Healthy Vegetable Side Dishes for Fall

Autumn is the season for harvesting produce and is the perfect time to eat healthy fall side dishes. No matter what your lifestyle eating preferences are whether you are a vegetarian or carnivore - you can always enjoy in some healthy vegetable sides to pass around the family table at dinner.

Here are some of my favorite vegetable side dishes for the fall season:

Dish #1: Pumpkin Soup

Fall season is of course a good season to overload on pumpkin thus pumpkin soup is the perfect starter or side dish. Even though there are recipes out there on the web taking hours in front of the stove, it is not necessary. Simply cube some pumpkin (either from a can or from your carving pumpkin) and boil until soft. Let cool slightly and place in a blender until smooth. Dice up some onions and sauté until golden brown add the smooth pumpkin with the onions on medium to low. Once it has warmed through after a few minutes add some heavy soy or heavy whipping cream (optional). Enjoy!

Dish #2: Apple

Apples are everywhere right now and if you find a local apple farm, you can probably get a really good price per bushel. Take about 1-2 cups of diced apples, 1 cup of whole cranberries, and 6 tbsp brown sugar in a small casserole dish. Sprinkle with oatmeal, brown sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon and some chopped pecans. Optional step: Instead of sprinkling the ingredients, place them in a bowl with about 1-2 tbsp soy butter. This should be a crumble similar to a muffin recipe. Crumble on top of the casserole. Place in a 350 degree oven for around thirty minutes. This is a wonderfully easy sweet and sour side dish.

Dish #3: Sweet Potatoes

For those nights that you need a side dish but just really don't feel like cooking this recipe is calling your name. After all, the easier the recipe the more you will enjoy it all around. Make your favorite mashed potato recipe only with sweet potatoes instead of white or red potatoes. Put the finished mashed potatoes in a baking dish. Sprinkle with brown sugar first and then top with as many mini marshmallows as you want. Put the sweet potato casserole under the broiler until the marshmallows are slightly browned. It should take less than five minutes.

Dish #4: Butternut Squash

This is a very simple traditional dish that I am surprised many people have never cooked in their lives. When young I would eat baked butternut squash almost daily during the harvest season. Then when I got married I started to make this side dish for my husband and he was perplexed at how to eat this unique dish. Simply cut the butternut squash in half and place cut side up in the casserole dish. Optional Step: Sprinkle with a little butter and brown sugar for a sweeter side dish that will keep your kids coming back for more. Cover the entire dish with aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven for around 40 minutes or until a fork pokes in easily. Take the squash out and serve with the skin still on - one half per person is a nice side dish. Or if you are like me, I usually eat one entire side of a butternut squash for my entire meal.