Father’s Day is about spending time appreciating the father figures in our lives. These healthy, quick and easy side dish recipes are ready in 30 minutes or less, so you can spend more time enjoying each other’s company and less time cooking. Recipes like our Bang Bang Broccoli Salad and Ranch-Roasted Cauliflower will be the perfect side dishes for any Father’s Day meal.
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Strawberry & Kale Salad with Burrata
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Lydia Purcell
This strawberry-and-kale salad with burrata is a delicious, nutrient-packed dish that offers a host of anti-inflammatory benefits. The base of tender lacinato kale is rich in antioxidants, while sweet, juicy strawberries provide a healthy dose of vitamin C and anthocyanins, known for their powerful anti-inflammatory properties. Creamy burrata balances the earthy greens perfectly.
Bang Bang Broccoli Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle.
This bang bang broccoli salad features the classic creamy, sweet and spicy bang bang sauce—made with mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce and Sriracha—for a bold flavor that balances heat with a hint of sweetness. It’s typically used as a dipping sauce; here we use it as a dressing instead to coat crispy veggies.
Cucumber, Tomato & Avocado Salad with Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette
Ali Redmond
Crisp cucumbers, juicy tomatoes and creamy avocado create a delicious contrast in this easy salad. Tossed with a zesty lemon-shallot vinaigrette, this salad is bright, tangy and perfectly balanced.
Ranch-Roasted Cauliflower
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Giovana Vazquez, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
Ranch-roasted cauliflower is a bold, flavorful side dish that brings out the natural sweetness of cauliflower combined with an herb-packed coating. Garlic, onion and dill add a savory punch, while a squeeze of lemon adds a brighter flavor, if you prefer.
Simple Carrot & Cabbage Salad
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist: Abby Armstrong
This simple carrot-and-cabbage salad is crisp and refreshing. It’s tossed in a light vinaigrette made with lemon, honey and Dijon mustard, allowing the natural sweetness of the carrots and the crunch of the cabbage to shine.
No-Cook Chickpea, Beet & Quinoa Salad
Ali Redmond
This easy, no-cook chickpea salad comes together in minutes. Look for precooked beets in the produce section of the grocery store. With a bright lemony-garlic dressing, this salad is the perfect side to accompany grilled chicken or roasted salmon.
Raspberry-Spinach Salad with Avocado & Walnuts
Photographer: Jen Causey, food stylist: Julian Hensarling, prop stylist: Josh Hoggle
This salad includes juicy raspberries, creamy avocado and crunchy walnuts, which create a delightful mix of colors and flavor. The bright, citrusy dressing sets this salad apart and complements the richness of the avocado and the walnuts.
5-Ingredient Coleslaw
Photographer: Jake Sternquist, Food Sylist: Kelsey Moylan, Prop Stylist: Breanna Ghazali
This fresh, crunchy coleslaw uses a combination of yogurt and mayonnaise to create the creamy dressing. We use green cabbage, but red cabbage would be equally delicious. Bring this simple, five-ingredient side (not counting salt and pepper) to your next get-together and everyone will love it.
Roasted Lemon-Feta Broccoli
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This lemony side dish is the perfect weeknight side. We love to garnish this broccoli dish with fresh mint and oregano, but if you want to skip the fresh herbs, an extra pinch of dried herbs sprinkled over the top will work well too.
White Bean–Stuffed Mini Bell Peppers
Photographer: Brie Goldman, Food Stylist: Annie Probst, Prop Stylist: Joseph Wanek
Mini bell peppers are the perfect vessel for delivering creamy bean dip with a crunchy chickpea topping in this easy snack. Crunchy chickpeas are easy to make at home, or you can buy them already prepared and flavored with spices to add your own unique twist.
Strawberry Caprese Salad
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Josh Hoggle
This caprese salad is a fruity twist on the classic Italian dish, with juicy, ripe strawberries standing in for tomatoes. The sweet-tart flavor of strawberries pairs beautifully with fresh mozzarella, basil and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
Honey-Mustard Bean Salad
Photographer: Stacy Allen, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This honey-mustard bean salad is the perfect combination of sweet, tangy and downright delicious flavors. Creamy cannellini beans and hearty chickpeas create the perfect base to soak up the zesty honey-mustard dressing.
Arugula, Beet & Feta Salad
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Phoebe Hausser, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling
Peppery arugula and tender, sweet beets are balanced by a simple vinaigrette and briny bits of feta cheese in this arugula, beet and feta salad. Using cooked, peeled beets helps make prep a breeze.
Broccoli Piccata
Heami Lee, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Christine Keeley
This broccoli piccata offers a flavorful twist on the classic Italian dish, traditionally made with chicken. Broccoli is the star ingredient, and not only is it delicious, but it also offers some fiber and anti-inflammatory benefits, too. It’s the perfect side dish to accompany anything from roast chicken to fish.
Chile-Lime Roasted Cauliflower
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley
This chile-lime roasted cauliflower is the perfect side to spice up your dinner! The combination of zesty lime and ancho chile powder creates a tangy, mildly spicy dish.
Garlic-Parmesan Green Beans
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Julian Hensarling, Prop Stylist: Priscilla Montiel
These garlic-Parmesan green beans are a quick and easy side dish made in just one skillet. They pair beautifully with anything from roasted chicken to grilled steak, baked salmon or stuffed portobello mushrooms. They’re quick enough for weeknight dinners yet impressive enough to serve at a gathering.
Smashed Cucumber Salad with Lemon & Cumin
Don’t skip salting the cucumbers in this quick cucumber salad —just 10 minutes pulls out some of their excess moisture, concentrating the delicious flavor and keeping the salad from being watered down.
Fresh Sweet Corn Salad
We love fresh summer corn when it’s in season, but frozen corn makes a great year-round substitute in this quick and easy side dish.
Zucchini Salad with Burrata
Photographer: Robby Lozano, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop stylist: Lindsey Lower
This zucchini salad is a taste of peak-season bliss, combining sun-kissed zucchini with the creaminess of burrata cheese. Pink peppercorns offer a sweet, fruity and slightly floral taste which pairs nicely with the citrus flavors in the dressing; however, freshly ground black pepper can be used in their place.
