# What's your favorite all-purpose side dish?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 1, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606 "2014-08-01T21:22:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/21 "2014-08-02T19:45:20Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#):
>
> Green Beans. Incredibly versatile with all types of protein, and can be prepared in a variety of ways - sauteed, grilled, boiled, roasted. I just put them on my shopping list 30 minutes ago!
>
> Fresh green beans may very well be the vegetable with the greatest disparity in taste and quality from fresh to canned. Canned green beans are salty slugs that turn to mush in your mouth, fresh ones are crispy, delightful, and full of flavor.
>
> May be an idea for a new thread. Start one if you feel like it, I’m out the door.
>
> And for you culinary pedants, Haricot Vert. There, I said it.
As it so happens, I just bought some today (string beans). And I’m not exactly sure how to prepare them. Should I parboil, or can I just sauté like asparagus?
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### Author:  [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/22 "2014-08-02T22:13:48Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> As it so happens, I just bought some today (string beans). And I’m not exactly sure how to prepare them. Should I parboil, or can I just sauté like asparagus?
I usually snip off the stem ends and parboil them whole for no more than 2 minutes, then saute them in butter or olive oil. You can add some minced garlic and/or slivered almonds to the saute pan. I cook them until a little color appears on the beans, but that is purely a matter of individual taste.
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### Author:  [@Hermione](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermione)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2014, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/23 "2014-08-02T22:17:14Z")
Steam or blanch some green beans until they’re just tender. (You can even steam them in the bag.) Then sauté them in a little olive or canola oil until they’re good and hot. Throw in 1/3 cup of crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola and a few handfuls of chopped toasted walnuts. Stir until blue cheese is melted.
You can also do the blue-cheese-and-toasted-walnut thing with asparagus you’ve just got done roasting in the oven.
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### Author:  [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2014, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/24 "2014-08-02T22:45:28Z")
> [@pseudograph](#):
>
> I think roasted or grilled vegetables are the strongest contender so far.
>
> For those of you advocating for rice, can you really see yourself having a side of rice with your spaghetti marinara?
Sure, I can.
That said I also think the roasted/grilled veggies is an even better option. I guess I don’t see those as a “side dish” because to me, a plate of roasted vegetables is a perfectly fine meal as is. When I think “side dish” I think of something nutritious, yet fairly neutral in taste that allows for just about anything to be mixed or paired with it.
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### Author:  [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)
#### Post date: [August 3, 2014, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/25 "2014-08-03T06:12:11Z")
My wife makes a lovely Brussels sprouts side; it seems to go with anything. I know Brussels sprouts are one of those things that some people seem to instinctively dislike from childhood, but give it a shot!
There’s not really a recipe so much as guidelines:
Get some Brussels sprouts. Peel the outer layers off. Chop em in half unless they’re small. Boil or steam them until tender.
While that’s going on, dice some bacon. Put it in a pan and heat til the fat makes a nice layer in the pan. When sprouts are tender, put them in the pan with the bacon. After a minute, pour in a generous glug of maple syrup. Optionally, also add something hot: cayenne pepper or Sriracha.
Saute the sprouts until they get nice and caramelized. Plate. Receive the generous accolades of your guests.
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### Author:  [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)
#### Post date: [August 4, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-all-purpose-side-dish/694606/26 "2014-08-04T15:36:17Z")
Some good and tasty options so far! I was beginning to favor the rice until Pseudograph brought up the prospect of having rice as a side for spaghetti, which I think wouldn’t be as good as the mixed grilled veggies.
I had a pretty decent mix the other day of broccoli, snow peas, carrots, red bell peppers, edamame and rice with a light garlic soy sauce. I might switch up the sauce being used, but the basic combo was very tasty and satisfying.
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