Food and Recipes Side Dishes 25 Low-Carb Side Dishes That Are Totally Satisfying By Jenna Sims Jenna Sims Jenna is a Digital Editor for Southern Living and joined the team in 2014. She writes, produces, and assigns content with a focus on email growth and commerce content. She covers a range of topics in the lifestyle space from holiday gift guides to new product launches to tips for cooking with your air fryer. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on December 7, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis If you're living a low-carb lifestyle, there are still plenty of flavor-packed Southern side dishes you can enjoy. These vegetable side dishes are so good that you won't even notice the carbs are missing from your meal. Whether you need an easy low-carb side to serve for a weeknight family dinner or a crowd-pleasing side dish to take to a potluck or holiday meal, everyone will love these 25 satisfying low-carb recipes. 01 of 25 Oven-Roasted Asparagus Southern Living This will become your go-to weeknight side dish because in addition to being delicious, it's ready in just 10 minutes. Simply trim the tough ends, roast, and sprinkle with almonds. 02 of 25 Slow-Cooker Green Beans Recipe This recipe frees up precious stove-top space and reminds us of the traditional green beans our grandmothers used to make. Fresh green beans get tender-crisp, not mushy, after several hours of cooking. 03 of 25 Sautéed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Lemon Laurey W. Glenn These greens are quickly sautéed in a little bit of olive oil so they can soak up all the garlic, lemon, and spice. You can also use other greens like kale, collards, or turnip greens. Stir in more crushed red pepper for even more heat. 04 of 25 Heirloom Tomato Salad with Herbs Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This uncomplicated side doesn’t sacrifice flavor. Fresh tomatoes and herbs marinate in a simple dressing. Pair this with grilled chicken or seafood for a no-fuss meal. 05 of 25 Classic Deviled Eggs Southern Living So simple but so delicious. If you’re looking for the basic recipe you grew up with, this is the standard recipe without all the frills. 06 of 25 Smashed Brussels Sprouts Trey Ellis There are no mushy Brussels sprouts here. The smashing technique will help them achieve maximum crispiness. They are boiled until soft, then smashed and roasted until perfectly crisp. 07 of 25 Spicy Pineapple Slaw Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Kellie Kelley; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke Bring this slaw along to any summer potluck or picnic and it'll be the hit of the party. This is the perfect side for grilled meat, or use it to top your favorite nachos. Make a double batch for a larger crowd. 08 of 25 Southern-Style Green Beans Southern Living This comforting dish is like the old-fashioned pot your grandmother made. Cooking the beans low and slow will allow the beans to take on the flavor from the ham hock. 09 of 25 Chubba Bubba's Broccoli Salad Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas Kids and adults will enjoy eating their veggies. A crunchy helping of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots gets a flavor boost from a tangy dressing and just enough bacon and cheese. 10 of 25 Jessica B. Harris' Mixed Greens Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis These cooked collards get zing from a spicy vinegar drizzled over the top. Bacon adds smokiness. These greens cook low and slow until tender. 11 of 25 Herbed Cucumber-and-Tomato Salad Greg DuPree Here's a quick side that requires no cooking. Simply stir together the fresh ingredients for this flavor-filled salad and it's ready to serve. This cold salad goes well with grilled chicken, steak, and pork chops. 12 of 25 Brussels Sprouts and Sautéed Cabbage Photo: Hector Sanchez This side dish just requires a quick sauté for a light, crisp texture. Pair with pork tenderloin and homemade applesauce for a comforting and kid-friendly meal. 13 of 25 Sautéed Squash and Zucchini Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro You don’t need casseroles to enjoy the flavor of fresh squash. This quick and easy side will become your weeknight go-to. It's healthy yet full of flavor. 14 of 25 Lemon-Sautéed Green Beans Greg Dupree Upgrade green beans with a zesty lemon flavor. This simple side will make any meal feel like a special occasion. 15 of 25 Brussels Sprout Slaw with Apples and Pecans Greg DuPree This bright salad is inspired by the flavors of the popular kale salad with added crunch from apples and pecans. Bagged pre-shredded Brussels sprouts save time. Allow time for the slaw to sit so the lemon-olive oil dressing can soften the shaved Brussels sprouts. 16 of 25 Tomato-and-Watermelon Salad Southern Living This dish tastes like summertime in a bowl. The easy and refreshing salad combines your favorite summer flavors into a unique side. 17 of 25 Pickled Green Beans Southern Living Capture the essence of summer in a bottle. Enjoy crunchy garden green beans year-round, perfectly seasoned with garlic, fresh dill, crushed red pepper, and Fresno Chili peppers. Serve them beside your favorite sandwich or eat them as a snack. 18 of 25 Tex-Mex Deviled Eggs Hector Manuel Sanchez Upgrade classic deviled eggs with Tex-Mex flavors. Serrano pepper and chili powder add heat, and Cheddar cheese and cilantro round out the experience. 19 of 25 Sesame-Soy Asparagus Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Why settle for plain vegetables when you’re in a hurry? In just 15 minutes, you can have this flavorful side on your table. A quick sauté leaves the asparagus crisp, and a subtly sweet soy-mirin sauce is tossed in to coat. 20 of 25 Lemony White Bean Salad with Broccoli Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis As a side, this salad pairs well with almost any main, but it also works well as a weekday lunch. Toss roasted broccoli, white beans, and arugula into a lemony dressing. Top with Parmesan shavings. 21 of 25 Radish, Avocado, and Citrus Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch; Food Styling: Torie Cox This dish has it all—creamy avocado, sweet and tangy citrus, and crisp, peppery radish. It doesn’t take long to prepare and works as a lunch if you need to change up your weekdays. To save time, you can use pre-sliced grapefruit segments found in the produce section of your grocery store. 22 of 25 Citrus-Avocado Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ali Ramee; Prop Styling: Christine Keely With its variety of citrus slices, this pretty salad makes a lovely side for entertaining. It’s also easy enough to brighten up a weeknight meal. Avocados add creaminess and pistachios add crunch. 23 of 25 Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Greg Dupree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Roasting brings out the sweetness in this no-fuss side. Rainbow carrots add a pop of color, but feel free to use what you have on hand. Simple enough for a weeknight, this dish also dazzles on the holiday table. 24 of 25 Pineapple-Pepper Slaw Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox Give ordinary slaw a tropical twist with this spicy pineapple version that will be your new faithful standby for summer cookouts. Fresh pineapple will taste better than canned here. Add a zesty lime vinaigrette before serving. 25 of 25 Grilled Okra-and-Pepper Skewers with Dijon Dipping Sauce Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis If you think you don’t like okra, give this recipe a try. Keeping the okra whole makes it less slimy, and the grill gives it a char that’s irresistible. There really isn't much to making this side dish but letting the flavors shine. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit