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Close-up of a warm broccoli and Israeli couscous salad with bacon, dried cranberries, and nuts, a perfect veggie side.

The Ultimate Veggie Sides Recipes Guide for Beginners

This recipe provides a simple, flavorful vegetable side dish perfect for beginner cooks. It combines marinated broccoli, couscous with cranberries, and a savory salami and almond topping, all tied together with a homemade dressing. It is designed to be easy to follow for families looking for healthy additions to their meals.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Marinating and Resting Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 5 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: General
Calories: 577
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients
  

Marinated Broccoli
  • 1.5 medium heads broccoli Yields 4 cups chopped small
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp 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 whole red onion Halved, finely sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic Finely minced
Red Wine Vinegar Honey Dressing
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey Substitute 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 cooking salt / kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
Topping
  • 1/4 cup parmesan Finely grated, or crumbled feta

Equipment

  • Large saucepan
  • Large non-stick pan
  • Jar
  • Bowl

Method
 

  1. Make the dressing: Shake all dressing ingredients together in a jar.
  2. Chop the broccoli into small, spoon-scoopable pieces, no larger than 1.5cm long. Try to make the stem pieces smaller than the florets.
  3. Marinate the broccoli: Measure 4 cups of chopped broccoli into a bowl, including all the small floret pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Let this sit for 30 minutes to soften slightly.
  4. Cook the couscous: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook the pearl couscous for 5 minutes. Add the dried cranberries for the last 30 seconds of cooking, then drain well.
  5. Flavor the couscous: Return the hot couscous and cranberries to the saucepan. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and absorb flavor.
  6. Fry the topping: Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large non-stick pan. Add the chopped salami and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the almonds and onion, cook for 2 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until the salami is golden and the onion is soft. Tip this mixture over the marinated broccoli and let it cool for 10 minutes.
  7. Assemble and serve: Add the flavored couscous and all the remaining dressing to the broccoli and salami mixture. Toss everything together well. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle with grated parmesan before serving.

Nutrition

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

Notes

If you use the thick broccoli stem, peel the tough outer layer first, cut it into batons, and then into small pieces. Make sure to include the small floret pieces in the salad; they add texture.
You can substitute the salami with small cubed cheese or feta, or omit it for a lighter salad.
This salad keeps well for 3 days, even after dressing.

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