for at least 24 hours for a deeper flavor.
Broccoli and grape salad
The unexpected pairing of grapes and broccoli creates an unusual yet easy side dish: the sweet, crunchy grapes complement the crunchy raw broccoli and onions, while the creamy dressing and toasted almonds tie it all together.
Bean salad with lemon cumin dressing
The bold flavor of the lemon cumin dressing in this healthy bean salad recipe makes a great side dish for grilled beef or lamb, but it also makes a great meatless main dish when served with whole wheat couscous.
Moroccan Lentil Salad
This healthy date, carrot and lentil salad recipe is seasoned with a spicy salted lemon dressing. Most salads are best when freshly made, but lentil salad takes some time for the flavors to blend, so if possible, make it at least a few hours ahead.
Beet salad with yogurt, bulgur and herbs
The bulgur in this delicious beet salad is inspired by kishk, a crumbly cheese made by fermenting bulgur with buttermilk and yogurt. Chef Reem Asir, owner of Reem’s California in Oakland, prepares this easier version by skipping the fermentation and using labneh or Greek yogurt instead.
