Soy-Braised Kabocha Squash
Braising—with a healthy dose of soy—is one of our favorite ways to bring out the texture and flavor of winter squash. Maxime Iattoni
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Let vegetables steal the show with these scrumptious, seasonal, and meat-free Thanksgiving dishes, from hearty sides like soy braised kabocha squash or a sweet potato and kale gratin, to savory main courses like spiced vegetable patties or a multilayered eggplant and goat cheese terrine.

"Broccoli

Broccoli Rabe with White Beans and Preserved Lemon

The bitter bite of broccoli rabe is tempered by creamy cannellini beans and brightened by salty preserved lemon. A quick and pretty 1-pan side dish, this is easy to scale up for a crowd; unlike softer, more watery greens, rabe retains plenty of volume after cooking. Look for greens with healthy-looking stems and dark green florets. Get the recipe for Broccoli Rabe with White Beans and Preserved Lemon »
"Charred

Charred Carrots with Lovage Sauce and Hazelnuts

Get the recipe for Charred Carrots with Lovage Sauce and Hazelnuts »
"Dominican

Dominican Cream of Pumpkin Soup (Crema de Auyama)

This rosemary-accented crema de auyama—Dominican cream of pumpkin soup—is the perfect Thanksgiving treat.
"Soy-Braised

Soy-Braised Kabocha Squash

Braising—with a healthy dose of soy—is one of our favorite ways to bring out the texture and flavor of winter squash.
"Old-Fashioned

Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes

Thinly sliced potatoes and onions are baked in a rich cream sauce in this classic crowd-pleaser from Canada’s Prince Edward Island. Get the recipe for Old-Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes »
"Haricots

Haricots Verts Casserole

Sherry vinegar balances the richness in the cream sauce for this Thanksgiving staple from Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California. A riff on the American classic, this recipe swaps the green beans for slender French-style haricots verts and the canned mushroom soup for a from-scratch mushroom cream sauce. The whole thing then gets a topping of crispy shallots before baking. Get the recipe for Haricots Verts Casserole »
"Sweet

Sweet Noodle Kugel

Kugel—the creamy egg noodle casserole that’s a staple of Jewish holiday cooking&dmash;gets a Midwestern topping of cornflakes in this Thanksgiving side dish.
"Sage

Sage Mashed Potatoes

This fragrant recipes involves a few ingenious methods for infusing the herb’s brisk flavor into the mash. Get the recipe for Sage Mashed Potatoes »
"Boureki"

Layered Pumpkin and Cheese Gratin Squares (Boureki)

"Cumin-roasted

Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Toasted cumin seeds, mint, and lime juice intensify the sweetness of simple baked root vegetables. Get the recipe for Cumin-Roasted Carrots and Parsnips»
"Pumpkin-Chickpea

Pumpkin-Chickpea Curry

"Fall

Fall Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash, Kale Chips, and Pomegranate Seeds

"Mashed

Mashed Yams with Lime and Honey

Creamy baked yams mashed with butter, lime juice, and honey make an easy, bright autumn side dish.
"Green

Green Beans with Sesame Sauce

Ginger-spiced green beans make a light and simple side dish. Get the recipe for Green Beans with Sesame Sauce »
"Slow-Roasted

Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh

Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh
"Sautéed

Sautéed Green Beans with Pickled Shallots

Shallots are quick-pickled and sautéed with green beans in this refreshing side.
"Sautéed

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts

This simple, satisfying side rounds out any Thanksgiving dinner.
"Roasted

Roasted Radishes

This colorful side is unbelievably simple, requiring only radishes, olive oil, thyme, and salt and pepper. Roasted Radishes »
"Salata

Salata Adas (Garlicky Lentil Salad)

This light, Lebanese lentil salad is flavored with lemon juice, cumin, allspice, and parsley.
"Raw

Raw Kale Salad with Lemon, Pecorino, and Currants

In this simple, elegant salad, the spicy flavor of thinly sliced raw kale is offset by creamy Pecorino cheese, bright lemon, and sweet-tart dried currants.
"Roasted

Roasted Vidalia Onions with Herbed Bread Crumbs

Sweet Vidalia onions, grown in and around the namesake Georgia city, turn even sweeter when roasted with a savory herbed bread crumb topping. Roasted Vidalia Onions with Herbed Bread Crumbs »
"Sweet

Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce

An aromatic combination of spices elevate the humble sweet potato oven fry to something truly special. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce »
"Moroccan

Moroccan Carrots with Aleppo Pepper and Mint

Moroccan Carrots with Aleppo Pepper and Mint
"Winter

Winter Squash and Apple Soup

A garnish of fried mushrooms and a drizzle of spiced mint butter adds elegance to a simple pureed vegetable soup.
"Brussels
Tossing crisp-fried brussels sprout leaves in a spicy Thai-flavored dressing spiked with yuzu juice, sesame oil, and Sriracha enlivens the old standby vegetable.
"Shredded

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad

Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad
"Cranberry-Ginger

Cranberry-Ginger Chutney

This sophisticated take on cranberry sauce, laced with spices and plenty of fresh ginger, gets a boost from chopped celery and tart apples. Get the recipe for Cranberry-Ginger Chutney »
"Spicy

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini
"Maple

Maple Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Maple syrup enhances the sweetness of this simple sweet potato mash. Get the recipe for Maple Butter Mashed Sweet Potatoes »
"Potato

Potato and Rutabaga Gratin

Earthy rutabagas and aged Gruyere add intrigue to a classic potato gratin. Get the recipe for Potato and Rutabaga Gratin »
"Wheat

Spiced Wheat Berry Pilaf

Eastern spices like cumin and cardamom bring bright notes to this earthy, pleasantly chewy pilaf. Get the recipe for Spiced Wheat Berry Pilaf »
"Sweet

Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble

"Fonio

Fonio Pilaf with Dates, Carrots, and Peanuts

Fonio Pilaf
"Butter-Braised

Butter-Braised Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi, with its turniplike flavor, takes well to a slow simmer on the stove with chicken stock, butter, and thyme. Get the recipe for Butter-Braised Kohlrabi »
"Red

Red Cabbage Gratin

A lightly-spiced and creamy cabbage casserole is baked with a crunchy breadcrumb and Parmesan topping. Get the recipe for Red Cabbage Gratin »
"Piquant

Piquant Corn Bread

Jalapeños and cilantro punch up classic cornbread.
"Lentil

Lentil Salad with Beets and Pomegranate

Packed full of glowing winter produce—sweet roasted beets, tart pomegranate seeds—this lentil salad makes a colorful addition to the winter table. Get the recipe for Lentil Salad with Beets and Pomegranate »
"Kashmiri

Kashmiri Collard Greens (Haak)

Ginger, chile powder, fennel seed, and turmeric add complex flavor to these tender collards. Get the recipe for Kashmiri Collard Greens (Haak) »
Frying whole spices to release their flavor–a technique known in many parts of India as baghar–is crucial to developing the flavors in this simple dish of cauliflower and tomato. See the recipe for Curried Cauliflower with Tomatoes »
"Curried

Curried Cream Onions

Luscious pearl onions are rendered complex by curry powder and Tabasco. Get the recipe for Curried Creamed Onions »
"Creamed

Creamed Brussels Sprouts

This creamy, savory preparation brings out Brussels sprouts’ natural sweetness. Creamed Brussels Sprouts »
"Winter

Winter Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

Walnuts, apple, and sliced beet add crunch and flavor to this wintertime salad.
"Kale

Kale and Sweet Potato Gratin

Don’t limit traditional pie spices—clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg—to the dessert table. In this cheesy, rich gratin, the spices take a savory note alongside kale, sweet potatoes, and sharp white cheddar.
"Saag

Saag Paneer (Spinach with Fresh Indian Cheese)

It’s not hard to love North Indian saag paneer—meltingly soft spinach strewn with chunks of mild fresh cheese—especially when scooped up with hot flatbread. Saag Paneer (Spinach with Fresh Indian Cheese) »
"Oaxacan

Oaxacan Stuffing

This stuffing gets its sweet-spicy flavor from chiles, fennel, prunes, and cumin. Get the recipe for Oaxacan Stuffing »
"Broiled

Broiled Spaghetti Squash with Walnut-Miso Glaze

It’s rare that we encounter spaghetti squash not shredded into its eponymous noodle-like threads. But kept intact, it reveals a beautifully yielding texture and a savory, subtle flavor that’s perfectly offset by a rich walnut-miso glaze.
"Green

Green Beans with Lemons and Capers

Inspired by the briny flavors of veal piccata, this elegant side dish is simplicity itself: blanched green beans tossed in a vinaigrette of capers, bright lemon, and a beautiful olive oil. Get the recipe for Green Beans with Lemons and Capers »
"Green

Green Bean Salad with Feta and Mint

Feta, red onion, and mint are a classic combination; tossed with snappy green beans they make a salad of surprising complexity.
Lime and jalapeño punch up this fresh, no-cook take on cranberry sauce. See the Cranberry Salsa recipe »
"Brussels

Brussels Sprouts Salad

Shredded Brussels sprouts, tossed with pecorino, walnuts, and lemon, is a bright and fresh salad for any Thanksgiving spread. Get the recipe for Brussels Sprouts Salad »
Honey makes for a more flavorful glaze for carrots than sugar does. In this dish, orange zest keeps the sweetness from becoming cloying. See the recipe for Orange and Honey-Glazed Carrots »
"Slow-Cooked

Cime di Rapa Fritte (Slow-Cooked Broccoli Rabe)

Notoriously bitter and tough, broccoli rabe becomes mellow and supple when cooked slowly in a bath of water and olive oil. Get the recipe for Cime di Rapa Fritte (Slow-Cooked Broccoli Rabe) »
"Curried

Curried Brussels Sprouts

These Brussels sprouts, inspired by classic South Indian curry dishes, retain a hint of bite in the center, while the garam masala and onion add a sweetness that offsets the sprouts’ flavor nicely. Get the recipe for Curried Brussels Sprouts »
"Green

Green Bean and Radish Salad

In this salad, a chile-infused honey compliments the spicy radishes and gives the green beans some sweet heat. Get the recipe for Green Bean and Radish Salad »
"Minnesota,

Polenta with Corn and Wild Rice

Wild rice adds a toasted nuttiness to this dish, and breaking it up in a food processor allows the rice to cook at the same rate as the polenta. Cookbook author Amy Thielen advises to scrape the corn cobs with the back of a knife after you grate the kernels to extract as much of the corn liquid as you can. Get the recipe for Polenta with Corn and Wild Rice »
"Whipped

Whipped Potatoes with Celery Root

Celery root (along with a bit of grated grana padano cheese) adds a deep, earthy backbone to this potato recipe. It’s a tweak even a diehard traditionalist can love. Get the recipe for Whipped Potatoes with Celery Root »
"Carrot

Carrot and Pistachio Salad

"Orange

Orange and Radish Salad

Fragrant orange flower water, called zhaar in Morocco and made from the blossoms of bergamot orange trees, perfumes this delicate salad, in which sweet citrus is offset by spicy radish.
Get the recipe for Orange and Radish Salad »
"Spelt

Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish

Switch up your classic risotto with nutty spelt, sweet beets, and horseradish for that extra kick. Get the recipe for Spelt Risotto with Beets and Horseradish »
"Rutabaga

Rutabaga Caponata

Rutabagas are the star in this autumnal twist on the well-known Sicilian eggplant relish. Get the recipe for Rutabaga Caponata »
"Classic

Classic Stuffing

Nutmeg and savory—two seasonings commonly found in 19th-century stuffing recipes—add subtly sweet and herbal notes to this dish. Get the recipe for Classic Stuffing »

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