You cannot live by mashed potatoes and mac and cheese alone! Aside from stuffing, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cornbread, and mac and cheese, there are all sorts of vegetable Thanksgiving side dishes you can make. We've already shared recipes for:
Now, it's time to focus on other green vegetables!
Blanched Lettuce with Ginger Soy Sauce (Jiāngróng Shēngcài)
"Chinese cooks treat lettuces just like any other leafy green, and varieties like sturdy-hearted romaine lettuce and the long papery fronds of stem lettuce are often stir-fried, blanched, steamed, or wilted in soups, with delicious results," writes Hannah Che, author of The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. Here, a quick blanch intensifies romaine lettuce's sweetness and flavor, and the delicate soy sauce dressing bathes the crisp, juicy stems and dimpled leaves with sesame oil and clinging bits of ginger. Get the recipe
Citrus Collards with Raisins Redux
James Beard-winning chef, activist and author Bryant Terry has written several vegan cookbooks including Vegetable Kingdom: The Abundant World of Vegan Recipes and Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine. The man knows vegetables. In this recipe, orange juice provides tartness while raisins infuse traditional collard greens with sweetness. Get the recipe
The key to this salad is to smack open the cucumbers with the back of a cleaver so they absorb the seasonings. Photo by Gold and Grit Photography.
Sizzling Cucumber Salad with Silken Tofu
In Chinese food culture, there are dishes meant to "open your stomach," explains Pamelia Chia, author of Plantasia: A Vegetarian Cookbook Through Asia. These are usually an assortment of little dishes, like this salad. The key to this dish is to smack the cucumber with the back of a cleaver (or another heavy object) until it splits open. This encourages it to imbibe any dressing of your choice, which, in this case, is made by scalding aromatics with hot oil to enhance their flavour and colour. Get the recipe
Aloo Methi: Spinach Cooked with Potatoes and Fenugreek Leaves
This recipe for Aloo Methi, which features spinach, comes from Farhana Sahibzada's cookbook Flavorful Shortcuts to Indian/Pakistani Cooking. She says it works great as both a side dish and a main course. "The secret seasoning is a light sprinkle of dried fenugreek leaves (dried fenugreek leaves labeled as ‘Kasoori Methi' are available at all Indian/Pakistani spice stores) at the end," she writes. Get the recipe
Spinach Borani
A staple in Iran and other parts of the Middle East, borani is a dish of tender cooked vegetables served in thick strained yogurt that's topped with crisp fried onions. There are countless variations of borani available at Persian restaurants but the dish is easy enough to prepare at home. In Taste of Persia, Naomi Duguid makes hers by combining wilted spinach with sautéed onions and creamy yogurt, then finishes the dish off with onions, toasted walnuts or pistachios and a dash of saffron water. Get the recipe
Gomen, essentially Ethiopian collard greens, are used in a wot or stew recipe, can be served as a side dish or welcome the addition of meat. Photo by DL Acken.
Gomen Wot (Collard Greens Stew)
This wholesome Ethiopian stew is Luladey Moges's go-to when she's craving some greens in her diet. It's not too spicy and it's meat free. It's a versatile dish that you can have over rice as a simple lunch or use to accompany something hot and spicy if you're entertaining. You'll also spot it in Enebla: Recipes from an Ethiopian Kitchen. Get the recipe
Quartered Kohlrabi
Roasting kohlrabi is as simple as roasting a potato. Chef Michael Anthony likes to toss the browned chunks in the pan with a big pinch of smoked paprika and serve it immediately. Get the recipe
Green Bell Peppers Stuffed with Spicy Potatoes, Chili & Dried Mango
This is a family favorite for Maunika Gowardhan, author of Tandoori Home Cooking: Over 70 Classic Indian Tandoori Recipes to Cook at Home. Bell peppers are stuffed with spiced, crushed potatoes that are also flavoured with dried mango powder, which lends that tangy, sour note. Get the recipe