This article provides a list of fifteen keto side dishes – and they all taste incredible.
These recipes cover a variety of foods and include vegetable dishes, meats, fish, and various international side dishes.
While some are virtually carb-less sides, others are a little higher in carbohydrate, but in reasonable amounts, they are all suitable for ketogenic diets.
All recipes make enough for four servings.
1. Keto Creamed Spinach Soup
This soup is certainly a bit different and has a unique flavor.
It is also very healthy, with spinach being a powerhouse of essential nutrients such as iron, potassium, and magnesium.
Ingredients
| 2lbs of Spinach (900g) |
| 2oz Butter (60g) |
| 2oz Cream Cheese (60g) |
| 1-pint Heavy Cream |
| 1 Large Diced Onion |
| 1 tsp. Salt |
| 1/2 tsp. Black Pepper |
| 1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder |
| 2 cups Water |
Preparation
1.Combine all the ingredients together in a pan except for the butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream and bring to the boil.
2. Turn the heat down to a simmer. After about five minutes, remove from heat, and puree in a food processor or a blender.
3. Add the pureed mix back into the pan.
4. Next, add the butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream and allow it to melt in.
5. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat until the soup is hot and consistent.
2. Egg-Fried Cauliflower Rice
Cauliflower “rice” enjoys popularity as a low-carb replacement for real rice.
This faux rice tastes great, and it’s a keto friendly side dish well-suited for curries and as a side for meat.
However, it is easy to make this dish a lot tastier with a simple modification – eggs!
It is similar to ordinary cauliflower rice, but with a deeper flavor from the extra ingredients.
Ingredients
| 1 head of Cauliflower |
| 2 tbsp. Butter |
| 4 Eggs |
| 4 Minced Garlic Cloves |
| 1 Large Diced Onion |
| 1 tsp. Salt |
| 1 tsp. Tamari Soy Sauce |
| 1 tsp. Sesame Oil |
Preparation
1. Wash all the vegetables and ensure the cauliflower is thoroughly dry.
2. Pulse/grate the cauliflower in a food processor or by hand. The cauliflower should resemble rice.
3. Heat the butter in your pan and add the onions and garlic.
4. Add the cauliflower “rice” to the pan once the onions and garlic start to soften.
5. Next, add the soy sauce and salt and cook until the cauliflower is tender (but not mushy).
6. With about a minute of cooking time left, add the eggs to the pan and stir well.
7. Take off the heat, mix the sesame oil in, and serve.
3. Baked Eggplant With Tomatoes and Parmesan
If you haven’t tried baked eggplant before, then it’s well worth a try.
First of all, the taste is indescribably better than boiling the vegetable. Second, it does a great job of absorbing and carrying flavors.
And that’s what happens in this recipe; the combination of eggplant, tomato, herbs and parmesan create a delicious depth of flavor.
These make for a great keto-friendly snack too.
Ingredients
| 4 Sliced Eggplants |
| 3.5oz Tomato Paste (100g) |
| 1 tsp. Italian Herbs |
| 2oz Parmesan Cheese (60g) |
| 1 tsp. Salt |
| 1 tbsp. Olive Oil |
Preparation
1. Cut the eggplants into one-centimeter thick slices.
2. In a bowl, mix the tomato paste, Italian Herbs, and salt.
3. Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray, lightly brush with olive oil, and then put a little of the tomato paste mixture on top.
4. Cover each piece with some grated parmesan cheese.
5. Put the slices into an oven and cook at 200°C for approximately 15 minutes.
4. Low Carb Grilled Vegetables
This one is pretty straightforward and just involves selecting your favorite keto veggies and grilling them.
In my opinion, some of the best veg options for this include peppers, eggplant, and mushrooms.
Why not serve them up alongside a tasty meatloaf?
Ingredients
| 4 Bell Peppers |
| 2 cups Mushrooms (150g) |
| 2 Eggplants |
| 2 tbsp. Butter |
| 1 tsp. Salt |
Preparation
1. Cut the vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place in a baking dish.
2. Evenly top the vegetables with butter.
3. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the surface of the vegetables.
4. Cook at 200°C for approximately 15-20 minutes.
5. Cauliflower and Zucchini Cheese Bake
After the last couple of recipes, this one is a little more complicated and time-consuming.
However, this will pay off when you eat it – it tastes delicious!
Here are the ingredients you need to make it;
Ingredients
| 4 cups Cauliflower florets |
| 2 Medium Zucchini (cut into dice-sized shapes) |
| 1/2 pint Heavy Cream (285ml) |
| 2oz. Cheddar Cheese (grated) |
| 4 Cloves of Garlic (mashed) |
| 1 Egg Yolk |
| 1-tsp. Salt |
| 1-tsp. Italian Herbs |
| 1-tsp. Black Pepper |
Preparation
1. Chop the cauliflower into small pieces and place in a baking dish with the zucchini cubes.
2. Blend the heavy cream, egg yolk, salt, garlic, Italian herbs, black pepper and 75% of the cheese.
3. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower and zucchini.
4. Evenly cover the surface with the remaining 25% of cheese.
5. Put the baking dish in the oven and cook at 200°C for about 30-40 minutes. It will be ready when the surface starts to brown and the cream has thickened.
6. Indian Cauliflower Rice (My Keto Kitchen)
This Indian cauliflower rice recipe makes a perfect low carb side dish for steak or some traditional Indian curry.
The rice is much healthier than the real thing, full of health-protective ingredients, and it tastes amazing too.
Ingredients
| Ghee |
| Garlic |
| Ginger |
| Coriander |
| Cumin |
| Brown Mustard Seeds |
| Yellow Mustard Seeds |
| Turmeric |
| Cauliflower |
| Salt |
| Pepper |
| Cilantro |
Preparation
Visit My Keto Kitchen to see the full recipe and how to make it.
7. Korean Seasoned Spinach
Staying with the Asian food theme, Korean seasoned spinach is an incredibly simple side dish with a deep taste.
Despite having a bare minimum of ingredients, this is one of the most popular Korean side dishes out there.
Ingredients
| 1lb Spinach |
| 2-tbsp Tamari Soy Sauce |
| 1-tsp Sesame Oil |
| 1-tbsp Sesame Seeds |
Preparation
1. Bring some water to the boil on the hob.
2. Put the spinach into the water, and it should float on the top.
3. After the spinach has been in the boiling water for approximately 30 seconds, remove it.
4. Rinse the spinach to make it cold, and then squeeze it thoroughly to drain all the water away.
5. In a bowl, mix the spinach, soy sauce, sesame oil and sesame seeds together. Make sure that the seasonings evenly cover the spinach.
6. Serve.
8. Zoodles
What are zoodles?
Well, they are simply noodles made from zucchini rather than wheat.
Zucchini is a keto-friendly vegetable, and zoodles have a minimal level of carbohydrate.
They make a great low carb side, especially for faux pasta dishes.
Ingredients
| 4 Zucchini |
| 2-tbsp Butter |
| Pinch of Salt |
| Pinch of Pepper |
Preparation
1. Use a spiralizer to turn the zucchinis into noodles.
2. Heat some butter (coconut oil and olive oil are also fine) in a pan.
3. Put the zoodles in the pan once the oil is hot enough.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then quickly saute the zoodles.
5. After approximately two minutes, they will be ready. Don’t overcook them or they will go too soggy!
9. Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus (Avocado Pesto)
Asparagus is one of the best-tasting vegetables out there, but there’s a simple way to make it taste a lot better;
Wrap it in bacon.
These bacon-wrapped asparagus rolls are great as a snack on their own, or as a side dish.
They also make great low carb sides for a barbecue.
Ingredients
| Bacon |
| Asparagus |
| Parsley |
| Garlic |
| Dijon Mustard |
| Gruyere Cheese |
Preparation
For instructions on how to make them, see here.
10. Simple Enoki “Ramen”
Enoki is a type of string mushroom that is extremely popular in Japan and other East Asian countries.
It is also gaining global popularity, which is easy to understand when we consider their taste and health properties.
Enoki ramen is simply using the mushroom as a low carb noodle, and the taste certainly makes it worth a try.
Ingredients
| 1lb Thinly Sliced Pork Belly (454g) |
| 4lbs Pork Bones (Shanks, Neck, Trotters, etc) |
| 1/2lb Enoki Mushrooms (225g) |
| 4oz Green Onion (110g) |
| 1-tbsp Tamari Sauce |
| 1-tbsp Fish Sauce |
| 1-tsp. Salt |
| 1-tsp. Black Pepper |
| 4 Mashed Cloves of Garlic |
Preparation
1. Roast the bones in the oven for 1 hour at 200°C .
2. Remove the bones from the oven and place them in a slow cooker or pressure cooker, add the mashed garlic, salt, pepper, fish sauce, and tamari sauce and fill with water.
3. Cook at a low heat for approximately 8 hours. If you want to skip this, then you can also use bought pork stock rather than making it yourself.
4. You can either use the finished stock fresh, or you can freeze it to use at a later date.
5. When you are ready to make the ramen, have either the hot stock ready or re-heat it in a pan.
6. Thinly slice the belly pork, and fry it (without oil) in a pan. When nearly done, add the enoki mushrooms and green onion and keep frying for a few minutes more.
7. Cook four soft-boiled eggs (one for each person). To soft boil an egg, bring the water to a boil and then add the eggs for roughly six minutes.
8. In a bowl for each person, add some slices of belly pork, the green onion, and enoki mushrooms, and one egg which has been cut into two halves.
9. Pour the hot stock into the bowl on top of them.
10. Serve.
Final Thoughts
All of these recipes use real, naturally-occurring foods.
Some are simple, and others are a little more complex – but they all taste great and they’re healthy too.
If you’re looking to try something new, then give one of these keto side dishes a try!
Leave a Comment