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30 Dairy-Free Side Dishes for the Holidays

30 Dairy-Free Side Dishes for the Holidays

November 12, 2019

Iain Bagwell

When it comes to the holiday season, dairy can be hard to avoid. Grandma is famous for swirling way too much butter into her mashed potatoes, and those luscious pies usually involve a heavy dose of cream. But if you’re dairy-free, all hope for a festive holiday is far from lost. That's right, we've done the impossible: we've designed an entire holiday meal that doesn't include milk, cream, or butter.We’ve collected 30 of our favorite dairy-free holiday sides that will help you prepare a delightful Thanksgiving or Christmas feast. Not only do these dishes taste divine, but without all that butter and cream weighing them down, they’ll also leave you feeling lighter and help avoid the post-holiday-meal slump. These recipes focus on using fresh ingredients and lots of seasonal produce. From Southern Collard Greens to Ombré Citrus Salad, your guests will never even suspect that these stunning holiday sides are completely dairy-free. Now you’ll just have to convince Nana that her green bean casserole doesn’t really need to be topped with 3 pats of butter.

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Ombre Citrus Salad

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Ombré Citrus Salad Recipe

Not only is this citrus salad visually striking, but it’s also completely dairy and gluten free.

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Southern-Style Collard Greens

Credit: Photo: Jim Franco

Recipe: Southern-Style Collard Greens

No holiday table would be complete without a big pot of collard greens.

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Pan-Roasted Okra and Sweet Onions with Lemony Masala

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Torie Cox; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Recipe: Pan-Roasted Okra and Sweet Onions with Lemony Masala

If you’re looking to change up your flavors this holiday season, try adding some perfectly wintery okra to your menu.

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Classic Cranberry Salad

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Classic Cranberry Salad

Slightly sweet, slightly tangy cranberry salad is a Southern staple from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

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Sauteed Collard Greens

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Sauteed Collard Greens

Simple sauteed greens are a side worth saving room for on your holiday table.

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Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad

Credit: Southern Living

Recipe: Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad Recipe

While we love a classic ambrosia salad, sometimes we just can’t resist throwing a few marshmallows into this holiday staple.

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Charred Potato-Okra Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Charred Potato-Okra Salad

Potato salad doesn’t need to feature generous scoops of mayonnaise. In this rustic dish, lightly charred okra and potatoes barely require any accents.

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Jellied Chicken Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Jellied Chicken Salad

Molded salads are a tradition worth keeping around—they’re wiggly, wobbly, and oh-so-good.

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Shaved Carrot, Asparagus, and Apple Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilleo; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke, Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Shaved Carrot, Asparagus, and Apple Salad

A raw vegetable salad is the perfect complement to those heavy holiday mains.

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Slow-Cooker Green Beans

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Green Beans Recipe

Over the holidays, slow-cookers help us save precious oven space. These Slow-Cooker Green Beans are an easy way to get more veggies on the table.

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Festive Cranberry-Walnut Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Recipe: Festive Cranberry-Walnut Salad

Cranberry is the flavor of the season, and crunchy walnuts add just enough bite to this sweet molded salad.

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Turnip Green Salad

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: Katelyn Hardwick

Recipe: Turnip Green Salad

This bright green salad uses slightly-bitter turnip greens as an alternative to kale or spring mix.

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Carrot-and-Fennel Salad

Credit: Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos

Recipe: Carrot-and-Fennel Salad

Shaved carrots and fennel are a stunning, yet utterly simple way to impress your guests.

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Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

Credit: Photo: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Recipe: Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

If you’re running out of oven space, this simple stovetop dish will be your Hail Mary.

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Trey Ellis

Recipe: Smashed Brussels Sprouts

After a quick boil, smashing the brussels sprouts and then roasting them helps them become extra-crispy.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Credit: Jen Causey

Recipe: Fresh Fruit Salad

A scoop of fresh fruit is a great way to lighten up your holiday plate.

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Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms

Credit: Jen Causey

Recipe: Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms

Fire up the grill this Thanksgiving! This asparagus with bacon and mushrooms isn’t too heavy, but has just enough warmth to grace your holiday table.

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Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

Start with a base of dairy-free cornbread and you’ll have a scrumptious Thanksgiving dressing in no time.

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Roasted Broccoli Salad

Credit: Southern Living / Ivy Odom

Recipe: Roasted Broccoli Salad

Who knew mayonnaise was dairy free? It adds a bit of creaminess to this Roasted Broccoli Salad.

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Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal

Credit: Photo: Alison Miksch; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal

Fried okra doesn’t need much dressing up—a little cornmeal goes a long way.

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Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller; Food Styling: William Smith

Recipe: Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad

Colorful beets add a touch of brightness to this light, creative salad.

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Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad with Honey-Orange Vinaigrette

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Tami Hardeman

Recipe: Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad with Honey-Orange Vinaigrette

Draw out the slight sweetness of beets by combining them with citrus and tossing it all in a honey-orange vinaigrette.

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

Collard greens and ham hocks just go together like peanut butter and jelly.

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Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad

Credit: Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Recipe: Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad

No need for mayo—these baby red potatoes, tossed in mustard and mixed up with green beans, stand on their own.

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Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets

Sourdough bread—made with flour, salt, and water—torn up and toasted is the dairy-free crouton of our dreams, bringing a nice crunch to this veggie side.

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Crispy Sweet Potato-Green Onion Cakes

Credit: Photo: Hector Sanchez

Recipe: Crispy Sweet Potato-Green Onion Cakes

Paying homage to the latke, these crispy potato pancakes use sweet potatoes instead of russets and add in green onions for extra sharp flavor.

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Mixed Herb-and-Heirloom Tomato Salad

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

Recipe: Mixed Herb-and-Heirloom Tomato Salad

Fresh tomatoes are the star of the show in this easy-to-prepare side dish.

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Green Beans with Garlic

Credit: Jim Franco

Recipe: Green Beans with Garlic

Looking to brighten up those green beans? Just add garlic.

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Bacon-Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Photo: William Dickey; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Recipe: Bacon-Brown Sugar Brussels Sprouts

Bacon and brown sugar caramelize together to accent the vegetal earthiness of the brussels sprouts.

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Skillet Squash Blossom

Credit: Iain Bagwell

Recipe: Skillet Squash Blossom

This stunning squash blossom only calls for a few ingredients, letting the bright orange squash flower really shine.

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30 Dairy-Free Side Dishes for the Holidays

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Ombre Citrus Salad

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Southern-Style Collard Greens

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Pan-Roasted Okra and Sweet Onions with Lemony Masala

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Classic Cranberry Salad

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Sauteed Collard Greens

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Mama Mae's Ambrosia Salad

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Charred Potato-Okra Salad

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Jellied Chicken Salad

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Shaved Carrot, Asparagus, and Apple Salad

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Slow-Cooker Green Beans

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Festive Cranberry-Walnut Salad

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Turnip Green Salad

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Carrot-and-Fennel Salad

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Sautéed Squash and Zucchini

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Smashed Brussels Sprouts

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Fresh Fruit Salad

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Grilled Asparagus with Bacon and Mushrooms

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Spicy Cornbread Dressing with Chorizo

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Roasted Broccoli Salad

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Pan-Fried Okra with Cornmeal

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Beet, Fennel, and Apple Salad

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Roasted Beet-and-Citrus Salad with Honey-Orange Vinaigrette

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Slow-Cooker Collard Greens with Ham Hocks

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Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad

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Collard Greens with Garlic and Sippets

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Crispy Sweet Potato-Green Onion Cakes