What's your go-to hot veggie dish?

February 6, 2022 1:10 PM

When it's time for a hot veggie side dish, I always serve the same things: roasted or steamed or grilled asparagus/green beans/cauliflower/broccoli/zucchini. I'm tired of them. What do you fall back on when you need something easy and tasty as a hot veggie side?
posted by rouftop to Food & Drink (46 answers total)

Yams are good! You can bake them like a potato, mash them, or eat them as fries. Something I do a lot when I'm feeling lazy is just add frozen peas and/or corn to stuff (stuff being rice, pasta, dumplings, etc.). It's not a side dish per se but it gives some veggies. Kale or spinach is also good added to a lot of things. And for a side, we make kale chips a lot, super easy and tasty. Just kale leaves, olive oil, salt & pepper, baked in the oven til they get crispy.
posted by DTMFA at 1:37 PM on February 6, 2022

Broccoli stem needs longer to cook than broccoli florets, I've taken to removing the florets from the stem and cutting it is chunks that cook about as long as cauliflower, and adding the florets in the last five minutes.
posted by k3ninho at 1:41 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

When brussels sprouts are in season and fresh and cheap at the store I buy a whole pile of them, prep them, and steam them just a bit to get them partway cooked. Then I freeze in servings. I'll also get a pack of bacon when it's on sale and chop it into little pieces and freeze in servings. Then when I want sprouts I can grab a serving of them and a bacon and throw them in a skillet--cooks up way faster than they would otherwise, because they're already partway there. And who doesn't love bacony brussels sprouts.
posted by phunniemee at 1:46 PM on February 6, 2022 [6 favorites]

I love carrots glazed with BBQ sauce. You can do this in a pan, oven roasted, or grilled, each is a little different but tasty.
posted by the primroses were over at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2022 [3 favorites]

I do roasted root vegetables at least once a week. You just peel and cut up whatever roots you like—carrots (multi-colored, if available), parsnips, rutabaga or turnip, potatoes, sweet potatoes, red or golden beets, etc.—into 1-inch or so pieces, plus some wedges of red onion. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with S&P and/or whatever other seasoning you like, and roast on a baking sheet for about an hour—anywhere from 375°F to 425°F is fine, depending on what else you're making at the same time. Toss them around once or twice.
posted by wisekaren at 1:53 PM on February 6, 2022 [5 favorites]

Zucchini butter. Delicious, easy, suitable for a number of restricted diets (vegan, gluten-free, low FODMAP if you leave out the shallots/garlic suggested in the recipe). Basically you saute grated zucchini in olive oil until it is deep jewel green. You can have it as a side by itself or put it on something else like toast, crackers etc.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 1:59 PM on February 6, 2022 [11 favorites]

I may be a wretch, but I'm pretty happy simply microwaving a big ol' bowl of frozen chopped broccoli to go with my meal most nights. If I'm eating something saucy or soupy I'll chuck a bit of my broccoli into it; otherwise I'll just put a little lemon juice and nutritional yeast on it, or maybe mix it with some lime pickle. If I'm feeling extra fancy I'll add 3-4 frozen brussels sprouts to the mix.
posted by DingoMutt at 2:00 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Parsnips are underrated IMO. I like to cut them into slabs (works best with big ones), steam them until tender, then sauté them in butter.
posted by jkent at 2:19 PM on February 6, 2022 [8 favorites]

Roasted or braised fennel is really good and easy. This WaPo article has Marcella Hazan's recipe.
posted by Morpeth at 2:57 PM on February 6, 2022 [6 favorites]

- Popcorn
- Mashed parsnips
- Roasted tomatoes drizzled in olive oil
- Shredded Brussels sprouts
posted by cocoagirl at 3:07 PM on February 6, 2022

I also do roasted vegetables weekly, but I combine root vegetables with some that don't take as long to cook. I'll steam cut up potatoes and carrots first, then add brussels sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, and onions, some avocado oil and salt, and bake the whole thing at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. I keep that in the fridge and warm up in the oven as needed during the week. I use avocado oil because it's the oil with the highest smoke point, but I'm sure other oils are fine.
posted by FencingGal at 3:11 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Parsnips are indeed under-rated. The ones I have access to have a more delicate flavour, so I tend to keep that in mind.

Have you investigated Asian leafy vegetables? There are all kinds, and most are conducive to sauteing with chopped (I like bigger chunks than minced) garlic. Get yourself a decent bottle of Chinese (shaoxing) cooking wine (don't get the clear stuff, at a minimum should be in brown bottles and list caramel in the ingredients - the high end ones won't have caramel). Splash some in to hybrid steam-saute the greens.

Cold pan, drop the garlic in, drizzle with a high smoking temp oil (I like grapeseed), heat to high until garlic starts sizzling. Toss in cut up greens, sprinkle with salt, toss to mix. Once it starts getting to temp, splash some shaoxing, continue tossing. Add more shaoxing if needed. The goal is to get the greens cooked and the shaoxing cooked off.

Or steam, then serve drizzled with a good oyster sauce (or abalone sauce, which became a thing in the last few years). Lee Kum Kee is an good brand.

Do give oyster mushrooms and king oyster mushrooms a try. I love sauted oyster mushrooms (method as above, or in butter and garlic). King oyster mushrooms are meaty enough to be a meat substitute. I cut them into ~1cm thick coins, then saute as above. Or steam, shred, then mix with bbq sauce for a vegan "pulled pork." There are lots of cultivars of oyster and king oysters and can have different flavour profiles.

Check out farmers' markets if you can; can find cultivated mushrooms and seasonally/ locationally even foraged ("wildcrafted") ones. Ask the vendor about preferred cooking methods. Mushrooms are awesome.

Broccolini is a hybrid between broccoli and gai lan. It is delicious and lacks the bitterness (that have been breeding out of) of broccoli or brussel sprouts (which gai lan leaves, especially the middle part still tend to have a little bit of - but the central stalk is free of it).

If you ever see any garlic stems (or lotus stems) - give them a shot. Tender and delicious. Treat the same as general Asian leafy greens but cut them into ~7-10cm lengths.

There are a bunch of Buddhist restaurants in Seattle - check out how they prepare all kinds of vegetables (in addition to various forms of wheat gluten and textured vegetable and soy proteins).

If you see "bamboo pith" (as an ingredient in a dish) on the menu, definitely give it a try. It's actually the fruiting body of a mushroom/ fungus (Phallus indusiatus, heh), but it has a very distinctive crunchy texture. Try it even if you don't like (button) mushrooms.

One of my favs is bean curd sheets (fresh or rehydrated), a sheet of nori/ seaweed (moistened). Stack the nori on top of the been curd sheet. Put a strip of lightly sauted julienned carrots/ shitake mushrooms/ bean sprouts/ etc. Fold the sheets over so it's about 5-7cm wide, like a flat stromboli (but only one layer of filling).

Pan fry with a little oil. Cut into ~4cm sections. Flavourful and texturally complex.

Check out "Buddhas' Feast" preparation of vegetables. You can easily modify to use chicken stock instead, and add meat(s) (like high-grade cured ham, velveted chicken, tenderized beef, julienned pork, calamari, prawns, etc.).
posted by porpoise at 3:15 PM on February 6, 2022 [6 favorites]

What about rapini, aka broccoli raab?

Blanching kills the bitter tinge, but I like the little bitter bite, so I only do that sometimes. Then it’s great stir-fried (maybe with oyster sauce) or served with pasta and/or sausage and/or roasted.
posted by fruitslinger at 3:32 PM on February 6, 2022

I do something very similar to the zucchini butter that hurdy gurdy girl posted above, but I don't cook it as long, only about 6 or 7 minutes. The zucchini retains a bit of bite, and isn't spreadable, but still quite tasty. You'd definitely want to press the raw, shredded zucchini into the colander with some paper towels to get rid of as much moisture as you can.
posted by mollweide at 3:33 PM on February 6, 2022

I love a quick sauteed pan of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and sweet frozen corn. It cooks super duper fast and is crunchy, sweet, salty, and colorful.

Also love to saute fresh sugar snap peas or snow peas along with a little garlic. They cook quickly and have a really bright healthy flavor to me.

On the roasted veg front, I like to add some turmeric/yellow curry seasoning and chickpeas or frozen green peas to roasted cauliflower. It feels like a whole new dish with the addition of either of the peas.
posted by luzdeluna at 4:06 PM on February 6, 2022

Onion, potatoes, apple are really good together. Dice potatoes, cut onion into half-moon slices, dice apples. Sautee potatoes for about 10 minutes, add onion for a few minutes, then add the apples for the last few minutes. Add a dollop of whole grain mustard.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 4:17 PM on February 6, 2022 [6 favorites]

Thinly slice half a green cabbage and the white part of a leek. Cook in a frying pan with some olive oil over medium to high heat until they’ve started to wilt, then turn down, throw in a splash of water, and put a lid on it. Stir occasionally while you’re preparing the rest of your meal. The cabbage should get very soft and jammy. Season with salt, garlic powder, and dill (fresh or dried). Finish cooking with the lid off as needed to cook off any remaining water. Also really good with some chopped toasted walnuts thrown in. I like to eat this on its own as a side dish or served over some egg noodles.
posted by skycrashesdown at 4:39 PM on February 6, 2022 [3 favorites]

Slice Brussels sprouts lengthwise is half, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Toss in air fryer at 375 for 6 minutes, stir, and cook another 6 minutes. Return to bowl, and add balsamic vinegar reduction (or regular balsamic and maple syrup), toss to coat and serve.

To pan fry, add oil to pan on medium heat, roast sprouts cut side down until well browned, then flip and brown other side. Add balsamic vinegar and a splash of water, cover and cook til tender, then uncover and add maple syrup and cook until mostly absorbed.
posted by ananci at 4:42 PM on February 6, 2022

Zuchinni fritters:

Grate a few zucchini (or one big one) into a mesh strainer. Salt and let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out the water and add to a large mixing bowl. Add a cup or so of flour, a tsp baking powder, an egg, some oil, and salt and pepper. Mix well. Add water or milk if it seems thick. It should look like pancake or muffin batter (with a lot of zuchini in it). Add a handful of chopped fresh basil if you want, or any mix of fresh herbs. Fry in oil like pancakes, slow and only flipping once or twice. Smoosh down with a spatula if they seem too thick to cook through. Serve with aioli or herbed mayo or just plain. Everyone loves these and people get sad when I don't bring them to potlucks. You can fry a tiny one and taste to adjust the seasonings before you make the whole batch. I prefer to cook these in coconut oil, but use what you like. This is a very forgiving recipe.
posted by ananci at 4:50 PM on February 6, 2022 [4 favorites]

whip up some miso with olive oil or try sesame or peanut oil, cut it with a sweetish vinegar and if you feel like it some maple syrup and make it thicker than salad dressing but not like frosting. Cut up some brussels and toss the lot with some salt and pepper and throw it in a 425 oven until you see some crispy happening.

on edit: or do what ananci said with some miso every other week…
posted by drowsy at 4:52 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Okonomiyaki: same as zuchinni fritters but sub shredded cabbage for zuchinni and add some diced onion. Aim mostly cabbage loosely held together with batter rather than a fritter style as above. Add an extra egg or two, sub rice flour for wheat if you like, and fry them thinner, like crepes. I also use dashi broth instead of water in the batter, and serve it with kewpie, bonito, and sweet soy sauce. But they are excellent with applesauce and sour cream, or plain as well.
posted by ananci at 4:56 PM on February 6, 2022 [4 favorites]

My friend's spinach side dish that is definitely a veggie side because it does have spinach in it:

40 Oz (4 bags) of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained, and the water squeezed out
1 block cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 lb bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder (or measure with your heart)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cheddar cheese

Mix everything but the cheddar in an oven proof bowl, bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then top with cheddar and return to over til melted. Stick under broiler for toasty brown bits, or serve as is.

Technically a veggie side. More or less. It's good with tortilla chips or toast points too.
posted by ananci at 5:06 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Heat up a bag of frozen spinach, then mix in some crumbled feta cheese.

Roasted Broccoli Sambal

Roasted Harissa & Maple carrots
posted by belladonna at 5:32 PM on February 6, 2022

Make Your House Smell Like Butt. I really like this recipe. Cabbage is underrated. She doesn't give times, but I usually braise for about an hour or so.
posted by General Malaise at 5:43 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Ditto to broccolini. Super delish roasted! Spray with olive oil spray, sprinkle salt and pepper, and roast 20 minutes at 375 (or really, just put in below whatever else you're baking). Now I'm wishing I had bought broccolini today instead of broccoli!
posted by radioamy at 5:43 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

My latest fav side dish is broccoli and red peppers chopped fairly small and sauteed in olive oil and garlic - more olive oil than you think you need, if you're me. :) A little salt and pepper to brighten things up and you're done.
posted by current resident at 5:51 PM on February 6, 2022

My most frequent hot veggie go-to is sauteed kale.
- Lazy method: rinse off a big bunch of kale, strip out the stems, and rip or chop it into big pieces. Throw into a big saute pan with a drizzle of olive oil, about 1/4 c. water, salt & pepper, garlic powder, and a tablespoon or so of bottled lemon juice. Put a lid on it for a few minutes, or until it is wilted and bright green. Take the lid off and saute until it's as soft as you like.
- Slightly less lazy method: same as above, but use broth instead of water, chopped garlic instead of garlic powder, and fresh squeezed lemon and lemon zest. Finish with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes .
- Even more lazy method: take a big handful of baby kale greens (the pre-washed salad-ready kind) and hurl it into your hot food. Stir until it wilts slightly. Works for soups, casseroles, rice, etc.

Okonomiyaki is also great. Here's an authentic version and a quick & easy version.
posted by ourobouros at 5:53 PM on February 6, 2022

Carrots, sauteed until very tender in a little chicken broth or water and vegan butter(I don't eat dairy), a little thyme or curry. People like to add sugar to carrots, but they adapt very well to savory preparation.

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges, mix with olive oil and hot sauce, roast on high heat. This works well with white potatoes or cauliflower. There are tons of ways to cook cauliflower, and I always end up going with hot sauce.

Like ananci, I like fritters, and I often use the extra sourdough discard when I feed the starter, and grated sweet potatoes.

Roasted butternut squash, frozen is fine, with olive oil and herbs of curry.

I make scalloped potatoes using a thin gram flour(chickpea) batter, on alternating layers of potatoes and onions. Bake until potatoes are very tender. Jalapenos are a nice addition. When I ate dairy, I used milk and added jack cheese.

In warm weather, gazpacho is great; extremely flexible - develop your own approach.

If you like cookbooks, Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything has a lot of vegetable recipes and inspiration, and Laurie Colwin's Home Cooking and More Home Cooking are beautifully written and taught me to make roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta and sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic.
posted by theora55 at 5:53 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

I love fried kale - I rip up the leaves (and save the stalks for something else), wash in a salad spinner, then fry on medium in in a pan with a couple tbsps of oil (usually canola, sometimes olive oil) with a bit of soy sauce. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll add a bit of chopped garlic. You can either fry it lightly, or crisp it up.
posted by jb at 5:54 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Oven-roasted cabbage is a favourite around here. It's cheap, stays good in the fridge forever when raw (even if you've cut a chunk off already) and is delicious when roasted. Our usual recipe is Smitten Kitchen's Roasted Cabbage with Walnuts. Sometimes I like to cut the cabbage into ribbons combine it with cooked pasta.
posted by urbanlenny at 6:00 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

I do a variation on sheet pan roasted vegetables. Usually it has potatoes, yams, onions, whole garlic cloves, and maybe carrots and parsnips. Sometimes beets. But then I want greens, so for the last 15 minutes I toss it all with a bunch of lacinato kale, plus halved cherry tomatoes for a pop of color and sweetness. Sometimes in place of kale, or possibly chard, after I pull it out of the oven and it’s still steaming, I toss it with a bunch of super greens, which wilt pretty quickly. Sometimes if I’m eating with vegetarians, we make it a one-meal dish and I tossed in garbanzo beans for more protein. And/or we serve it over quinoa. And sometimes I’ll look up a recipe for lemon tahini dressing to drizzle over it all. But creamy balsamic also good…if you want a dressing at all.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 6:05 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Behold a "small" selection of vegetable sides from southern India.
posted by aramaic at 6:41 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

Chard is my favorite winter green, sauteed with garlic and red pepper flakes or steamed with a squeeze of lemon juice and some kosher salt.

Radicchio is also amazing, sear it in a pan with a bit of olive oil, and then add some liquid - balsamic is good here, and I’m not a big balsamic person in general. You want to caramelize it, basically. So rich and bitter at the same time, I crave it sometimes.

You can roast a red pepper on your stovetop if you have a gas burner, turn it until it’s blackened all over and then put it in a paper bag for 10 mins so the skin loosens before you pull it off. Chop and add some to a cheese sandwich with sprouts and avocado.
posted by Lawn Beaver at 7:19 PM on February 6, 2022 [2 favorites]

I could eat baked butternut squash just about every day. I like it with a little butter, salt, and maple syrup.
I also note that the word "sauted" isn't in your list. I like sauted chopped green peppers and onions, with either mushrooms or zucchini. Also good and different is sauted cabbage and apples--I like to season them with carraway seed and a little balsamic vinegar.
posted by drlith at 7:41 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

I love making wannabe street corn as a side dish. Get a dry pan (cast iron is perfect) nice and hot, dump in whatever amount of frozen corn you want and allow it to get some color. Then top it with a little crema (or a mixture of sour cream and mayo, thinned with a little milk), hot sauce and queso fresco (grated parm works too). If you want to add some chunks of zucchini, halved button mushrooms or green beans, go for it. Just about any veggies that taste good on the grill will work.
posted by annaramma at 9:20 PM on February 6, 2022 [3 favorites]

I like the sauté and steam approach for broccoli/broccolini and green beans.

I also like this chard from Madhur Joffrey.
posted by vunder at 10:10 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

Also, I generally dislike zucchini but my friend makes this Roman Jewish version that is excellent. She does the zucchini in matchsticks.
posted by vunder at 10:17 PM on February 6, 2022

Sauteed green beans , Chinese takeout style, is super-simple. Trim green beans about 12 oz, 1 clove of garlic, minced or crushed. Heat butter in pan (10-12 inch should be enough) to melt, medium-high heat, then add green beans and toss until all coated, add a little salt, and keep tossing done. Add olive oil as needed until beans are done (about 7 minutes), turn heat to low, add garlic, add soy sauce, a little water, and starch to just thicken the "sauce" a little. Some may want to add honey, up to you. If you have some Chinese preserved vegetables, or even some jalapenos, mince and thinly slice some and toss it in now. Don't need a lot. Just stir-fry until the whole thing's fragrant (should be only a minute or two). Transfer to serving dish and serve warm.

You can also add scrambled eggs and/or tofu for extra protein. Mixes well with the sauce at the end.
posted by kschang at 11:53 PM on February 6, 2022 [1 favorite]

We cook nearly all vegetables sautéed in a wok and dressed with rice vinegar, salt, and a chili sauce. We usually add seitan or beans plus rice to make the whole meal right in the wok, but just the veg is perfect too.
posted by CtrlAltDelete at 9:01 AM on February 7, 2022

Roasted Brussels sprouts or sauteed bok choi/kale/turnip greens/whatever. For bok choi I add onion, for other greens I add garlic, for all of them I add a small amount of red pepper flakes to the oil as it's heating up--even if you don't like heat, a tiny amount will add some complexity.

Also, roasted purple daikon radishes (just sliced with oil and salt) are surprisingly good.
posted by needs more cowbell at 9:31 AM on February 7, 2022

Bubble and squeak is supposedly a left-overs dish, but I love it so much I make it from scratch every now and then. There are endless variations.
Spanakopita is good both warm and cold, so you can make a big pie and then keep it in the fridge for several days. You can make pies out of all sorts of leafy greens with the same recipe.
Yesterday, I had planned to make this Turkish okra side, but forgot it, because we already had other side dishes, so we are having it today or tomorrow. It is very good.
The most popular side dish for Sunday lunch yesterday was fine green beans (bought frozen) with a shallot vinaigrette. To me, it is best when the beans are warm, but it is another dish that is good both warm and cold, so you can make a double portion.
With game, duck or pork, a dish of green lentils is a classic, for good reasons.
During summer, a simple side of steamed pointy cabbage with melted butter or olive oil and capers and a bit of lemon juice poured over is delicious. Cut the cabbage into wedges like iceberg before steaming. Well, you can do it right now, I don't know why I feel it is a summer side.
posted by mumimor at 9:37 AM on February 7, 2022 [1 favorite]

Quick note that if you don't like the mess of frying, you can also bake the zucchini fritters mentioned above in a preheated 400-degree oven for 20 min or so, flipping halfway through. Just lightly oil a baking sheet or use parchment paper and pop them in.
posted by mediareport at 12:34 PM on February 7, 2022

Sauteed green beans with chopped garlic, grated ginger and a dash of soy is very fast and delicious, too.
posted by mediareport at 12:37 PM on February 7, 2022 [1 favorite]

There was an entire Green Beans ask.me, and I learned to make a decent approximation of my favorite Asian dry-fried green beans.

Also, roasted asparagus. arrange 1/2 with stems aligned to left edge, 1/2 with stems aligned to right edge, so the tender heads don't get too done in the middle. Olive oil, garlic. Squeeze lemon to serve.
posted by theora55 at 2:03 PM on February 7, 2022

Okra sautéed with onions.
posted by redlines at 11:26 AM on February 8, 2022 [1 favorite]

If you've got veggie dishes that you love but want some variety, try cooking a bit of fruit along with the veg. Works especially well with roasted root vegetables imo.
posted by trig at 8:06 PM on February 8, 2022