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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Published: Aug 12, 2023 · Modified: Sep 10, 2023 by Anina Belle Giannini

    Great French Side Dishes

    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 from Le Chef's Wife. With over 130 original, tried and tested recipes, LeChefswife.com is your reference for French food, made simple.

    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 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.

    Thanksgiving French with mashed potatoes and Turkey au vin

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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 rare 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.

    homemade French baguettes piled up on a striped cotton towl

    French Vegetable side dishes

    Haricots Verts (Green beans) 

    haricots verts (green beans) with butter, garlic and fresh herbs

    French Asparagus Recipe with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette

    Asparagus with Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette
    Asparagus with a Champagne Citrus Vinaigrette (photo by Jennifer Chase)

    The best Tomatoes Provençale Recipe - one of the simplest things to make in French cooking

    tomatoes Provençale with garlic pesto in a copper baking dish

    Roasted Eggplant

    seared eggplant

    Simple Confit Bayaldi Recipe - The traditional recipe from Provence, just like my Mamie would make.

    Confit Bayaldi a dish of layered eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes and onions
    Confit Bayaldi by Chef Sébastien Giannini

    Authentic Ratatouille Recipe - a French delicacy

    ratatouille topped with fresh basil

    Roasted Fennel

    roasted fennel with tomatoes
    French spinach recipe with garlic and butter on a plate with roast chicken, rice and broccoli
    French Spinach

    French Potato Side dishes:

    ​French Mashed Potatoes - a French classic

    Buttery mashed potatoes

    Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary

    roast potatoes

    Smashed Mini Potatoes

    smashed roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic

    Side Salads

    Tomato Burrata Salad with Basil and Orange Zest

    tomato basil salad in a blue bowl on a marble table with a napkin and a knife

    La Salade Niçoise (Is often a meal on its own but can be served as an accompaniment to grilled fish)

    Nicoise salad - tomatoes, artichokes, capers, cucumbers olives and capers with tuna

    La Salade Mentonnaise (inspired by the French Riviera town of Menton)

    la salade mentonnaise : fennel, oranges, pine nuts, artichokes and greens in a serving bowl

    ​La Salade Lyonnaise (from the French City of Lyon)

    two plates of salade lyonnaise , poached egg, salad and baguette with two glasses of red wine

    ​Soups

    cream of cauliflower soup

    fancy cream of cauliflower soup with roasted cauliflower
    Fancy Cream of Cauliflower Soup

    ​Magical Leek Soup

    a bowl of leek soup with sauteed leeks as a garnish

    Ratatouille Soup

    Soupe au Pistou

    Potage aux Légumes

    la Soupe de Mamie vegetable soup in two bowls with a baguette 2

    Puy Lentils Soup

    French Lentil Soup close up
    French Lentil Soup Close up

    Simple Provençal Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese Tartines

    tomato soup with goat cheese tartine

    What French Main dishes to serve:

    Boeuf Bourguignon

    beef bourguignon in a plate with potatoes tournées and a glass of wine

    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) 

    french onion Soup gratinée in a white bowl with wine

    Coq au vin (made with red wine)

    Coq au Vin with mushrooms, chicken, onions and parsley served with mashed potatoes

    Poulet Rôti

    poulet roti - roast chicken with lemon and thyme and garlic fresh out of the oven

    La Daube Provençale

    Daube provençal in a white bowl - beef stew with fettucine
    Daube Provençal

    Magret de Canard

    Bone In Ribeye

    oven roasted bone in ribeye steak with potato skewers

    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

    Easy French Crepes

    Chantilly cream over strawberry crepes

    French Toast

    French Toast
    Simple French Toast Recipe

    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 (5 and 2) and I have a full time job in hospitality in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.

    Look inside our Kitchen with this recent Washington Post Article. We were recently featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment here:

    I share our home cooking on Instagram, pinterest and tiktok. Sign up for my newsletter to be the first to receive my new recipes and have advance access to cooking classes. I look forward to cooking with you!

    Sign Up for Le Chef's Wife Newsletter

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    Comments

    1. Gabriela says

      January 23, 2025 at 3:27 am

      Do you have a cookbook? I would love one with all these recipes and possibly more!

      Reply

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    Bonjour. If you are looking for French Recipes, made simple, you are in the right place! I translate the fancy cooking of my French Chef husband into easy-to-follow recipes that busy people with no culinary training, like me, can cook. From French Baguettes to French Riviera classic recipes, I invite you to learn French cooking with me.

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