We all know that turkey is the star of any show. Just the fact that turkey is being served makes your meal a lot more special. Turkey is great in terms of health and often, occasion. Here’s a list of vegetables that go well with turkey.
To make a turkey meal great, whether it’s Thanksgiving or not, it should be paired with a vegetable side that complements its flavors and preparation.
If you’re living in the United States, turkey is definitely an important part of the culinary calendar. Not only is turkey a leaner kind of protein but it is also lower in calories and higher in protein compared to chicken, and everyday meat sources.
Turkey is well-known for being the center of the holiday table during Thanksgiving. Without a turkey, it’s almost like your Thanksgiving is scaled down to 70%. There are many ways to prepare a turkey for Thanksgiving like a whole roast, deep-fried, or even chopped. This main protein is accompanied by many kinds of sides from the stuffing, to more meats, and more vegetable dishes.
Other than turkey being the main show on Thanksgiving, it is also widely used as a substitute for plenty of dishes. For people who cannot eat pork or beef, turkey is used as an alternative for meatballs, bacon, jerky, and even cold-cut meats.
However, turkey does have a reputation for not being as tasty as chicken, pork, or beef. Since it’s a lot leaner, the taste isn’t as strong compared to the other kinds of protein.
Table of Contents
1. Carrots
Carrots are great with anything, really. Carrots are usually added to different kinds of dishes to add flavor, texture, and color. However, carrots also make a fantastic vegetable side with turkey in any way. You can serve roasted carrots with Thanksgiving turkey, a turkey sandwich, a turkey burger, turkey wings, and so on. The carrots would still taste great with any way you cook the turkey.
2. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a staple on the Thanksgiving table. There’s no particular way to prepare it because there are various recipes per household but let us suggest our way. It’s very simple and it goes well with the turkey. We like a well-roasted sheet pan of brussels sprouts that have been glazed in a mustard and honey sauce. The zing from the mustard harmonizes with the sweetness of the honey. The flavors seep through the brussels sprouts and in return make the meal complete and whole.
3. Green Beans
Green beans are great to eat because of their flavor and texture. Green beans taste lightly vegetal and feel crisp in the mouth. Just like all of the other vegetables on this list, it’s versatile and there’s so much you can do with it. However, our favorite way to prepare green beans to go with turkey is the classic green bean casserole with mushroom soup. Nothing tickles your palate like this recipe. It’s creamy, crunchy, and perfect with that Thanksgiving turkey.
4. Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes make a great side with turkey most especially during Thanksgiving. Sweet potatoes are sweeter than normal potatoes. If you will be serving sweet potatoes with turkey, we suggest checking some of the most celebrated sweet potato recipes for Thanksgiving like candied sweet potatoes or mashed sweet potatoes. The flavor of this type of vegetable stands out and complements the rest of the dishes on the table.
5. Potatoes
Potatoes make one of the best sides. It’s the only kind of side that everyone would love to eat regardless of their dietary restrictions. If you’re serving turkey on any occasion, at any time of the year, potatoes fit the picture. You can make roasted potatoes or mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving dinner to go with that turkey. You can make potato fries to serve with a turkey burger. You can make duchess potatoes to serve with roast turkey. The reasons why turkey goes well with potatoes are endless.
6. Pumpkin
Pumpkin and turkey go hand in hand together. They taste great and they’re typically served during Thanksgiving season. Pumpkin isn’t only used to make pumpkin pie for dessert but we also love roasting thin slices of this vegetable and eating it with the special turkey prepared for dinner. You can roast pumpkin, mash pumpkin, or even fry it. This heavy textured vegetable is surely a match with turkey.
7. Corn
Corn is a great side to serve with turkey. Not only is it one of the more popular side dishes during Thanksgiving but you can also do so much with it. With one kind of starchy vegetable, you are able to make bread, loose sides, creamy sides, and simply buttered corn on the cob to go with the turkey. What more can you ask for?
8. Beets
Beets taste earthy and they have a great reddish color. With beets, we like to roast them with potatoes and serve them together as roasted potato and beet salad. This goes so well with roast turkey because the flavors and texture of all of the ingredients simply go well with each other. It’s aesthetically pleasing to the eye and the earthiness of the beets enhances the richness of the turkey.
9. Cauliflower
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable meaning it’s great to add to different kinds of foods but first and foremost, they’re packed with vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Cauliflower is often added to stir-frys, fried rice, other kinds of vegetable dishes, and so on. However, we love turning cauliflower into an alternative for starchy foods like potatoes, rice, and pasta. Cauliflower has such a neutral taste to it that it can go well with different kinds of flavor without really overpowering the main dish.
10. Spinach
Spinach makes a great side for turkey. Not only is it completely healthy, Popeye would know, but its neutral flavor makes such a great combination with turkey. Spinach can be turned into a creamy spinach side for Thanksgiving but it can also be blanched or served as a healthy salad alongside a turkey sandwich. It’s such a versatile type of vegetable that you can pair with anything.
