Six Healthy and Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Thanksgiving is all about the food. Of course, you should enjoy your favorites. Bring on the stuffing! To help offset some of the heavy eating with clean eating, here are six of my favorite holiday veggie side dish recipes for you. These recipes are simple to make and taste great!

Best withes for a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds discarded
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 3⁄4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any other dairy-free milk alternative), plus more if needed
Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place the butternut squash onto the prepared baking sheet facing up. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set the squash aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Use a large spoon to scoop out the squash flesh and place it into a food processor. Add the almond milk, sea salt and pepper to taste. Add a large pinch of cinnamon and puree the mixture until it reaches your desired consistency. Add more dairy-free milk if needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Store leftovers in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Cranberry Citrus Sauce

Ingredients

1 Whole orange peeled, sliced, seeds removed
1 Whole lemon peeled, sliced, seeds removed
2 Cups fresh cranberries
Add a little raw honey to sweeten, if needed
3 Sprigs fresh mint to garnish

Instructions

Blend orange, lemon and pomegranate in a food processor
Add cranberries and process until coarsely chopped
Serve

Roasted Beets and Carrots with Capers and Parsley

Ingredients

9 ounces pack cooked beets, each beet cut into 4
9 ounces carrots, halved lengthwise (or you can use packaged little carrots)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lay the beets and carrots in a baking dish or tin.
Drizzle over the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Remove from the oven and stir through the capers and chopped parsley.

Total: 50 min

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 40 min

Yield: 6 servings

Roasted Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.
Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.
Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.
Serves 6

Cauliflower Rice Stuffing

Ingredients

2 large cauliflower heads, broken into florets
1 Tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 fresh garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small
2-3 ribs fresh celery, diced small
2 cups of fresh mushrooms, diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsps chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsps fresh thyme leaves
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
3 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Working in batches, place cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until broken into rice-sized pieces (or buy packaged)
Do not over-pulse, or you’ll have mush.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add yellow onions, garlic, celery, and carrots and cook stirring occasionally for 4-5 mins.
Add the mushrooms, smoked paprika, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until nicely golden browned.
Next, stir in the riced cauliflower, sage, thyme and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to your taste.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with walnuts and green onions.
Allow stuffing to cool a bit, then enjoy!
You can refrigerate the cauliflower rice for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Baby Spinach & Cranberries

Ingredients

2 pkgs (20 oz each) Cleaned & Cut Butternut Squash, cut in 1-inch pieces
2 red onions, peeled, chopped (about 4 cups)
3 Tbsp Basting Oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg (6 oz) Fresh Baby Spinach
3/4 cup Sweetened Dried Cranberries (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss squash, onions, and basting oil in large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Arrange in single layer on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Roast about 35 min, until lightly browned and tender. Add spinach and dried cranberries; toss to combine.

Six Healthy and Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Six Healthy and Easy Thanksgiving Side Dish Recipes

Thanksgiving is all about the food. Of course, you should enjoy your favorites. Bring on the stuffing! To help offset some of the heavy eating with clean eating, here are six of my favorite holiday veggie side dish recipes for you. These recipes are simple to make and taste great!

Best withes for a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, sliced in half lengthwise and seeds discarded

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 3⁄4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or any other dairy-free milk alternative), plus more if needed

Large pinch of ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the butternut squash onto the prepared baking sheet facing up. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in the oven for 50 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set the squash aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

Store leftovers in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Cranberry Citrus Sauce

Ingredients

1 Whole orange peeled, sliced, seeds removed

1 Whole lemon peeled, sliced, seeds removed

2 Cups fresh cranberries

Add a little raw honey to sweeten, if needed

3 Sprigs fresh mint to garnish

Instructions

Blend orange, lemon and pomegranate in a food processor

Add cranberries and process until coarsely chopped

Serve

Roasted Beets and Carrots with Capers and Parsley

Ingredients

9 ounces pack cooked beets, each beet cut into 4

9 ounces carrots, halved lengthwise (or you can use packaged little carrots)

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Lay the beets and carrots in a baking dish or tin.

Drizzle over the olive oil and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Remove from the oven and stir through the capers and chopped parsley.

Total: 50 min

Prep: 10 min

Cook: 40 min

Yield: 6 servings

Roasted Brussels sprouts

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

3 tablespoons good olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves.

Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper.

Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly.

Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Serves 6

Cauliflower Rice Stuffing

Ingredients

2 large cauliflower heads, broken into florets

1 Tbsp avocado oil, or olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 fresh garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 medium carrots, peeled and diced small

2-3 ribs fresh celery, diced small

2 cups of fresh mushrooms, diced

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 Tbsps chopped fresh sage

2 Tbsps fresh thyme leaves

sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

Working in batches, place cauliflower florets into a food processor and pulse until broken into rice-sized pieces (or buy packaged)

Do not over-pulse, or you’ll have mush.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add yellow onions, garlic, celery, and carrots and cook stirring occasionally for 4-5 mins.

Add the mushrooms, smoked paprika, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until nicely golden browned.

Next, stir in the riced cauliflower, sage, thyme and cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper to your taste.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with walnuts and green onions.