More low-salt, low-fat Thanksgiving side dishes

Turkey day is almost here and lots of you already have come to our site searching for low-salt turkeys and low-salt stuffing recipes. We also have recipes for low-salt side dishes, but went looking for more and found some that sound tasty in a big Thanksgiving roundup done by Bon Appetit magazine.

Roasted carrots with red onions, fennel and mint is the first. I’m not usually a giant mint fan, but here I might make an exception…or I might just leave out the mint along with leaving out the added salt recommended here to make this a low-salt recipe.

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 pounds small carrots (about 2 bunches), peeled, cut into 3-inch pieces
2 large red onions, each cut through root end into 8 wedges
1 fennel bulb, cut into ½-inch wedges
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper  [leave out the salt]
2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves

I normally link to the original page but some readers have complained about that, so here’s the instructions as well:

“Preheat oven to 425°. Place carrots on a rimmed baking sheet and onions and fennel on another rimmed baking sheet. (Make sure to give them plenty of room, which is key to roasted veggies with nicely browned edges.) Drizzle vegetables with 2 Tbsp. oil, dividing evenly; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 20–25 minutes for carrots and 35–45 minutes for onions and fennel. Let cool.
Meanwhile, cook sunflower seeds, coriander seeds, Aleppo pepper, paprika, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until oil is gently bubbling around seeds and spices are fragrant (be careful not to burn), about 2 minutes. Let cool. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice; season vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
Combine roasted carrots, fennel, and onions onto the same baking sheet, drizzle vinaigrette over, and toss to coat well; transfer to a platter.
Just before serving, re-toss vegetables to pull up any dressing that may have settled at the bottom of the platter and scatter mint over top.”

A second side I might try is roasted beets with sesame and marjoram.

What you’ll need for this one:

• 4 bunches of beets with tops or 2 lb. medium beets plus ½ bunch Swiss chard, ribs and stems removed, leaves torn into large pieces
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ bunch marjoram or oregano, plus 2 Tbsp. leaves
• ½ cup crème fraîche
• ½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon plus 1 Tbsp. Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Cooking instructions are:

“Preheat oven to 400°. Trim tops from beets; set aside half of tops (reserve remainder for another use). Scrub beets, pat dry, and slice ¼” thick. Toss in a large bowl with 4 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper.
Scatter marjoram sprigs across a rimmed baking sheet and arrange beets on top in as even a layer as possible (some overlap is okay). Roast, tossing occasionally, until beets are tender, 15–20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss in reserved beet greens; roast just until slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
Meanwhile, whisk crème fraîche, yogurt, and 1 tsp. vinegar in a small bowl; season with salt; set aside.
Smash sesame seeds, 2 Tbsp. marjoram leaves, and a generous pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle to combine. (Alternatively, chop with a knife.) Transfer to a small bowl and mix in remaining 1 Tbsp. oil; set sesame salt aside.
Drizzle roasted beets and greens with remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Spoon reserved crème fraîche mixture between 2 platters and arrange beets and greens on top.”

As always, leave off the salt, if the recipe is a tasty one, it won’t need the salt.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!