Side Dishes

From a simple salad to oven roasted vegetables and a great variety of legumes, rice, pasta and other tasty grains, side dishes are small plates of food to accompany a main meal and make it a complete dish. Correct pairing of a side dish with a main meal is important to complement the textures and colours on the plate as well as to bring harmony and balance to the various flavours.

Browse Side Dish Recipes

Italian green beans with garlic and onion

Italian green beans with garlic and onion

This Italian green beans recipe with garlic and onion is a simple but very flavourful side dish. It is very easy to combine with lots of other dishes and is great to serve as an appetizer. What are Italian green beans? Italian green beans are also generally known...

Braaibroodjies – BBQ Grilled cheese sandwiches

Braaibroodjies – BBQ Grilled cheese sandwiches

Braaibroodjies are the South African version of grilled cheese sandwiches. These golden brown sandwiches with gooey melted cheese, sliced tomato and onions are a traditional side dish for any South African barbecue, or braai. Braaibroodjies are toasted sandwiches...

Mediterranean roasted vegetables in foil packets

Mediterranean roasted vegetables in foil packets

Mediterranean roasted vegetables in foil are an easy to prepare side dish for any camping meal or summer barbecue. The vegetables are roasted to perfection on the grill, packed with delicious Mediterranean flavours like garlic, rosemary, basil, oregano and a good...

BBQ Grilled potatoes in foil packets

BBQ Grilled potatoes in foil packets

Grilled potatoes in foil packets make a perfect BBQ side dish when cooking outdoors on the grill. These campfire potatoes with rosemary and garlic pair wonderfully with any type of grilled meat, fish or vegetables. When summer time is approaching, it's time to bring...

Watermelon salad with feta, cucumber and basil

Watermelon salad with feta, cucumber and basil

This cucumber watermelon salad with feta is a refreshing summer salad, perfect to serve as a side dish. The juicy cucumber and watermelon cubes, sprinkled with salty feta and fresh basil leaves are finished off with a zingy and sweet honey-lime dressing. Using...

Spicy Mexican rice with tomatoes and sweet peppers

Spicy Mexican rice with tomatoes and sweet peppers

This vibrant one-pot spicy Mexican rice is quick and easy to make with mainly pantry ingredients. It is a colourful and delicious side dish that goes well with a wide range of Mexican meals as well as with various meat, fish and seafood dishes.  This Mexican rice...

Oven roasted fennel and carrots

Oven roasted fennel and carrots

With perfectly balanced flavours, oven roasted fennel and carrots make a great side dish for a large range of meals. This roasted fennel recipe is really easy to make and very tasty. Because of their various aromatics, roasting the fennel, carrots and onions in the...

Hi there, I'm Sabine, passionate foodie and avid traveller. Over the years I have combined my love for food, travel and photography and this is what The Tasty Chilli is all about. So please browse around and enjoy my recipes and cooking inspiration.

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