Pork is a delicious and versatile meat, but you may be looking for the perfect vegetable companion when it comes to side dishes. Fortunately, there are lots of vegetables that pair well with pork. In this article, we look at five of the most popular ones.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best vegetables to serve with pork are potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, apples, and cabbage. Other good options include sautéed greens like spinach or kale, root vegetables like turnips or parsnips, and cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts or cauliflower.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Potatoes
Potatoes are a classic side dish with all meat, including pork. There are many different ways to prepare them – mashed potato is always popular, as are roasted or boiled potatoes.
For something more interesting, try pan-fried potatoes with herbs and spices for extra flavor, or make homemade potato wedges for an easy oven-baked side dish.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes have become increasingly popular in recent years and are a great accompaniment to roasted pork chops or pulled pork sandwiches. You can bake them in the oven until crispy on the outside but creamy on the inside.
Or try making these sweet potato fries seasoned with chili powder, garlic powder, and smoked paprika for extra flavor.
Carrots
Cooking up some carrots and pork will add color and sweetness to your meal. Try them with butter and freshly ground pepper for an easy side dish or roasted in honey and thyme to bring out their natural sweetness even more – perfect alongside slow-cooked ribs!
For something spicy, add some chili flakes into the mix too!
Apples
Apples contrast beautifully between sizzling sweet-and-sour flavors when served next to roast pork chops or tenderloin steaks.
Try baking thin slices of apple until caramelized, then top them off with warm cinnamon sugar for a dessert-like side dish that will bring out all those lovely aromas in your meat’s glaze!
Cabbage
Cabbage is an excellent side option when appropriately cooked – either stir-fried quickly until soft (like this stir-fried bok choy)or slow-cooked in stock until smooth and full of flavor (like savoy cabbage).
Serve them alongside your favorite pork recipe for some delicious crunchy texture (and don’t forget those lovely leftovers for slaw!)
Roasted Broccoli
Who says vegetable side dishes need to be boring? Roasting brings out the flavor of broccoli as no other cooking method can!
This simple recipe combines Parmesan cheese and olive oil for an extra flavorful kick. It pairs perfectly with pork roast or grilled pork chops.
Skillet Cornbread
Skillet cornbread is a classic accompaniment to any pork dish, like pulled pork sandwiches or ham hocks. Mix a few ingredients until everything is well blended, then pour the batter into a greased cast iron skillet and bake it until golden brown on top.
Serve your homemade cornbread alongside your favorite sticky-sweet barbeque sauce for an unforgettable combination!
Mashed Potatoes
Mashed potatoes are always surefire crowdpleasers—they pair just as well with roasted pork as fried chicken. You only need some Russet potatoes (peeled and diced), butter, salt, and pepper for seasoning, and milk for an ultra-creamy texture.
You can also add freshly grated nutmeg for a hint of warmth.
Roasted Asparagus
This healthy vegetable side goes amazingly well with grilled or roasted pork dishes like loin chop or tenderloin medallions served over a bed of mashies (mashed potatoes).
To make it even better, drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over the asparagus spears before roasting them in the oven—it will give them that extra oomph factor!
Garlic-Roasted Mushrooms
Another easy way to add flavor to your favorite pork dishes is by adding garlic-roasted mushrooms on top!
All you need are button mushrooms (16 ounces) halved or quartered depending on their size, minced garlic cloves (2 tablespoons), melted butter (3 tablespoons), and fresh parsley leaves (1/4 cup) chopped finely before tossing everything together in one large bowl until generously coated in its ingredients listed above before putting them into the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit temperature settings!