Side Dish Recipes

Steamed asparagus with bacon, fresh parsley, and lemon juice. A quick 20-minute diabetic-friendly side dish that works on the stovetop or in the microwave.

A light, brothy borscht of cabbage and beets simmered with carrot, celery, and tomato juice into a ruby-red, sweet-and-sour soup. Vegan, low in calories, and even better the next day.

Zucchini and tomatoes simmered with garlic, basil and a savory onion soup mix into a quick stovetop side. A vegan way to use up summer squash, ready in about 30 minutes and microwaveable too.

Green peas and sauteed mushrooms with green onions tossed in reduced-sodium soy sauce. A quick, low-fat, diabetic-friendly vegetable side dish ready in 15 minutes.

Hot Dutch potato salad: warm cubed potatoes tossed with a tangy bacon-vinegar dressing, hard-boiled eggs, and crisp bell pepper. The Pennsylvania Dutch classic served warm, never cold.

Grilled marinated tofu with a Mediterranean chopped salad of tomato, cucumber, kalamata olives and parsley. Bright vegetarian main with Greek flavors.

Deep-fried cucumber slices double-coated in cracker crumbs and egg for a crispy, golden side dish. An unexpected way to cook cucumbers that's ready in 20 minutes.

Broccoli with lemon sauce using just three ingredients and no added fat. A simple, diabetic-friendly side dish ready in 20 minutes with bright citrus flavor.

Gluten-free potato rice pancakes made with brown rice flour and instant potato flakes. Serve with syrup for breakfast or gravy for a savory side. Light, tender, and wheat-free.

Red cabbage with diced apples is a diabetic-friendly German-style braised side with green apple, lemon juice, allspice, and a hint of sweetener. Low-calorie, ready in 40 minutes.

Curried cabbage and arame seaweed sauteed in sesame oil with shoyu. A quick, mineral-rich macrobiotic side dish loaded with umami that's on the table in 20 minutes. Vegan and plant-based.

Avocado chef salad piled with red leaf lettuce, watercress, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs, Swiss cheese, julienned ham or turkey, cubed avocado, and a tangy vinaigrette. A protein-packed lunch in five minutes.

Japanese noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, red pepper, and rice noodles in a hot sesame broth, finished with ginger, brown rice vinegar, and roasted cashews. A vegetarian, low-fat Asian soup ready in 45 minutes.

Cucumber and radish salad marinated in zesty Italian dressing with sweet onion and parsley. Crisp, refreshing and low-carb, it gets better as it chills, a make-ahead side that needs no cooking.

Cheesy creamy garlic soup caramelizes a dozen cloves of garlic with onion, deglazes with white wine, and purées French bread into a velvety bowl finished with cream and Gruyère. A French country soup with serious depth.

Poppy seed fruited slaw tosses shredded cabbage and carrots with juicy orange segments, halved red grapes, and a tangy poppy seed-cider vinaigrette. A sweet-savory summer side for picnics and barbecues.