For quick and easy festive entertaining, check out our no-cook Christmas entertaining ideas.

Easy Christmas side dish recipes

Brussels sprouts recipes

The Christmas side dish that everyone loves to hate. We've given some love to this versatile veg in our brussels sprouts recipe collection here...

Cacio e pepe sprouts

Take your Christmas feast to the next level with these jazzed up salt and pepper sprouts tossed with pecorino cheese.

Fried Brussels Sprouts Recipe with Cheese

Sticky miso roast sprouts

Sprouts will be the favourite side dish this Christmas thanks to our sticky miso roast sprouts recipe.

An oval oven dish filled with miso roasted sprouts on a black background

Marmalade-glazed sprouts with chestnuts

Give Christmas sprouts an effortless twist with marmalade, chestnuts and thyme. Frying steamed sprouts in butter lends colour and a velvety shine to your veg.

'Nduja-fried sprouts

Jazz up your sprouts this Christmas with punchy 'nduja. ’Nduja adds a touch of fiery spice in this easy brussels sprouts recipe, ready in 30 minutes.

Caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts

Try our gluten free caramelised shallots and brussels sprouts for an easy but moreish side to go with your Christmas dinner. Caramelising the shallots and the sprouts gives this classic side a deeper flavour, and the calvados adds an extra zing.

Sprouts with ginger and orange

Spruce up your sprouts with warming ginger and zesty orange to make sure everyone will be coming back for more.

Brussels Sprouts Recipe With Ginger And Orange

Soy and sesame sautéed sprouts

This Asian soy and sesame twist on brussels sprouts makes a great alternative way to serve this unloved veg for Christmas dinner. Check out more of our Christmas dinner ideas here

Carrots recipes for Christmas

Roasted baby carrots

Clementines add a festive touch, and lemon lifts the whole dish in our vegetable side dish recipe. Roasted whole baby carrots look beautiful, and feel that little bit more special than 'carrot coins'.

Middle Eastern roast carrot salad with herby carrot top yogurt

Impress your friends and family this Christmas with our zesty carrot salad. It's easy to make, and a great way to use up carrot tops as well.

Middle Eastern Carrot Salad with Herb Yogurt

Gochujang roasted root veg

Carrots come dressed in gochujang, sesame, soy and lime before being roasted until tender and golden. Serve scattered with spring onions and lime wedges to squeeze over.

Red cabbage recipes for Christmas

Red cabbage with redcurrant jelly

Adding redcurrant jelly and balsamic vinegar gives this red cabbage a sweet and sour edge. If you want to get ahead, this veggie side can be made up to two days before and reheated on Christmas Day to save time.

11 Red Cabbage Recipes served in a bowl with a silver spoon on a white table cloth surrounded by decorative pine cones

Braised red cabbage with apples

Want an easy vegetable side dish for your Christmas Day feast? John Torode’s braised red cabbage side dish is spruced up with apples, smoked bacon, cinnamon and orange zest, and given a boozy red wine hit for a festive feast.

Braised red cabbage and apples in a rectangular dish

Spiced red cabbage

This slow cooked red cabbage and apple dish spiced with cinnamon is fragrant and warming. Just 20 minutes of preparation is required from you to make this veggie side dish, a simple side for your Christmas dinner.

More like this

A plate of spiced slow cooker red cabbage

Parsnips recipes for Christmas

Honey roasted parsnips

Bring an extra serving of veg to your Christmas dinner with crispy, golden, honey roasted parsnips.

Whisky-and-maple-glazed roast parsnips

Take your parsnips up a notch with a boozy hit of whisky and the sweetness of maple syrup.

Maple Glazed Parsnips Recipe with Whisky

Salt and pepper roast parsnips

Try our sweet parsnips with a hot, peppery edge for a vegetable side dish. They're super easy to make and require minimum effort.

Roast Parsnips Recipe with Salt and Pepper

Parmesan-baked parsnips

This alternative Christmas side dish recipe sees thin parsnip fries tossed in Parmesan, polenta, English mustard powder and salt, then fried until crisp.

Greens recipes for Christmas

Long-stemmed broccoli, grain tabbouleh and romesco sauce

Make this impressive broccoli side for when you have vegan friends over for a festive feast.

Kale with raisins and pine nuts

This is a seasonal selection of veg if ever we did see one. Serve this bed of peppery kale, succulent raisins and sweet, garlicky shallots alongside your turkey on Christmas Day.

Creamed spinach with nutmeg and gruyère

If you fancy an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish, this is the one for you. Full of cheese and cream, it's the perfect accompaniment to turkey and roast potatoes (here are our top recipes). It'll go down well with even the fussy eaters!

Creamed Spinach Recipe With Nutmeg And Gruyère

Winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic

Get some greens into your Christmas dinner side dish spread. An easy way to feed a crowd, this punchy dish of winter greens with pine nuts, chilli and garlic is ready in just 20 minutes.

Crisp greens with shallot, pancetta and chestnut butter

Try this new take on brussels sprouts for your Christmas dinner. You can have the greens blanched and butter made for this in advance, then you just need to heat through to serve.

Greens With Shallot, Pancetta And Chestnut Butter Recipe

Kale with parsnips and cream

Want an easy veggie dish for your festive dinner? Check out this kale recipe with parsnips. Kale has a robust texture and flavour and can be used instead of cabbage or spinach in recipes. Cooked with parsnips, cream and nutmeg it makes an indulgent Christmas vegetable side dish.

Vegetable gratin recipes for Christmas

Brussels sprouts gratin

This epic festive side dish combines brussels sprouts with streaky bacon, baked until golden and crisp.

A brussels sprout and bacon gratin in a large white baking dish, next to a plate of parsnips

Winter veg tian

Impress friends and family over the Christmas sea

son with our stunning vegetable tian recipe. We love the look of golden and candy beetroots but if you can’t find them, simply replace with extra purple beetroots, celeriac and swede. Check out our best beetroot recipes here

Finocchio al forno (fennel baked in cream and Grana Padano)

Put fennel at the heart of this easy Italian bake, it's the ideal indulgent side to serve for a festive feast.

Fennel Baked in Cream Recipe with Cheese

Creamy squash and sage gratin

Try our indulgent creamy butternut squash gratin recipe with sage. This veggie side dish is an easy alternative to potato gratin to serve this Christmas. Plenty more butternut squash recipes here

Best ever cauliflower cheese

Is it really a Christmas dinner if there’s no super cheesy, crispy-topped, piping hot cauliflower cheese on the table? Follow these handy hints and tips to make it unreal this year.

Swede, kale and sweet potato gratin

This vibrant recipe for swede, kale and sweet potato gratin is the perfect Christmas side dish if you want to serve lots of veg. It's a two-step recipe, and most of the time the veg is spent in the oven.

Sweet Potato Gratin Recipe With Swede and Kale

Baked, spiced sweet potato mash

Don't fancy potatoes this Christmas? Try our spicy baked sweet potato mash instead – it's just as good as roasties. Prep your mash ahead then have it ready to finish off in the oven when people arrive.

Roasted roots recipes for Christmas

Candied root veg

Roast your root vegetables in butter and maple syrup for extra extravagance. Perfect for Christmas, or a special Sunday lunch.

Pomegranate-glazed roasted vegetables with grapes

Give your roasted veggies an impressive sticky glaze with pomegranate molasses, honey and blackberry jelly for a colourful Christmas side dish.

Roasted Vegetables Recipe with Pomegranate

Ghee-roasted spiced roots

A Christmas side dish with a twist. Check out our vegetarian ghee-roasted spiced roots recipe for a vibrant dish that can be shared around the table.

Stuffing recipes for Christmas

Sage and onion stuffing

Make your own stuffing balls for Christmas Day, or serve them alongside a Sunday roast. Add plenty of ground mace and sage for flavour.

Vegan stuffing

It wouldn’t be Christmas dinner without a dish of stuffing, and this version has the traditional flavours of sage and onion, alongside Puy lentils for added substance. It's also delicious in a Boxing Day sandwich, with leftover roasted root vegetables and lashings of cranberry sauce.