Vegetable side to make with black bean soup and cornbread

I'm having a (super casual) party tomorrow night for some vegetarians. I'm making black bean soup and cornbread, and someone is bringing chips and guacamole. I'd like to have one more vegetable side dish to serve with the soup... I was thinking of something with sweet potatoes, but they seem a little mushy given the mushiness of the soup. Any thoughts on what would be a good, relatively easy to prep, extra vegetarian dish?

fearlessem
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16 Comments

fearlessem
fearlessem November 30, 2012
Hey -- Thank you for all the suggestions. I did something of a combo from many of the inspirations here... I roasted chunks of delicata squash, sprinkled with cumin and aleppo peppers, and then I also roasted some sliced brussels sprouts. Mixed them together, and added toasted pumpkin seeds and lime juice. Tastes good now -- we'll see how the guests like it!
 
blanka.n
blanka.n November 30, 2012
I would try a roasted vegetable of some sort like Brussell sprouts, broccolli or cauliflower.
I'm sure you're doing a salad also.
 
blanka.n
blanka.n November 30, 2012
I would try a roasted vegetable of some sort like Brussell sprouts, broccolli or cauliflower.
I'm sure you're doing a salad also.
 
FutureChef
FutureChef November 29, 2012
If you still want sweet potatoes, I've had some delicious tacos with chorizo, sweet potatoes, and cotija cheese. Since it's a vegetarian dinner party, I would just mimic the effect of chorizo by incorporating garlic, paprika, and oregano in a sweet potato-walnut mixture. It would retain the flavor profile but be healthier. :)
 
Inko
Inko November 29, 2012
You could use the magic lime in several simple ways: sliced jicama with lime and cayenne on it, or diced watermelon with lime juice and mint ( and maybe a little feta), or roasted butternut squash - toss slices in oil, roast them and then sprinkle with lime juice , garlic , salt and smoky paprika.
 
alioops8
alioops8 November 14, 2013
I tried the butternut squash last night with my black bean soup and it was amazing and my family loved it!!! Thanks!!!!
 
Sam1148
Sam1148 November 29, 2012
How about a jicama salad/slaw with lime and tomatoes? Maybe some orange wedge in the mix.
 
HalfPint
HalfPint November 29, 2012
Strangely enough, I immediately thought of one of my favorite slaws - a classic cabbage slaw (mayo-based) with some grated tart apples, like Granny Smith, mixed in. The apples cuts the mayo flavor and brightens up the slaw.
 
drbabs
drbabs November 29, 2012
I like a crunchy salad with soup. The Brussels Sprouts Salad a la M.Wells, and the Arugula, Pear and Goat Cheese salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette are 2 of my Food52 favorites. (I can't include the links; sorry.)
 
fearlessem
fearlessem November 29, 2012
Thanks drbabs -- I have Brussels Sprouts in the house, and that salad looks great! I may try it with pumpkin seeds instead of walnuts, to complement the other Mexican flavors.
 
drbabs
drbabs November 30, 2012
What a great idea! You might want to add jicama and maybe a ground dried chile for spice instead of the pimenton. (You can definitely leave out the speck without the salad suffering. I do it all the time.)
 
fearlessem
fearlessem November 29, 2012
No tomatoes and corn here. I was planning on serving the soup with shredded cheddar and sour cream, and since someone is bringing guacamole I thought avocado might be overkill... Keep em coming!
 
Kenzi W.
Kenzi W. November 29, 2012
Ohh good Idea. If it's shredded, you could put out little topping bowls, which could be fun. Sliced avocado, salsa, and/or sliced green onion?
 
jsdunbar
jsdunbar November 29, 2012
What about cheese, a selection, with grainy crackers, or shredded, to put on top of the soup?
 
Kenzi W.
Kenzi W. November 29, 2012
Are tomatoes and corn in season where you are? Some kind of raw salad with cilantro, lime, and punchy red onion comes to mind.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames November 29, 2012
To add a bit of texture to the soup, I'd probably crumble some chips on each bowl as a garnish. And on the side, I'd make a cole slaw type salad with jicama, napa cabbage -- what we get at our Korean grocers here has a nice dark leaf -- and Fuyu persimmon, in a citrus/cilantro vinaigrette. To save time, I'd buzz all three primary ingredients through the shredding blade of my food processor. Gee, now I want to make that for dinner . . . . ;o)
 
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