20 Winter Side Dishes Ready in 20 Minutes or Less

Broccoli Salad with Bacon

Classic broccoli salad, the perfect dish for a potluck, is updated with cauliflower, bacon and a sprinkle of crunchy sunflower seeds in this so-easy recipe that's sure to be a new picnic favorite.

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing

Pure maple syrup adds body and rich flavor to the dressing, providing a perfect counterpoint to the smoked cheese.

Caramelized Broccolini & White Beans

Broccolini takes on a smoky char from the cast-iron pan before it's combined with white beans and aromatics in this savory side dish. A vibrant parsley and hazelnut sauce finishes the dish with a bright and nutty flavor.

Cauliflower Rice

Learn how to make cauliflower rice with this quick recipe. The two easiest ways to make riced cauliflower are with a food processor and with a grater. Here, the cauliflower rice is made into an herbed pilaf that can be served alongside any protein.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

What could be more satisfying than mashed potatoes? In this garlic mashed potato recipe, the potatoes are flavored with poached garlic, thinned with chicken stock and enriched with a small amount of sour cream. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you're cooking for a crowd--say for Thanksgiving dinner.

Simple Cabbage Salad

Cabbage maintains a nice crunch when it's tossed with an easy dressing in this simple cabbage salad recipe.

Balsamic Berry Vinaigrette Winter Salad

This festive winter salad recipe features colorful greens, fruit and cheese tossed with a light and zesty dressing.

Bang Bang Cabbage Slaw

Here we pair Bang Bang sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce made famous by the restaurant chain Bonefish Grill, with shredded cabbage and crunchy carrots and celery. You can swap out the carrots and celery for other crunchy vegetables like thinly sliced sweet bell peppers and radishes. Serve this easy slaw alongside grilled shrimp or use it to top a grilled fish sandwich.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

Sweet cherries complement the tart goat cheese in this easy shaved Brussels sprouts salad. Pistachios add an extra layer of crunch. A sharp chef's knife works well to slice the Brussels sprouts thinly. A microplane grater is best for finely shredding the goat cheese.

Broccoli, Chickpea & Pomegranate Salad

Simple steps give this broccoli salad recipe a more nuanced flavor: soaking the onion tempers its bite and toasting the cumin enhances its aroma. Serve alongside grilled chicken, pork or fish.

Simple Sautéed Spinach

Sautéed spinach (or any greens) with garlic and a squeeze of lemon (or vinegar) is a simple formula that lets spinach shine and will never go out of favor.

Simple Green Salad with Citronette

Frisée and radicchio are both assertive, slightly bitter greens that add color and texture to any salad. Match them with mellower-flavored greens, such as red leaf lettuce, baby spinach or even Boston lettuce.

Broccoli with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Topping steamed broccoli with a good-for-you cheese sauce is an easy way to entice picky eaters to eat their veggies.

Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

Brown Sugar-Glazed Beets

Try a sweet glaze on beets or other root vegetables to help balance their earthy flavor. This easy recipe will work with steamed carrots, turnips or rutabaga too.

Winter Salad with Toasted Walnuts

This salad was one of the favorites chosen from over 1,000 salad recipes for our 30th anniversary issue. In 2004, Deborah Madison waxed poetic about winter ingredients, particularly nuts. "In the chill air of winter, nuts move up to center stage as do their warming, substantial, golden oils—so good with winter salad greens and vegetables, such as shaved fennel, all of which are likely to end up in a salad together," she says. Madison suggested using a mix of lettuces that balance each other here—a mild, tender variety, such as Boston, with a more intense and sturdy green, such as escarole, for instance.

Spicy Cabbage Slaw

Sliced radishes add a peppery kick to this 10-minute slaw, which can serve as both a side and a topping for sandwiches.

Pan-Roasted Carrots

This recipe gives you a faster route to "roasted," lightly caramelized carrots. Instead of cooking in the oven (and waiting for it to preheat), here you cook the carrots on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet. The key is to keep the carrots still; you'll cook them for 5 minutes without stirring, then stir and cook undisturbed for another 5 minutes. The results are beautifully browned, crisp-tender carrots that take about a third of the time as oven-roasted. A hint of hoisin and maple syrup enhances the sweetness of the carrots without rendering them cloying.

Balsamic Broccoli & Cauliflower

Reaching for a frozen broccoli & cauliflower blend to make this flavor-packed side dish helps save time on chopping, plus the frozen veggies cook quicker than fresh!

Warm Beet & Spinach Salad