Vegetarian Grain Side Dish Recipes

Chef John's spinach rice is flavored with tons of fresh herbs and feta cheese.

Simple directions on how to cook plain polenta. There are many options for polenta once it is cooked: you can mix in fresh herbs and cheeses, bake it, or fry it! Experiment and choose your favorite technique!

The best and easiest Spanish rice!

These polenta fries made in the air fryer are simple, crunchy, delicious, and addictive. My first batch was an experiment and they were so good that I ran out and bought another tube. Serve with ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce.

You can vary this easy rice side dish by adding different spices or meat.

This pilaf is made with jasmine rice, an aromatic rice popular in Thai cuisine.

This delicious recipe was presented to me by a vegan friend. The lime juice gives the quinoa a fresh flavor that can't be beat!

Fragrant basmati rice sauteed with carrots, onions, fresh ginger, peanuts, and cilantro. You will be surprised to taste this delicious rice.

I put this together with what I had in my pantry. It makes a lot and is quite inexpensive. Serve with tortilla chips or as a filling for flour tortillas. It's even better the next day.

Simple basmati rice, like in the restaurants!

Very easy, very good Spanish rice!

This simple recipe for saffron rice includes butter, onion, and saffron. It has been used in my family for quite some time and has always been a favorite.

A quick and tasty side dish, or can be served as a meal. You can modify this recipe to include any veggies you choose.

Grits ... easy, cheesy, and delicious!

I blundered into this delicious mix of ingredients while trying to use up leftover vegetables in the fridge. Even friends who 'don't like vegetarian cooking' have enjoyed it. I like the slightly bitter taste of unwashed quinoa (just check for unwanted debris before you use it), but most recipes call for rinsed quinoa.

I remember my aunt telling me about quinoa, saying it was such a wonderfully healthy food and what do you know? It's kosher for Passover! I decided to beef up my quinoa with some fresh vegetables, cooked until they are just tender without becoming mushy. As a side dish this serves 4-5, but I've been known to eat half of it as a meal on its own.

This is my grandmother's casserole, and her standard addition to our family dinners. Leftovers aren't leftover long.

Fried okra made easy in an air fryer without the guilt or mess of using a deep fryer.

This is a wonderfully cumin flavored rice that enhances the flavor of many a dull meal!! Some variations to this recipe that are delicious: after adding the cumin seeds add onion, ginger, whole black peppercorn, cloves, or a cinnamon stick. You could also add all of the above options to make a rice chock-full of tastes!

A delicious and easy quinoa recipe. Serve with a salad and crusty bread for a complete meal.

Easy and good dish for potlucks. The pine nuts make all the difference! The mushrooms are optional. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Rice shaped in triangles or balls filled with your favorite ingredients. Common fillings are pickled plums or salmon but just about anything salty will work and plain is also very tasty. A tasty alternative to the American sandwich and a staple for any bento (Japanese boxed lunch). Store in the refrigerator.

Sabzi polo is a classic Nowruz (Iranian New Year) dish brimming with fragrant fresh green herbs and the scent of spring. A fragrant, long-grain basmati rice is optimal here. This version is prepared with a crispy, saffron-tinged lavash tahdig that also acts as a barrier so the herbs don't burn at the bottom of the pot. Enjoy sabzi polo with mahi sorkh shodeh (fried fish), and a side of smoked fish.

Perfect fluffy quinoa. One shot in the Instant Pot®!