Your Thanksgiving meal can't be all brown and white carbs. Bring on the green vegetables!
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
Maple-Sriracha Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry Wild Rice
Randy Clemens, who has written two cookbooks dedicated to sriracha and organized LA's first annual Sriracha Festival, loves using the hot sauce in his Brussels sprouts dish. This recipe comes from his vegan cookbook, The Veggie-Lovers Sriracha Cookbook. Get the recipe
Josef Centeno's Caesar Brussels Sprouts
This recipe makes more dressing than you'll need for the Brussels sprouts. Store any remaining dressing in a lidded jar in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also use salted anchovies rinsed then soaked in three tablespoons of milk for 10 minutes, and drained. Get the recipe
Brussels Sprouts with Walnut Oil and Meyer Lemon
Amelia Saltsman likes using Weiser Family Farms' purple Brussels sprouts but this recipe works just as well with standard green Brussels sprouts. Get the recipe
Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Jalapeño Vinaigrette
This dish comes from Aarón Sánchez, chef and owner of New Orleans restaurant Johnny Sánchez. It features fried Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and pomegranate seeds. If you prefer, you can roast the sprouts instead of frying them. And if all that peeling, dicing and chopping sounds like too much work, buy the vegetables pre-chopped. Get the recipe
Brussels Sprouts with Lardons, Cranberries and Hazelnuts
Chef Randall Rosa shared his take on bacony Brussels sprouts with cranberries, a perfect Thanksgiving pairing. Get the recipe
Shaved Brussels Sprouts With Hazelnuts and Prosciutto
Chef DJ Olsen likes taking vegetables to the end of their season, when they are often at their peak. He shaves the Brussels sprouts thinly and dresses them with a hazelnut vinaigrette. Get the recipe
Cavolini Al Forno
To make this paleo version of Cavolini Al Forno, Michelle Tam and Henry Fong roast Brussels sprouts in ghee, toss them with a mustard vinaigrette, and serve them with sieved hard-boiled eggs and crumbled prosciutto chips. Get the recipe
Brussels Sprouts, Dates, Walnuts and Pomegranate Arils with a Toasted Coriander-Cumin Vinaigrette
"My first Thanksgiving was with a couple friends from Mumbai and a whole set of new American and international friends," says Mumbai Modern author Amisha Dodhia Gurbani. "We all made dishes and it was like an international potluck. One of the dishes was a Brussels sprouts dish that I did not like. But that was the first time I was introduced to Brussels sprouts. I realized over the years what a big part this cruciferous vegetable played for the biggest tradition and holiday in the United States. I grew to really enjoy this humble vegetable, especially knowing its umpteen health benefits." Get the recipe
Green beans, cabbage, cauliflower and kohlrabi are all great options for adding more vegetables to your Thanksgiving table. Photo by Shutterstock
BEANS
Evan Kleiman's Seared Green Beans
Evan Kleiman calls these "Has Beans" because once they were firm and dense but now they're "has beans" and even more delicious. "You are working towards a bean that is charred on the outside and tender to the bite. It will be floppy instead of firm. If you sear them properly they will be tender to eat while retaining a sweet green flavor instead of the vegetal flavor you get from boiling string beans for too long," she explains. Get the recipe
Vietnamese-Style Green Beans
In Vietnamese Home Cooking, Charles Phan, the chef behind The Slanted Door in Northern California, describes his first Thanksgiving in the United States. This recipe for green beans combines his Vietnamese heritage with a classic American Thanksgiving side dish. Get the recipe
Evan Kleiman's Baked Giant Greek Beans
Love white beans? Wondering what to do with them? A couple of onions, a can of tomatoes, and a few spices will set you right. Get the recipe
Tangy White Beans
Want to make it easy on yourself? Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmers' Market Cookbook, shares this tasty and simple recipe for white cannellini beans. Get the recipe
Shelling Bean Panzanella
This recipe for Shelling Bean Panzanella, from Matt Poley of Heirloom L.A., works equally well as a side with dinner or a light lunch. Get the recipe
Bean & Radish Salad
Chef Chris Cosentino, who's known for his ability to cook a pig, also has a way with vegetables. His book Beginnings: My Way To Start A Meal has a startling amount of vegetables in it including this relatively easy recipe. It calls on driedcanellini beans as well as a mix of pole beans such as Romano, yellow wax, purple wax, Dragon Tongue, and Blue Lake, but you can experiment with your favorite varieties. Get the recipe
Minestra di Scarole e Fagioli (Escarole and White Bean Soup)
What would a list of bean recipes be without a mention of a winter minestrone? This version is an Evan Kleiman favorite. It relies on the deep flavor of escarole, a sturdy leafy green that looks like a lettuce but is actually a member of the chicory family, which is why it has that characteristic mild bitter flavor. Flavor-wise, it’s similar to radicchio, but the texture when cooked has a satisfying chew. Paired with beans, it makes a lovely soup that's easy to create. If you want to make it heartier, add sausage and potatoes. Get the recipe