20+ Easy and Flavorful Vegetable Side dishes
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Whether you are looking for vegetable side dishes to cook for a crowd or for your family, this list of 20+ best vegetable side dishes will come in handy. The recipes that made this list are simple and easy, and you can make them in your Instant Pot or Air fryer in no time.
Whether you like your vegetables steamed, sauteed, or air fried, we got you covered. Let’s get started 🙂
![A collage of images with caption 20+ Vegetable side dishes](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Vegetable-side-dishes.jpeg)
We all want to incorporate more veggies into our diet to make it healthier and well-balanced. But “What vegetable sides to make for dinner” is a question that bogs down everyone.
Finding a vegetable side dish that comes together quickly for your everyday meal or to go with your Thanksgiving dinner can get challenging.
Don’t worry; I’ve got you covered.
I’ve put together this list of side dishes that are healthy, flavorful, and super easy to make in your Instant Pot or your air fryer. These are perfect for weeknight dinners or as a side dish to add to your holiday table.
What you’ll love most about this list is most of these vegetable side dish recipes require very little hands-on effort and come together in less than 30 minutes. While all the recipes are vegetarian, there are plenty of vegan and gluten-free options as well.
Also, these veggie sides pair well with chicken, fish, or any other meat-based dishes.
Some of my favorites include baked sweet potatoes, air fryer fresh green beans, steamed carrots, asparagus with parmesan cheese, and air fryer French fries 🙂
Planning a party? Check out this post on How to plan an Indian dinner party. If you are looking for a menu for your Thanksgiving dinner, this post on the Indian-Inspired Thanksgiving menu should help.
Why you’ll love these recipes
- Perfect options for weeknight dinners or for when you are looking to make vegetable sides for Thanksgiving / Christmas (or any holidays).
- Great for potluck parties – if you are in charge of getting a veggie side dish, this vegetable dishes list should give you plenty of options.
- Most require minimum hands-on effort – These recipes call for either an Instant Pot or an Air fryer. That means you are free to cook other dishes while these two devices do their magic.
- The best part, almost all recipes require very little prep time and come together in 30 minutes or less.
Recommended tools
For the Instant Pot recipes, you’ll need
And for some recipes, you’ll need an air fryer. Here are the two that I recommend
- Basket style (Phillips 7 QT, 1725W) – easier to flip food but cooks a smaller amount (2-3 servings).
- Oven-style (Ninja Dual Heat Air Fryer – 1800W) – The oven-style ones usually take more space but what’s unique about this Ninja one is that it flips vertically for easy storage on the countertop. Most importantly, it is perfect for families of 4 or more and makes easy work of Ninja air fryer pakora.
Instant Pot Vegetable Side dishes
Instant Pot is perfect for steaming vegetables, but what makes it even better is its ability to saute the veggies once they are steamed. Check out the recipes below for healthy, steamed, sauteed veggies in the Instant Pot.
![A light blue plate with a pile of asian-style green beans topped with toasted sesame seeds and a brown handled fork in the back right.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Asian-Sauteed-Green-Beans-Instant-Pot-500x500.jpg)
![An instant pot steamer basket with baby carrots after steaming.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Instant-Pot-Carrots-500x500.jpeg)
![A light blue plate with three baked sweet potatoes with a cut down the middle of each and a pad of butter on top.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Instant-Pot-Baked-Sweet-Potatoes-500x500.jpg)
![A white bowl with chopped beets after cooking in the instant pot.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Instant-Pot-Beets-500x500.jpg)
![An overhead shot of honey glazed carrots served in a white bowl](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Honey-Glazed-Carrots-500x500.jpg)
![A black bowl of cheese topped steamed and sautéed Brussel sprouts with a silver fork poking into a Brussel sprout on a grey counter.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Cheesy-Sauteed-Instant-Pot-Brussel-Sprouts-500x500.jpg)
![A black counter with a blue plate and two baked potatoes cut down the center vertically and topped with sour cream and chives with a silver fork on the right side of the plate.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Instant-Pot-Baked-Potatoes-500x500.jpg)
![A white bowl with Bombay Potatoes and a silver fork to the right.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Instant-Pot-Bombay-Potatoes-500x500.jpg)
![Four cobs of corn lay on top of a trivet inside of an Instant Pot](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Instant-Pot-Corn-500x500.jpg)
![Mashed potatoes served in a black bowl](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Instant-Pot-Mashed-Potatoes-500x500.jpg)
Air fryer vegetable side dishes
I love how the veggies turn out in the Air fryer – crispy, flavorful, and the best part – the cooking is hands-free. Here are some of the easiest vegetable dishes you can make in your air fryer.
![A brown rimmed plate with two cut open air fryer sweet potatoes next to a fork.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Air-Fryer-Sweet-Potatoes-Recipe-500x500.jpg)
![A white bowl of baby potatoes, garnished with parsley and lime wedges.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Air-Fryer-Roasted-Baby-Potatoes-500x500.jpg)
![An overheat shot of a plate of roasted carrot fries, with a small bowl of creamy dressing.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Air-Fried-Carrots-500x500.jpg)
![A plate of bright colored cauliflower with a small dish of ketchup on the side.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Air-fryer-cauliflower-500x500.jpg)
![Air Fryer Green Beans (Asian-Style) on a plate with a fork garnished with sesame seeds](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Spicy-Air-Fryer-Green-Beans-500x500.jpg)
![Crispy Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts in a white bowl with a fork](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Air-Fryer-Brussels-Sprouts-Parmesan-Garlic-500x500.jpg)
![A tray of buffalo cauliflower with ranch dipping sauce on the side.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Air-Fryer-Buffalo-Cauliflower-Recipe-500x500.jpeg)
![A cream plate on a blue counter with air fried asparagus topped with parmesan and a silver fork to the right.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Air-Fryer-Asparagus-500x500.jpg)
![A white plate on a light blue background, holding a large amount of roasted broccoli florets.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Air-Fryer-Crispy-Broccoli-500x500.jpg)
![A bowl of sweet potato cubes, having just been cooked in the air fryer](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Air-Fryer-Roasted-Sweet-Potatoes-Recipe-500x500.jpg)
![A plate of bhindi masala with a fresh roti on the side, served with a lime wedge.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Air-Fried-Bhindi-Masala-Recipe-500x500.jpeg)
![Air-fried potato wedges served on parchment paper with ketchup](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Air-Fryer-Potato-Wedges-Recipe-500x500.jpeg)
![Air fryer kale chips in bowl](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Air-Fryer-Kale-Chips-500x500.jpg)
![A basket covered in parchment paper with sweet potato fries and a small white bowl of ketchup.](https://simpleindianmeals.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Air-Fryer-Sweet-Potato-Fries-500x500.jpeg)
Looking for more recipe ideas?
- Try these 30+ Instant Pot vegetarian recipes.
- Check out these 30+ Indian curries.
- Try these 10+ raita variations.