Are you looking for a delectable side dish to add some flair to your meal? You will love this collection of Great French Side dishes. With over 200 original, tried and tested recipes, LeChefswife.com is your reference for easy and authentic French food as seen in Food & Wine magazine and the TODAY show.
From haricots verts to French mashed potatoes to tomatoes Provençales, you will find a delicious side dishes to add some oh la la! to your classic French meal or holiday celebration here. These recipes are the classics of French home cooking. Dishes that my Mamie would make and that we continue to make every day for our family.
This blog post was updated November 2025.
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A good side dish elevates a meal. I like to serve my side dishes in separate plates, allowing guests to scoop and serve at their desire. It adds decoration to your table. There are a few classic French side dishes that everyone should have in their repertoire.
Julia Child is know to have said:
“This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook—try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun."
Julia Child
I love this notion - you do not have to be perfect, you can simply learn something new.
Even if you are a novice at French cuisine I am here to walk you through each step of the recipe.
What is a French Side Dish?
There are a few things that most French side dishes have in common, whether you are in a fancy restaurant of haute cuisine or in the French countryside enjoying a rustic meal.
- A star ingredient - classic French side dishes rarely feature more than one or two ingredients, simply prepared so that the star ingredient shines.
- Usually a vegetable to create for more nutritious meals.
- Uses fresh ingredients and often fresh herbs with minimal intervention for the most flavorful dish.
French bread, such as this quick & easy French Baguette recipe, is always on the table, as is often a simple green salad with a classic homemade French vinaigrette
French Vegetable side dishes
French Spinach
This French Spinach recipe made with sautéed garlic and butter is a bistro classic and one of my French Chef husband's favorite dishes. This dish is incredibly easy to make, only takes a few minutes and adds incredible flavor to any meal. Plus you get the added benefits of eating lots of leafy greens.
Roasted Fennel
Roasted fennel is healthy side dish that pairs beautifully with fish or chicken. If you are interested in healthy eating this is one of my favorite ways to serve a light, satisfying dish.
Authentic Ratatouille Recipe
Ratatouille is a delicious & healthy side dish from Provence made of baked eggplant, zucchinis, peppers, tomatoes, garlic and onions, seasoned with fragrant Herbes de Provence. The vegetables are robust in flavor, each distinctly seasoned. Each velvety forkful melts in your mouth, offering the beauty of Provence in each bite.
Simple Confit Bayaldi Recipe
Confit Bayaldi is a beautifully presented French Riviera slow cooked vegetarian dish using the same ingredients as a Ratatouille.
A perfect example of French Riviera cooking - Confit Bayaldi uses simple, fresh ingredients, beautifully displayed to create a dish that is memorable and full of flavor but is also surprisingly healthy.
The colors are beautiful and vibrant and the fancy rose shape of the vegetables looks almost too pretty to eat! When cooked just right Confit Bayaldi can be the star of a special brunch table or the dish that everyone asks you the recipe for at a dinner party.
The best Tomatoes Provençale Recipe
This Tomatoes Provençale recipe is incredible. Melt in your mouth, velvety tomatoes with a vibrant pesto, made from scratch, and vegan too!
French Asparagus Recipe with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
Simple and flavorful. The bright flavors of citrus and the pop of champagne pair beautifully with fresh spring Asparagus. Vegan Recipe.
Sautéed Haricots Verts (French Green Beans)
Sautéed Haricots Verts (French Green Beans) are a great side dish. The melt in your mouth texture, the tang of the garlic butter and the zest of fresh herbs make sautéed haricots verts a dinner time favorite.
French Potato Side dishes:
French Mashed Potatoes
This French Mashed Potatoes recipe makes the most decadent, buttery, melt in your mouth mashed potatoes that everyone will love.
Smashed Mini Potatoes
These smashed mini potatoes with rosemary and roasted garlic are so tasty - I dare you not to eat them directly from the pan! Crispy and flavorful on the outside, pillowy deliciousness on the inside - these potatoes are the perfect side for any grilled or roasted meats.
Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
These Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes are incredibly tasty. Crisp and golden brown outside, light and fluffy on the inside with plenty of flavor. The best roasted potatoes you have ever tasted.
Side Salads
French Vinaigrette
How to make an authentic French Vinaigrette: Simple, quick and delicious
La Salade Lyonnaise - the best brunch salad ever
La Salade Lyonnaise is the best brunch salad ever. A soft poached egg , crispy bacon and a rich shallot jam served on a homemade crouton over mixed greens.
La Salade Mentonnaise - a delicious Fennel, Orange and Artichoke Salad with Pine Nuts
La Salade Mentonnaise is a delicious fennel, orange and artichoke salad with pine nuts and a citrus vinaigrette. Perfect with grilled fish.
French Salade Niçoise Recipe
Here is an authentic, tasty French Salade Niçoise recipe that you will love! One of my all-time favorite salads that is full of protein (eggs, tuna and possibly sardines) and with lots of good veggies butter lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, artichokes fava beans, radishes and basil. It is simple to make yet impressive to serve and is perfect for picnics or long lunches in the sun.. Serve with a fresh baked baguette and a glass of Rosé for the perfect French Riviera lunch.
Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil and Orange Zest
A fresh twist on a familiar favorite - this Tomato Burrata Salad recipe with basil and orange zest is beautiful to serve and has a delicious, decadent flavor from the creamy burrata and the orange zest that will surprise and delight.
Side Soups
Ratatouille soup with homemade pesto
Ratatouille soup with homemade pesto is very healthy and delicious vegetarian soup that tastes of Provence with peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and onions.
Soupe au Pistou
La Soupe au Pistou is a hearty yet summery vegetarian bean soup packed with mixed vegetables, pasta and LOTS of basil. The perfect meal in a bowl , ideal meal prep to get you through the week.
Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines
This Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines is a family favorite and gives a South of France spin to the American Classic. Adding basil pesto (or fresh basil if it is in season) to the soup at the last minute brings a brightness to the dish that harkens Provence. Paired with a thick slice of garlicky grilled baguette, slathered with creamy, tangy goat cheese and you have the perfect morsel to dunk, over and over again.
French Lentil Soup Recipe
This French Lentil Soup recipe is surprisingly easy and quick to make. 10 minutes of prep time, 45 minutes of simmering time and you have a delicious, hearty meal in a bowl to enjoy throughout the week. Ideal for meal prep, this soup freezes very well and can be repurposed into a variety of dishes.
Potage aux Légumes (French Vegetable Soup)
Potage aux légumes is a French vegetable soup that has been blended until there are no visible chunks left. Nourishing and flavorful, a good potage is a great way to eliminate food waste and also a French woman's secret weapon for keeping slim.
Magical Leek Soup
Magical Leek Soup - the French woman's diet secret, as referenced in "Emily in Paris". Le Chef's Wife twist on the recipe is delicious and family friendly. It tastes like comfort food yet is incredibly healthy for you. Vegan and gluten free. Tasty and pretty enough to be served at a dinner party.
Best Broccoli and Blue Cheese Soup
This Broccoli and Blue Cheese soup is a creamy, comforting soup with a just a bite of blue cheese that adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" to the dish. Simple enough to be made on a week night, but special enough to serve for a dinner party.
Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup
This Broccoli and cauliflower soup is a comforting and filling soup, full of fresh vegetables. This recipe is healthy and light, without dairy, but the texture is creamy and satisfying. A super easy soup to make!
Fancy Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Here is a fancy French twist on a classic cream of cauliflower soup that you can make at home today. The roast cauliflower topping, tossed with almond slivers, espelette pepper and flat parsley elevate an everyday dish to a delicious French restaurant-quality experience. The variance of textures are amazing and this dish is satisfying enough to be a meatless meal for your family.
What French Main dishes to serve:
French Onion Soup Gratinée (can be a main course - you will love our recipe - it uses chicken broth instead of the traditional beef broth for a lighter, more fragrant soup)
Coq au vin (made with red wine)
These classic French dishes are written so that busy people, with no culinary training, can find success in the kitchen.
Other French recipes you will love
I hope you have enjoyed this collection of French side dish recipes that I have built over the years. The perfect side dish true elevates the meal. What other recipes would you like to see?
Bon Appétit!
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing firm in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment below:
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Gabriela says
Do you have a cookbook? I would love one with all these recipes and possibly more!