Healthy Spin on Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad

Servings: 4

Calories: 108

Ingredients

1 English cucumber, diced

1 ½ cups roasted chickpeas

3 roasted red peppers, thinly sliced

¼ cup roughly chopped parsley

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¼ cup pickled red onion, roughly chopped

3 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese (optional)

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the cucumber, roasted chickpeas, roasted red peppers, parsley, pickled red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette. Toss together until combined.
2. Top the salad with crumbled goat cheese and serve.

Green Bean Casserole

Servings: 8

Calories: 143

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds fresh green beans, trimmed

⅓ cup olive oil, divided

10 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, diced

1 tsp tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos

3 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegan

1 ½ cups almond milk, cashew milk, or other dairy-free milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tbsp arrowroot powder

4 to 5 shallots, thinly sliced into rings

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 375F. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the green beans. Blanch the green beans for 4-5 minutes, or until slightly tender but still crisp.
3. Immediately transfer the green beans to an ice water bath, drain, and set aside.
4. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large pan. Add the diced onion and sliced mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until soft.
5. Stir in the tamari soy sauce, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the chicken broth and milk, and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Make a slurry by stirring the arrowroot powder with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Turn off the stove, pour the slurry into the pan, and stir until the sauce has thickened.
7. Transfer about ⅓ of the mushroom sauce to a baking pan, add the green beans on top, then top with the remaining sauce. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
8. While the green beans are baking, add the sliced shallots to a pan with 1/4  cup or so of olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring the shallots, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Keep a close eye on the shallots after 7-8 minutes, as they go from golden to burnt very quickly.
9. Once the shallots are lightly golden, remove them to a paper towel-lined plate.
10. Remove the green bean casserole from the oven, top with the crispy shallots, and serve.