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–+ servings
A bowl of broccoli salad with couscous, dried cranberries, bacon bits, and grated parmesan cheese.

Ultimate Veggie Sides Recipes Guide for Beginners

A beginner-friendly guide to preparing delicious and healthy veggie sides, featuring marinated broccoli, couscous with cranberries, and a nutty salami fry-up.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Cooling 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Side Dish
Calories: 577
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinated broccoli
  • 1.5 medium heads broccoli 4 cups chopped small, spoon-eating size
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt cooking salt / kosher salt
Couscous and plumped cranberries
  • 1 cup pearl couscous
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Nutty salami fry up
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 100 g salami chopped into 1x1.25cm pieces, or bacon
  • 1/3 cup almonds unsalted, natural (or roasted), chopped into big pieces
  • 1 red onion halved, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic finely minced
Red Wine Vinegar Honey Dressing
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey sub maple, or 2 tsp sugar
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 clove garlic finely minced
  • 1 tsp lemon zest optional
  • 1/4 tsp salt cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
Serving
  • 1/4 cup+ parmesan finely grated (crumbled feta also lovely)

Equipment

  • Jar
  • bowl
  • Large saucepan
  • Large non-stick pan
  • Serving bowl

Method
 

  1. Make the dressing: Shake all dressing ingredients in a jar.
  2. Prepare the broccoli: Chop broccoli into small, spoon-scoopable pieces, no bigger than 1.5cm long. Chop the stem parts a bit smaller.
  3. Marinate the broccoli: Place 4 cups of chopped broccoli in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tbsp of the dressing. Toss and let sit for 30 minutes.
  4. Cook couscous and cranberries: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pearl couscous for 5 minutes. Add dried cranberries for the last 30 seconds. Drain well, return to the saucepan, and toss with 2 tbsp of the dressing while hot. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and absorb flavor.
  5. Make the nutty salami fry-up: Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add salami and cook for 1.5 minutes. Add almonds and red onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until salami is golden and onion is softened. Tip onto the broccoli and let cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Toss and serve: Add the couscous mixture and the remaining dressing to the broccoli and salami mixture. Toss well. Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with parmesan.

Nutrition

Calories: 577kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 19gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 1008mgPotassium: 613mgFiber: 7gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 618IUVitamin C: 84mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 2mg

Notes

Broccoli chopping: Use all the small floret bits. If using thick stems, peel the outer layer, cut into batons, then small pieces. Vinegar substitutes include white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar. Pearl couscous is also known as Israeli Couscous. Substitute with tiny pasta, cooked rice, barley, quinoa, or farro if needed. Salami can be substituted with cubed cheese or feta, or omitted for a lighter salad. Nut alternatives include pistachios, pecans, sunflower seeds, or pepitas. This dish keeps for 3 days, even when dressed.

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