If you’re anything like us, it’s hard to even look at a bell pepper without imagining it hollowed out and stuffed with a mouthwatering combination of beef, seasoned rice and melty cheese. Indeed, stuffed peppers are a main dish we are always down to eat. Deciding what to serve with stuffed peppers, though, isn’t quite as easy. After all, what pairs well with a dish consisting of protein, grains and dairy stuffed into a vegetable? We considered this question carefully and concluded that light veggie sides, salads and soup are the best accompaniments to stuffed peppers. Read on for our favorite such recipes (think: green beans with pistachio vinaigrette, asparagus Caesar salad, and broccoli soup with spinach, cilantro and croutons) and we think you’ll agree.
Wondering What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers? Here are 26 Side Dishes That Won’t Disappoint
1. Crispy Prosciutto-Wrapped Cauliflower Bites
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, low carbs, <500 calories
These bite-sized morsels featuring cauliflower and crispy, salty prosciutto pair wonderfully with stuffed peppers when served as either a prelude to the main course or as an oh-so savory side.
2. Zucchini “Fries”
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly
Blessedly easy to make in a conventional oven or an air-fryer, these crispy, Parm-crusted zucchini fries are a (relatively) healthy and mess-free alternative to french fries that go well with just about everything.
3. Roasted Tomato Soup
- Time Commitment: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, beginner-friendly, vegetarian, crowd-pleaser
Slow roasted tomatoes give this soup a rich, deep flavor—a hands-off hack that puts the canned stuff to shame. Serve this alongside stuffed peppers for cold weather comfort food at its finest.
4. Sweet Potato Salad
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
Sweet, savory and oh-so satisfying, this tasty side is a colorful addition to a stuffed pepper meal and noteworthy enough to earn a spot on the Thanksgiving menu, too. (You know, because it’s never too soon to start planning your holiday feast.)
5. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, sheet pan recipe
Those rich and hearty stuffed peppers are basically begging to be paired with a salad—this kale number, complete with lightly spiced and highly snackable crispy chickpeas, fits the bill without being a total bore. (We’re looking at you, ‘mixed greens.’)
6. Fall Roasted Vegetable and Lentil Salad with Pine Nut Cream
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: vegan, <500 calories
For a more substantial side salad, we suggest this elegant medley of seasonal produce and lentils, which is topped with a cilantro-spiked pine nut cream that pairs beautifully with the flavor of stuffed peppers. Note: We recommend using French green lentils here, as they keep their shape better and add a pleasant textural contrast to the softness of the roasted root veggies.
7. Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Time Commitment: 50 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, vegetarian
Here, Brussels sprouts are tossed with honey and sriracha to create a beautifully caramelized veggie side with personality to spare (though you’re more than welcome to adjust the heat to your liking).
8. Crispy and Spicy Harissa Potatoes with Yogurt
- Time Commitment: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, vegetarian
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better accompaniment to stuffed peppers than these boldly flavored potatoes, which boast a kicky harissa crust, plus a fresh herbed yogurt sauce to cleanse the palate and cool you off.
9. Restorative Miso Noodle Soup
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, vegan
An Asian-inspired soup might seem like an odd choice here, but this umami-packed broth featuring meaty mushrooms and the subtly sweet and mellow flavor of miso actually complements the main in question quite nicely. (Psst: Feel free to skip the soba noodles if you feel like the extra starch is gratuitous.)
10. Green Beans with Garlicky Pistachio Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
These green beans are served cold—making them a particularly light and tasty side for a hearty meal—and the nutty, garlicky pistachio vinaigrette they're dressed with is so good you’ll want to put it on every salad and vegetable you encounter.
11. Corn Fritter Caprese with Peaches
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy
Fans of a colorful plate will swoon for this summery combo of sweet corn fritters and ripe peaches. It’s an eye-pleasing seasonal side that will make your palate sing.
12. Marinated White Bean and Tomato Salad
- Time Commitment: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, <10 ingredients
Creamy white beans, fresh herbs and the bright, sweet acidity of in-season cherry tomatoes combine to create a flavorful side salad that’s basically begging to mingle with the rice and beef inside that bell pepper.
13. Broccoli Soup with Spinach, Cilantro and Croutons
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, vegan
There’s no cheese or cream in this broccoli soup—just a bowlful of fresh veggie flavor and some addictively crunchy croutons for good measure. If you’re looking for something nutritious and light that isn’t a salad, this one fits the bill.
14. Asparagus Caesar Salad
- Time Commitment: 35 minutes
- Why I Love It: low carb, <500 calories, low sugar, vegetarian
Asparagus is chopped and cooked just ‘til crisp-tender before being tossed in everyone’s favorite salad dressing in this welcome twist on a classic Caesar.
15. Minty-Fresh Zucchini Salad with Marinated Feta
- Time Commitment: 15 minutes + marinating time
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make-ahead, low carbs
This one requires a little forethought, as the feta needs to be marinated for at least a day (and up to two weeks) in advance of salad assembly. That said, the finished result is well worth the waiting time. (Hint: You never dreamed raw courgette could be so damn delicious.)
16. Arugula Salad with Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette
- Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, <500 calories
Here, zingy lemon and peppery arugula come together to make a simple side salad that promises to brighten dinner plates and palates with minimal effort required.
17. Greens Mac and Cheese
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, high protein, kid-friendly
Lean into comfort food by pairing your stuffed peppers with Jamie Oliver’s green mac and cheese. It’s creamy and decadent, but packed with enough veg to be filed under “guilt-free.”
18. Turnip Fries
- Time Commitment: 1 hour
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, sheet pan recipe, beginner-friendly
You quite liked those zucchini fries, but courgette is no longer at its best and tubers have hit the farm stands. Good news: these Old Bay-seasoned turnip fries are ready to answer the call of duty.
19. Coconut Creamed Spinach
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, vegan, low carb, one pan
Mild greens mingle with an intoxicating combination of ginger, curry powder and silky coconut milk, yielding an indulgent, dairy-free twist on a creamy classic.
20. Blistered Green Beans with Tomatoes, Pounded Walnuts and Raw Summer Squash
- •Time Commitment: 15 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, <10 ingredients, <30 minutes
Forget the casserole: blister those green beans instead and let the rest of your summer produce shine in this bright and healthy side dish. You’ll be rewarded with a pleasant crunch (the walnuts help, too) and plenty of garden fresh flavor.
21. Sweet-and-Spicy Cornbread
- Time Commitment: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Fresno, jalapeno—pick your hot chili poison and don’t be shy. The end result is a sweet and spicy side that plays into the pepper theme and packs a southwestern punch that’ll please every palate.
22. Cauliflower Fried Rice
- •Time Commitment: 25 minutes
- Why I Love It: <30 minutes, <500 calories, vegetarian
Cauliflower can do all kinds of things without fighting for attention. Here, it mimics the actual rice in your stuffed pepper whilst delivering some extra nutrients…and who can complain about that?
23. Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, sheet pan recipe
The quinoa here is more a texture-enhancing garnish than main grain in this simple side of roasted Brussels and carrots, so you needn’t worry about it weighing you down. Plus, this one pan wonder tastes as good as it looks and comes together in a jiffy.
24. Chickpea Caesar Salad with a Cheater’s Dressing
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: sheet pan recipe, vegetarian
We don’t need to sing the praises of Caesar salad—everyone knows it’s delicious—but we can wax poetic about a recipe that features crispy chickpeas and a no-egg, no-fuss dressing you couldn’t tell from the original if you tried.
25. Crispy Baked Cauliflower ‘Wings’
- Time Commitment: 45 minutes
- Why I Love It: <500 calories, <10 ingredients, vegan
Another testament to the remarkable versatility of cauliflower—this time the cruciferous chameleon delivers the crispy texture and kicky flavor of chicken wings, vegetarian style.
26. Grilled Corn with Spicy Aioli
- Time Commitment: 30 minutes
- Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <500 calories, no bake
Fire up the barbie for this Mexican street food-inspired grilled corn dish, featuring sriracha aioli and a dry spice blend that harmonizes beautifully with stuffed peppers.
