When it comes to dinner, the side dishes can make or break your meal—especially when you’re eating healthy. As much as we love simple steamed veggies or a quick tossed salad, both can get boring when they’re your weeknight go-to. Filling your table with wholesome choices can (and should be!) so much more interesting. With the right recipes you can rotate between healthy whole grains, vitamin-packed potatoes, cruciferous gems like cauliflower or broccoli and, of course, lots of flavorful takes on veggies. Not sure where to start? We love Ina’s green beans, dressed with a homemade Gremolata including lemon zest, grated Parmesan, minced garlic and parsley, plus toasted pine nuts for a buttery crunch.

These hasselback potatoes are whole potatoes that have been cut into a fan shape, then dotted with a butter, oil, thyme and garlic mixture before baking. Serve with a Greek yogurt topping for a new way to eat your sweet potatoes.

Andy Liang writes, "This refreshing, flavorful salad stars Chinese black vinegar with light soy sauce as its milder sidekick. Smashed cucumber salad (pai huang gua in Mandarin) is a staple side dish in many Chinese restaurants, and I’ve often ordered it along with soup dumplings for a light meal. Chinese black vinegar has a deep and slightly smoky flavor, mild acidity and faint sweetness. The salad usually includes garlic and sesame seeds or sesame oil, and some variations add chiles or Sichuan peppercorn; this version uses gochugaru (Korean red chile flakes) for a touch of heat, which isn’t traditional but gives the salad a nice red hue and balanced spiciness. Smashing the cucumber helps to create jagged edges so there is more surface area to absorb the dressing, while salting the cucumber softens the skin, firms up the flesh and releases some water, concentrating the cucumber’s flavor."

The Barefoot Contessa's Moroccan-inspired couscous studded with pine nuts and currants is one of those recipes you'll want to learn by heart.