6 Veggie Sides To Pair With Beef Bourguignon
Have you wondered what vegetables to serve with the classic French Beef Bourguignon?
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This post will share some of the most common and delicious vegetable side dishes that work perfectly with Beef Bourguignon.
Read on to learn more!
What is Beef Bourguignon?
Beef Bourguignon is actually a beef stew but in a French style.
It features chunks of beef (normally beef chuck or beef brisket), braised in beef stock, red wine, and other ingredients like carrots, onion, garlic, and a bouquet garni.
Beef Bourguignon can also contain bacon and mushrooms per personal preference.
The resulting dish is tender, rich, and very hearty, which is perfect for a winter meal.
Beef Bourguignon is typically served as the main course with other sides surrounding it, for either a regular weeknight or weekend meal, or a special gathering occasion.
What to consider when choosing vegetables to serve with Beef Bourguignon?
To make sure that your vegetables will perfectly complement Beef Bourguignon, there are some things that you should keep in mind:
Consider starchy vegetables or leafy greens for a lighter texture
You can opt for two types of vegetables, which are starchy vegetables like potatoes which can help keep you fuller and heavier in texture, and leafy greens which are often used for sauteing, steaming, or making salads.
Always buy fresh vegetables to make sure that the side dish will be as delicious as possible
When shopping for vegetables to make a side dish for Beef Bourguignon, you better look for fresh ingredients only.
Vegetables, especially some types of leafy greens, go rotten quickly and easily.
Therefore, you better store them properly and make use of them as soon as possible.
Buying vegetables from an unclear source can increase the chance of getting foodborne illnesses due to the preservatives and toxics used while growing veggies.
6 best types of vegetables to serve with Beef Bourguignon
Here are the six best vegetable recipes that are great to be served on the side of Beef Bourguignon.
Let’s check it out!
1. Mashed potatoes
Many people are afraid of feeling hungry quickly after eating vegetables.
If so, mashed potatoes will be a great choice.
This classic side dish is easy to make from affordable ingredients.
The smooth starchy texture and creamy, slightly sweet taste of the result will keep you fuller and balance the rich and savory taste of the beef stew.
2. Sweet potatoes
Another type of potatoes that you can try with your Beef Bourguignon is sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes are often baked, with or without the peel, in the whole shape or cut into wedges.
The sweet flavor and starchy texture of sweet potatoes will be a nice addition to your meal.
3. Green beans
Green beans are another good vegetable companion for Beef Bourguignon.
They have a vibrant green color which is in contrast to the brownish of your beef dish.
Green beans can be steamed or sauteed with some garlic for a more flavorful taste.
4. Roasted butternut squash
Butternut squash is similar to pumpkin, and it is a good option to serve with Beef Bourguignon.
Butternut squash is often used to make a soup, but in this case, since the main course comes with a rich sauce, a soup is not ideal as a good accompaniment.
You can opt for roasted butternut squash here, which is delicious too.
5. Sauteed mushrooms
You can also serve your Beef Bourguignon with sauteed mushrooms.
This side dish seems to be more suitable if your version of Beef Bourguignon doesn’t contain mushrooms.
Mushrooms have an umami flavor and are packed with many health benefits.
The meat-like texture of mushrooms is another plus that makes this vegan ingredient preferred by many people.
6. Green salad
A green salad is never a bad option to serve with the meat main course.
Green salads come in many variants due to the different veggies used in the recipes.
Basically, it contains leafy greens like spinach, lettuce, cabbage, bell pepper, kale, or watercress, with a citrusy dressing made from apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.
The crunchy texture and refreshing flavor of a green salad will easily offset the rich taste of your Beef Bourguignon.
The bottom line
Vegetables are always a healthy choice to serve on a side of a meat-based dish, like Beef Bourguignon.
With the aforementioned six veggie recipes, you will not only have nutritious but also delicious side dishes to accompany your classic French stew.
Which vegetables do you find best to go with Beef Bourguignon?
Try them all and let us know your answer.
