Best Vegetables That Go with Lamb

If you’ve ever tried perfectly cooked lamb, you know how tender and delicate this meat is. Knowing the right vegetables that go with lamb will help you make memorable family meals for special occasions and holidays or whenever you want to treat your taste buds.

Whether it’s petite lamb chops or a large roasted leg of lamb, you want your sides to measure up. For that reason, we’ve found the best vegetables that make some pretty amazing sides.

Have these delicious vegetable combinations in mind the next time you want to cook lamb.

The Best Vegetables That Go with Lamb

Here are several vegetables that pair well with lamb and the right ways to use them:

1. Potatoes

Hearty potato side dishes go perfectly with lamb. Here are all the ways you can use potatoes to make delicious sides for lamb:

• Roasted potato salad with garlic – red or white potato halves are baked until golden brown and mixed with chopped garlic, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. This creamy potato salad complements that tender lamb perfectly.

• Squashed potatoes –  boiled potatoes are squashed and browned in the oven on both sides. You get squashed potatoes with a creamy center and crispy crust. You can add some garlic cloves in between, if desired. They are seasoned with sea salt, ground black pepper, and rosemary or ground coriander.

• Roasted potatoes with za’atar and Aleppo pepper – potatoes are cut into bite-sized pieces and mixed with Aleppo pepper, the middle eastern spice blend called Za’atar, extra virgin olive oil, and lemon juice. They are baked until tender and golden brown. The spice blend will give your roasted potatoes an amazing flavor that pairs well with lamb.

• Lyonnaise potatoes – your lamb will taste so much better if served alongside this simple potato dish. Potatoes are boiled and then fried in butter before baked in the oven together with fried onions. The parsley on top brightens up the flavor of the dish.

• Lemon Mustard potatoes – potato wedges are mixed with chopped garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, dried oregano, yellow mustard, salt, and black pepper and baked until golden brown and tender. The burst of tanginess makes these potatoes an extraordinary side dish for your lamb.  

• Hasselback Potatoes – baked potatoes that look and taste amazing. They require a special cutting technique which is not difficult to pull off. It’s a classic side dish that goes excellent with almost any kind of meat, including lamb.

• Cheesy garlic and herb smashed potatoes – boiled potatoes are smashed, drizzled with olive oil, and sprinkled with garlic powder, dried Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and parmesan. They are roasted until their bottoms are brown and the parmesan is golden and crispy. Genius, right?

• You can always go with the old reliable mashed potatoes too.

 2. Asparagus

Sometimes, a simple vegetable like asparagus makes the best side. Here’s how to use it when combined with lamb:

• Asparagus and arugula salad with dressing – shaved asparagus is cut in halves and tossed with a dressing made of grated Pecorino cheese, water, olive oil, salt and pepper. Arugula is added and tossed again. This green veggie combo will add color and nutrition to your meal.

• Easy steamed asparagus – steam your trimmed asparagus in a microwave and you have one of the quickest side dishes for lamb.

• Lemony asparagus with almonds – asparagus, peas, baby courgettes, and broad beans are tossed with butter, lemon, and almonds for a luxurious side dish for lamb.

• Pan-roasted asparagus with lemon, brown butter, and eggs mimosa – asparagus is caramelized and mixed with tarragon, lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. The cooked asparagus is topped with sieved hard-boiled eggs. Yummy.

• Asparagus with chickpea fattoush and radishes – the combination of textures, flavors, and colors of these ingredients will take your lamb to a whole new level.

3. Carrots

Here are the best carrot combinations for your lamb:

• Sweet smoky roasted carrots – carrots are rolled around in a blend of vinegar, honey, smoked paprika, and cayenne before put in the oven. The vibrant color and rich and smoky flavor of carrots will become your new favorite side for lamb.

• Carrots cooked with lots of oil and garlic – carrots are mixed with plenty of olive oil, garlic, and salt and cooked until soft enough to be smushed with fingers. A simple, yet flavorful side dish for your meal.

• Carrots with pomegranate molasses – carrots are roasted with oil, salt, and red pepper and drizzled with pomegranate molasses. It’s an odd but wonderful combination that will make your taste buds dance.

• Whole roasted carrots – carrots are roasted with onion, lemon zest, and cumin – all excellent pairings for lamb.

• Harissa and honey-roasted carrots – the flavor of carrots is enhanced with a sweet and spicy sauce made with honey, harissa, olive oil, and cumin. Yogurt is spread on a serving plate and topped with warm carrots. It’s an easy way to turn something simple such as carrots into something extravagant.

4. Peas

Here are a few ideas on how to combine peas to make amazing sides for your main dish:

• Pea salad with mint and parmesan – peas are dressed up with lemon juice, fresh mint, and shaved parmesan for a refreshing and light side for your heavy lamb meal.

• Peas with pancetta – peas, garlic, and crispy pancetta make a flavorful combination that goes brilliantly with lamb. The ingredients are fried and seasoned with pepper. Simple, quick and full of flavor.

• Creamy soup with peas, watercress, and mint – white beans are cooked with butter, garlic, and onion until simmering, and frozen peas are added together with watercress and mint leaves. Everything is whizzed into a delicious creamy soup that goes excellent with lamb.

• Curried peas with lime and mint – garlic cloves, curry powder, olive oil and green peas are cooked over medium heat and combined with grated lime rind, fresh mint, fresh lime juice, and salt. It’s a simple, flavorful, and fresh side for your roast lamb.

5. Radishes

Here’s another vegetable that pairs fabulously with lamb. Here are the best radishes sides to serve with lamb:

• Pan-braised radishes and greens – radishes and their greens are pan-braised until moist and tender and mixed with lots of chopped tarragon. A small sprinkling of vinegar in the end will add a touch of brightness to this side dish.

• Sautéed radishes and leeks – radishes, leeks, and shallot are sautéed for a nutritious and fresh side for lamb.

• Farro salad with radishes, arugula and peas – Farro grains are tossed with peas, radishes, arugula, pancetta, and a honey-lemon dressing. This refreshing salad makes an insanely good combination with lamb.

• Radish salad with anchovy sauce – radish wedges are tossed in a sauce made with garlic, anchovy, salt, and lemon juice. If you want some crunch and bitterness, and lots of acidity with your lamb, enjoy it together with this amazing salad.

• Radish and pecan grain salad – mixed grains like wild rice, farro, quinoa, or freekeh, are cooked and mixed with pecans, radishes, shallot, tarragon leaves, parsley, arugula, mint leaves, raisins, dried cranberries, olive oil, and sherry vinegar. The combination of all these different ingredients together with the lamb will make your taste buds go crazy.

6. Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cauliflower make great sides for lamb. Here are a few ways to prepare them:

• Buttery roasted cauliflower – cauliflower and shallots are lightly coated with oil and baked until browned and tender. They are drizzled with butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper, and topped with tarragon and chives.

• Cauliflower with roasted cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs – this easy, flavorful side will enhance the flavor of your main dish. Roasted cauliflower is mixed with roasted cherry tomatoes, olives, and parsley, and sprinkled with lots of bread crumbs.

• Broccoli rabe in lemon cream – the lemon cream softens the bitterness of the broccoli rabe and a bit of lemon juice brightens the dish and challenges its bitterness with acidity. The broccoli rabe is boiled and transferred to a large saute pan with melted butter. Lemon juice and heavy cream are added in the end. It’s a heavenly combination.

• Cauliflower, apple, and pomegranate salad – it has everything a lamb needs: cumin-spiced cauliflower florets, sweet and crispy slices of apple, and a fantastic tahini-honey dressing. Cauliflower is coated with oil, cumin, paprika, and almonds and roasted until browned. The roasted florets are mixed with apple slices, arugula, and pomegranate seeds, and drizzled with a dressing made of honey, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice.

• Roasted broccoli with olive tapenade – this side dish adds an earthy tang to roasted lamb. Tapenade is made by mixing olives, olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and capers in a food processor. The mixture is spread on a plate and topped with roasted broccoli florets and sprinkled with parmesan. Or, you can top roasted broccoli with tapenade. Either way, it makes a delicious side dish for lamb.

See Also: Side dishes for salmon

Conclusion

If you are looking for vegetables that go with lamb to make the perfect sides for your main dish, you now know what to serve with lamb. Potatoes, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots, and asparagus are just a few of the vegetables that will make your roast lamb taste even better.

Make these veggie combinations or use them as an inspiration to make a meal to remember.