3 Easy Side Dishes
Three sides that pull their weight next to almost any main ā Spanish chorizo and onions cooked down in their own rendered fat, garlic green beans finished with toasted almonds and lemon, and mushrooms seared hard in garlic butter until properly browned. Each oneās built around a small technique that actually matters: blooming the paprika in fat, blanching before searing, giving the mushrooms room to colour instead of steam.
None of these take longer than 20 minutes, and none of them need a shopping list beyond whatās already in the fridge ā this is the video where I walked through all three back to back, so if you want to see the technique in action rather than just read it, thatās below.
All three hold up well in the fridge for a few days, so double a batch if youāre feeding a crowd or just want sides sorted for the week. Full storage and reheating notes are in the Chefās Tips under each recipe.
Spanish Chorizo & Onions
SIDES DISHES Ā· EASY
The Chorizo Does All the Work
No oil needed here ā the chorizo renders its own fat, and everything else cooks in it. That's what gives the onions their depth and lets the paprika actually bloom instead of just sitting on top.
It's a five-minute prep, one pan, and it's on the table in twenty minutes ā but it eats like something that took a lot longer, thanks to that rendered fat doing double duty.
The trick is the order: chorizo first to render the fat, onions next to soak it up, then sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar to deglaze right at the end to lift everything off the base of the pan. That's where the real flavour is.
Spanish Chorizo & Onions
Ingredients
- 500 g Spanish Chorizo Sliced
- 1 Brown (Yellow) Onion Sliced
- 4 Garlic Cloves Sliced
- 37.5 ml White Wine Vinegar
- 6 g Sweet Paprika
- 3 g Smoked Paprika
- Fresh Parsley Chopped
- 1 Lemon Wedge To Serve
Method
- Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat ā no oil needed, the chorizo will render its own fat.
- Add the chorizo and cook until the fat renders and the edges start to crisp, about 4-5 minutes.
- Remove the chorizo, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook in the rendered fat until softened and starting to caramelise, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sweet paprika, and smoked paprika. Stir through the onions for 30 seconds to bloom the spices in the fat.
- Deglaze with the sherry vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan.
- Return the chorizo to the pan, toss through, and cook for another 1-2 minutes to heat through.
- Finish with the parsley and a squeeze of lemon.
Why isn't my chorizo rendering much fat?
Why are my onions burning instead of caramelising?
Can I use a different vinegar instead of white wine vinegar?
Why does my dish taste greasy?
Garlic Green Beans
SIDES DISHES Ā· EASY
Blanch First, Then Sear
Most people either boil their green beans into grey mush or throw them straight in a pan raw and end up with something squeaky and undercooked. Blanching first, then searing, gets you both ā tender-crisp with real char.
Thirteen minutes start to finish, and it's the kind of side that makes people ask what you did differently ā even though it's just beans, garlic, and lemon.
Toasting the almonds separately keeps them from burning while the beans are still going, and finishing off the heat with fresh lemon zest and juice means the brightness doesn't cook off.
Garlic Green Beans with Toasted Almonds & Lemon
Ingredients
- 400 g Green Beans Trimmed
- 30 g Flaked Almonds
- 3 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 20 g Unsalted Butter
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- Ā½ Lemon Zested
- 15 ml Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Method
- Blanch the green beans in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until bright green and just tender. Drain.
- Toast the flaked almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, tossing frequently, until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the green beans and sautƩ for 2-3 minutes until lightly charred in spots.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant ā donāt let it brown or it turns bitter.
- Remove from the heat and toss through the lemon zest, lemon juice, and toasted almonds. Season with salt and pepper.
Can I skip blanching and just sear the beans?
Why did my almonds burn?
Why is my garlic bitter?
Can I use whole almonds instead of flaked?
Garlic Mushrooms
SIDES DISHES Ā· EASY
Give Them Room to SautƩ
Mushrooms are almost 90% water ā crowd the pan and they steam instead of brown, turning grey and rubbery. Give them space and let them sit, and you get an actual restaurant-style sautĆ©.
Fifteen minutes, one pan, and the payoff is real: deeply browned mushrooms finished in garlic butter with fresh thyme, not the sad grey version most people end up with.
The sherry deglaze at the end picks up every browned bit left in the pan ā that's concentrated flavour you'd otherwise just wash down the drain.
Garlic Butter Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 500 g Button Mushrooms Halved
- 30 g Unsalted Butter
- 15 ml Olive Oil
- 4 Garlic Cloves Minced
- Flat Leaf Parsley Small Handfull
- Thyme Small Handfull
- 15 ml Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over high heat until shimmering.
- Add the mushrooms in a single layer ā donāt overcrowd the pan, cook in batches if needed.
- Let them sit without touching for 1-2 minutes to develop real colour before tossing.
- Continue cooking, tossing occasionally, until well browned all over, about 5-6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the butter, garlic, and parsley and or thyme. Cook for 30-60 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
- Deglaze with the sherry or lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits.
- Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
