9 Winter Vegetable Sides That Will Transform Your Dinner

Learn how to turn in-season hearty greens and root vegetables into amazing accompaniments.

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Parsnip Puree They may look like albino carrots, but parsnips are actually much sweeter than their orange cousins. When you boil them and combine them with potatoes, you can make a puree that’s any roast’s best friend.

Braised Belgian Endive This white-leafed vegetable can be harvested all year long, but its prime months are in the winter. While it can be a little bitter raw, braising it will bring out the sweetness and balance out the bitterness.

Honey Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts Growing up, brussel sprouts were just the worst—a vegetable to be avoided at all costs. Not so anymore. In recent years, we as a culture have learned to coax the best out of these tiny cabbages. Case in point: this recipe, which slow roasts the sprouts then tosses them in a honey and balsamic glaze. Simple, but delicious.

Butternut Squash and Feta Gratin While the best use for butternut squash is creamy soup, this gratin is vying for second place. As it roasts, the flavor of the squash concentrates, and the tangy feta browns on top.

Kale-Pomegranate Salad Not every winter side dish has to be heavy or too earthy. The pomegranates in this kale and balsamic salad add a burst of acidic flavor to brighten this wintertime dish.

Brie-Filled Hasselback Sweet Potatoes Hasselbacks are sliced thin to maximize the crispiness along the tops of the potatoes as they roast, while maintaining a soft core. This devious version utilizes those crevices to wedge in some brie for a truly decadent side.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Butter Sauce Preparing a head of cauliflower whole makes for a beautiful presentation at the table. But cooking it all the way through without burning the outside can be tricky. This recipe simmers the head in stock for 12 minutes before putting it on a skillet to roast in the oven. This helps it cook evenly while imparting extra flavor.

Twice Roasted Beets with Goat Cheese Thought it’s a little more labor intensive than some of the other sides, this one isn’t terribly difficult to execute. You’ll roast the beets twice—once to remove the skin and a second time after you’ve cubed the vegetable. Topping it with goat cheese at the end gives a tangy lift to a dish that may be too earthy otherwise.

Maple Glazed Medley with Creamy Polenta This dish is almost hearty enough to be a meal on its own. The buttery polenta tastes great with the sweetness of maple syrup that coats the earthy vegetables.