Thanksgiving is about gathering around the table, savoring flavors, and creating memories with loved ones. While the turkey might steal the spotlight, the sides make every Thanksgiving feast unforgettable. From creamy mashed potatoes (one of the most popular recipes in The Flavor Equation cookbook, also check out my other cookbooks Season and Veg-Table for more Thanksgiving ideas) to perfectly roasted vegetables, these Thanksgiving side recipes elevate your holiday meal with vibrant colors, textures, and flavors that celebrate the season. Whether you’re looking for classic comfort foods or a fresh twist on traditional dishes, these side recipes will ensure everyone has something to be thankful for on their plate. Prepare to impress your guests with sides that bring warmth and joy to your Thanksgiving table!
Decadent Garlic Bread
honestly didn’t know if I could come up with a better name for this than Decadent Garlic Bread. Everything about it is extra. It’s glorious and magnificent yet simple to make. I’ve seen versions of these at several Italian restaurants recently, and it’s time I put it on my holiday table this year—and, for that matter, yours. Get a nice crusty sourdough for this. As always, the amount of cheese is negotiable, meaning be generous!
Cornbread, Chorizo, Kale, and Cheddar Stuffing
I can’t help decide whether the right word is dressing or stuffing, but I can give you my favorite version. Sweet cornbread, softened kale leaves, and plenty of onions topped with cheddar make this a special stuffing. The chorizo provides heat and spice to the sweeter flavors of the stuffing. To prepare a stuffing that’s crisp and moist, the cornbread is first dried and then soaked with the stuffing ingredients overnight. The stuffing is then partially baked covered and then uncovered, the result is a stuffing that is crispy on top and tender on the inside.
Baked Onions with Lentils
Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Rachel Vere. Food assistant: Amy Louth. The idea of stuffing vegetables isn’t new, but it’s a practice I cherish. Defined by the size and dynamics of vegetable architecture, you could potentially stuff anything: aubergines, tomatoes, peppers, chillies, okra … the list goes on. This week,
Lentil and Potato Croquettes with Yogurt Tartar Sauce
This is a vegetarian version of my grandmother’s ground beef croquettes. I’ve used a combination of mashed potatoes and lentils to build the body of the croquette and then made it extra crispy by tossing it twice in a breading mixture of panko breadcrumbs, chia seeds, and sesame seeds. I prefer tangier dips to go along with crispy and fried foods, and the tanginess of this yogurt-based tartar sauce is a fantastic partner to the croquettes!
Pumpkin Ginger Soup
This smooth, velvety pumpkin soup relies on shiitake mushrooms for a deep and rich umami taste. Baking soda helps soften the pumpkin during cooking but also helps develop a richer caramel pumpkin flavor making it taste sweeter.
Veg-Table/Yellow Curry Pumpkin Rice Soup
I like soups that are hearty with plenty of texture, but also full of vibrant colors and flavor. The turmeric in the yellow curry paste, the bright orange flesh of winter squash, the dark purple grains of forbidden rice, and the bright green of microgreens all make this a beautiful sight to behold. A big spoon to eat this up with is all that you need.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Crispy Parmesan Garlic Yuzu Potatoes
The classic dish of crispy parmesan potatoes is one of my favorites to serve at Thanksgiving but truth be told, I make it any fall or winter dinner. It’s a crowd-pleaser and the splash of yuzu gives the potatoes a wonderful citrusy aroma. These are best eaten as soon as they’re cooked.
Crispy Air Fryer Broccoli Bites
Of all the textures, crispy is my favorite, and these chickpea flour battered broccoli bites fall into that important category of food snacks. To make the batter crispy, I’ve used a science trick by mixing chickpea flour with cornstarch, cold water, and oil to make a slurry.
.
Roast cauliflower with Black Garlic Yogurt
Photograph: Rita Platts/The Guardian. Food styling: Ellie Mulligan. Prop styling: Rachel Vere. Food assistant: Amy Louth. This smoky, roast cauliflower, which is one of those vegetables that greatly benefits from caramelising in a hot oven. Not only does it take on a bittersweet taste, but it also acquires a crisp texture, to both of which
Creamed Corn and Oyster Mushrooms
“Saucy or Brothy” that’s how I classify people who love creamed corn. I’m somewhere in between, and the recipe is written as such. However, if you prefer it saucier or soupier, adjust the simmer time to your preference. The richness of coconut milk gives this vegan version of creamed corn a silky-smooth texture that’s comforting.
Veg-Table/Kimchi Creamed Corn
This is creamed corn on a flavor-fast train with a final destination of Absolute Joy. The sweet corn kernels swim in a rich concoction of coconut milk and kimchi, making it equal parts sweet, savory, salty, and bright. This is a dish you might want to serve with bread on the side to mop up every drop of flavorful sauce. It’s also vegan—and if you invite me over for a Thanksgiving potluck, this is the dish I’ll bring along.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Mixed Greens and Herb Salad with Lime Dressing
I’ve wondered about the necessity of a salad at Thanksgiving. With so many sides, most of which are vegetarian or vegetable-heavy, do we really have space to eat a salad I’ve come to realize that salad is important and very helpful if light? I eat my salad before I jump into the main dinner, it helps me pace myself during the big meal. Feel free to play with the herbs, use all of them, or just a few of them.
Italian Soppressata Salad
It’s been brutally hot; the temperatures were in the late 90s all week, and I fell into the comforting pavilion of the world of cold salads. It’s also tomato season, meaning tomatoes play a prominent role in my cooking, and you might see them pop up often here for the next couple of weeks. We’ve
Veg-Table/Roasted Fruit + Arugula Salad
The fresh fruit lover in me adores this salad. Gooseberries and stone fruit like peaches, apricots, and nectarines are also good choices, but to be honest, you can use any kind of fruit that can withstand roasting, so use what’s in season and easy to get your hands on. The poppy and sesame seed combination adds a delightful texture, and the hint of orange zest at the end is a sweet kiss.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Sweet Potato Kale Caesar Salad
After reading this book (Veg-Table), you might conclude that I really like Caesar salad dressing anyway. It’s true. This version is the classic upon which Avocado Caesar Dressing (page 120) is based. Roasted sweet potatoes, tender massaged kale, and crispy chickpeas with delicious umami and salty notes are mingled with luscious creaminess.
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Veg-Table/Broccoli-Za’atar Salad
This is a fruitier and spicier rendition of the broccoli salad seen in the grocery store deli, also sans the mayo. Aleppo pepper, za’atar, date syrup, and pomegranate molasses bring their game to this salad party.
Roasted Maple Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta
Brussels sprouts shine marvelously when charred because they take on a smoky flavor and, combined with the savory salty flavor of pancetta, fragrant spices, fresh lime, and maple syrup, give it a whole new depth of flavor. This is a good dish that can be prepped a day ahead of time; toss all the ingredients together in the roasting dish, wrap with clingfilm tightly, leave in the refrigerator overnight, and cook it when you’re ready to roast.
Veg-Table/Sweet + Sticky Brussels Sprouts
There is a general and universally accepted rule that the best way to prepare Brussels sprouts is roasting, not boiling. I stick to that edict. Roasting caramelizes Brussels sprouts and makes their leaves delightfully crispy. The finishing touch is the sweet and sticky miso-based sauce. It’s important to add the sauce to hot Brussels sprouts— the sauce sticks much better, and you’ll hear the vegetables sizzle. Pair this dish with the Radish Salad with BlackVinegar (page 159 of Veg-Table).
The full recipe for this dish is available in my cookbook, Veg-Table
Pommes Anna/Duck Fat Potato Galette
Whether you call it a pommes anna or a potato galette, this is one of the most glamorous ways to eat potatoes. Thin slices of potatoes are layered slightly overlapping each other to form a coil that turns crispy as it cooks in fat. I love to serve this on holidays and special occasions as an appetizer with bowls of sour cream and tangy, fruity guava onion jam to cut through the richness of the potatoes.
Ranch-Style Potato Salad
This Ranch Potato Salad is easy to make, tastes fantastic, and is perfect for any occasion that calls for a potato salad. Tender potatoes are tossed in Primal Kitchen Ranch dressing with crispy bits of pancetta and fresh dill.
I adore Primal Kitchen because they carry a wide selection of condiments, sauces, and dressings, including this buffalo sauce crafted with high-quality ingredients and made without artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, and high-fructose corn syrup. You can find Primal Kitchen products at your local grocery store, or head to Primal Kitchen and use my code SHARMA20 at checkout for 20% off your entire online order.
Potato and Anchovy Salad
A simple herb-loaded potato salad inspired by France’s love for anchovies. This salad is lovely in summer and great with grilled meat and fish. I’ve included vegan options in the note section. This recipe is available to paid subscribers of my newsletter, The Flavor Files. Get the recipe here.
Guava Onion Jam
I don’t see onion jam on restaurant menus enough, and I think it is one of those condiments that should be made more often. A big spoonful of onion jam over pizza, savory tarts and pies like a potato galette, and roast or barbecue meat is irresistible. This onion jam has fruity notes from the guava paste mingled with the sweet and tangy flavors of the bright red onions. I first braise the onions in their own liquid and then cook them at very low heat until they transform into a soft jammy spread.
Citrusy Cranberry Chutney
Cranberry sauce – homemade or canned is another battle during Thanksgiving. and so is whether this is a chutney or is it a chunky sauce. I am not here to take sides around sides (pun alert!) instead if you make this fruity chutney, I want you to enjoy it, and save some for later to add in a sandwich with leftover turkey and stuffing.
Golden Turkey Gravy
This is my easy version of a roast turkey that’s highly unfussy. The turkey is brined in a mixture of kefir that contains lots of garlic and turmeric, which gives it a wonderful fragrance and color. The brined turkey is then brushed with olive oil, coriander, and pepper before being roasted slowly at a very low temperature in the oven. The result is a juicy, tender, and flavorful bird.
Black Garlic and Miso Green Beans
Sweet and savory, these green beans get a wondrous layer of caramel and sweetness from the fermented black garlic while the miso adds a depth of umami.
Pumpkin Raita
During the fall and winter months, I look forward to a bowl of this cooling spiced pumpkin raita. Serve it as a side with a warm stew or curry and some rice or flatbread. Make a big bowl because it disappears quickly.
Roasted Pumpkin Barley Burrata Salad
Warm pumpkin, crunchy cucumbers, sweet tomatoes, roasted pepitas, creamy burrata with nutty pearl barley, and a refreshing lemon salad dressing with lots of black pepper. This is the salad I turn to every fall. It’s a meal on its own and doesn’t need anything else to go along with it.
