Recipes U.S. Recipes Cajun and Creole 8 Cajun Vegetable Side Dishes By Mary Claire Lagroue Mary Claire Lagroue Mary Claire Lagroue works as an associate commerce editor at Food & Wine. A former associate editor at Allrecipes, she joined Dotdash Meredith in 2019. She has written about food since 2017, and her work can be found in Cooking Light, Southern Living, and more. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on December 15, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: naples34102 Like gumbo, crawfish etouffee, and jambalaya, many Cajun dishes consist of rice and meat or seafood. Sure, Louisiana cooks remain ever faithful to the Holy Trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper. But these diced veggies often get cooked down or lost in rich dishes. If you're left wanting more plants on your plate, read on for eight authentic Cajun vegetable recipes. From healthy to hearty, these side dishes will round out your meal. 01 of 08 Roasted Okra View Recipe CSteichen Roasting okra chars it and dries it (in a good way) so that it's not the slimy stuff you know from stewed recipes. 02 of 08 Cat's Cajun Dirty Cauliflower "Rice" View Recipe This low-carb take on dirty rice replaces rice with cauliflower. But this meaty, spicy recipe doesn't go light on flavor: "My husband didn't notice the rice was cauliflower," reviewer Mary Anne says. "This is a 'cookbook worthy' recipe." 03 of 08 Mirliton View Recipe Kelly Morton "Mirliton (chayote) squash is the vegetable that is used to make this wonderful dressing. It's very popular here in Louisiana around the holidays," recipe submitter MOUNTMAN says. And never mind that it takes an hour to prep. You'll want to make this shrimp- and ham-stuffed casserole year round. 04 of 08 Baked Chayote Squash View Recipe Here's a just-as-decadent, less-involved recipe for mirliton. Fill squash halves with a Cheddar and Parmesan stuffing, and kids will happily eat their veggies. 05 of 08 Smothered Cabbage View Recipe Sandra Garth This Southern dish doesn't belong to Cajuns alone, but it's a longtime favorite nonetheless. "The addition of a ham hock and pork shank add richness and a depth of flavor that can't be beaten," recipe submitter Sandra Garth says. 06 of 08 Melody's Corn Maque Choux View Recipe naples34102 This traditional Cajun side balances vegetables with bacon, bacon drippings, butter, and beef broth. Though it's not exactly a light dish itself, this maque choux pairs well with rich, roux-based dishes. 07 of 08 Vegan Red Beans and Rice View Recipe Believe it or not, you'll find meaty red beans and rice grouped in the "Vegetables" section of Louisiana's most popular community cookbook. Skip the sausage with this vegan version, which sneaks in celery, onion, and bell pepper. 08 of 08 Okra with Tomatoes View Recipe caldwell3304 "This is a yummy side dish with rice," according to recipe creator iheartcooking. "Using two types of tomato gives the dish texture and is a tasty explosion of flavors with lots of garlic and crushed red pepper." Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit