32 Delectable French Side Dishes for You

Here are 32 delectable French side dishes that spell out elegance and deliciousness through food.

Each of these side dishes brings you love from different regions of France and will leave you fantasizing about it in the middle of the day.

I love France because I love food. I called in a favor of french chefs along with spending hours with French cookbooks to help me put together this list of best French side dishes. 

Let’s get to it!

Lyonnaise Potatoes

Total calories (per 100g): 200

Total preparation time: 45 minutes

The French know their ability to turn potatoes into a majestic delicacy!

Named after the French city of Lyon, the side dish is made by boiling potatoes for a few minutes and then pan-frying them in butter.

The crisp and tender potatoes are tossed with strands of rich caramelized onions and seasoned with salt— this recipe is easy to make and can be had even on weeknights.

It is best served with French Onion Roasted Chicken. 

Check out this quick recipe by America’s Test Kitchen

Spinach Au Gratin

Total calories (per 100g): 143

Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Au Gratin is a classic French side dish. It is a baked dish with a light covering of cheese and bread crumbs. 

A gratin thrives with a lot of vegetables, and in the case of Spinach Au Gratin, the vegetable used is spinach. 

This side dish is creamy and delectable and the spinach in it bakes beautifully to impart its distinctive flavor. 

Serve it with a sprinkle of thyme and dusted cheese.

Here is an easy recipe by Rajshri Food

Broccoli Au Gratin

Total calories (per 100g): 178

Total preparation time: 60 minutes

A perfect side dish for potlucks!

Broccoli Au Gratin is yet another cheesy and cream delicacy made with tender broccolis that add a crunch to this baked dish. 

The crunchy and tender broccoli are drizzled with creamy sauce and topped with shredded cheddar cheese and crisp breadcrumbs. 

A hint of sage present in this cheese and broccoli dish gives it a delicate flavor.

Check out this easy recipe by Food Wishes

French Aligot

Total calories (per 100g): 283

Total preparation time: 45 minutes

Aligot is a hearty dish that is popular at French winter dinners.

This humble side dish is made with beating potatoes and cheese together with crème fraîche to create a silky and smooth puree. 

Traditionally, a semi-firm cow’s milk cheese is used for this recipe which adds a slightly mellow flavor. 

Serve a regal meal by pairing this delight with a rich steak!

Here is a simple recipe by Donal Skehan

Potato Soufflé

Total preparation time: 70 minutes

In metaphors, this potato dish is the prince charming of the mashed potato world and is here to save you from the mundane side dishes.

French Potato Soufflé is unlike those delicate soufflés that cannot keep their form for long. Starchy potatoes provide for a strong cohesion that keeps them together.

Rich, savory with a generous amount of melted cheese— this soufflé recipe uses mashed potatoes and gives it a cloud-like texture with a golden-brown crust. 

Check out this recipe by Home Cooking Adventure

French Onion Soup 

Total calories (per 100g): 23

Total preparation time: 80 minutes

With chilly evenings and flannel aesthetics, winters also bring you the chance of having this delicious and chic soup!

Warm and flavorful, French Onion Soup is made with onions and meat/vegetable stock. 

The onions are first caramelized in butter and then white wine is poured to deglaze them. The meat/veggie stock then comes into play and makes this soup flavorful. 

The soup is finished with bread croutons and melted cheese. 

Here is an easy recipe by Babish Culinary Universe

Baked Brie 

Total preparation time: 18 minutes

If you wish to throw a fancy feast but on a budget, then ditch an expensive cheese platter and opt for Baked Brie to serve on the side. 

Baked Brie is quite possibly the best cheese to melt and be gluttonous with. Once you cut through its rind, the melted cheese beautifully oozes out. 

All that is to be done is to throw it into an oven or microwave for a few minutes and serve it with some crackers or toasts. 

Check out this quick recipe by RecipeTin Eats

Green Beans Almondine

Total calories (per 100g): 170

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Are you looking for a side dish that will show your guests your elite taste in food? This French dish will serve your purpose. 

A bright holiday side dish, Green Beans Almondine is a delicious savory dish that is elegant and flavor-robust. 

It is not just green beans with almonds. Sautéed shallots, fresh garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice generously contribute their flavors to this delicacy. 

It’s the best-suited side dish for potlucks.

Here is an easy recipe by Laura in the Kitchen

Ratatouille

Total calories (per 100g): 72

Total preparation time: 75 minutes

A Disney famed dish that will decorate your meal table and elevate your meal experience. 

Ratatouille is an end-of-summer side dish that is packed with fresh and colorful vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and yellow squash.

These vegetables are placed on the bed of delicious sauce made from tomatoes and béchamel. The sauce has a slight garlicky taste and enhances the flavors of this dish.

It pairs up well with pasta or rice.

Check out this recipe by CoolCooking

French Glazed Carrots

Total calories (per 100g): 125

Total preparation time: 15 minutes

A classic French side dish!

French Glazed Carrots are prepared in Vicky-style cooking. This style of cooking entails the vegetables to be cooked in little water with butter and sugar. 

Cooking the carrots in this fashion leaves a nice buttery glaze on it with a smooth and satisfying taste. This dish pairs well with holiday meat dishes like roasts. 

Top it with some fresh parsley before serving. 

Here is a quick recipe by French Cooking Academy

French Lentils

Total preparation time: 40 minutes

A little on the healthy side, French Lentils are very nourishing and comforting. 

Typically cooked with some chopped vegetables like carrots, celery, and onions, this side dish becomes tasteful with the addition of garlic. 

Serve it with Baked Chicken or Tofu or Portobello Mushrooms. 

DIY recipe—

Creamed Leeks

Total calories (per 100g): 126

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

Leeks are an underrated vegetable that deserves more respect. 

In this side dish, the sliced leeks are sautéed in butter until they are tender and then are serenaded with cream and cheese.

This French delicacy is made sweet and savory by the cream whereas the cheese adds a salty kick to the mix. 

DIY recipe—

French Fries

Total calories (per 100g): 312

Total preparation time: 30 minutes

Who doesn’t like French fries?!?!?! This is the one side dish that you can always depend on as it delights both kids and adults alike. 

Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and perfectly salted— French Fries are an excellent side dish for all sorts of gatherings!

Serve it with burgers or sandwiches or pasta; well, it literally pairs with everything.

DIY recipe—

French Potato Dauphinoise

Total calories (per 100g): 100

Total preparation time: 105 minutes

It’s not ‘just another’ gratin dish!

Dauphinoise is a French technique of baking potatoes with milk, cream, and cheese. This side dish is made with the pure indulgence of cream, butter, and cheese.  

Extremely creamy, cheesy, and delightful, this dish will fill your heart with love.

Top it with freshly chopped thyme and serve.  

DIY recipe—

French Peas

Total calories (per 100g): 81

Total preparation time: 20 minutes

A popular side dish in France where it is typically served with a hearty chicken main dish. 

The recipe of this dish takes the ordinary pea and gives it some elite French flavors. 

Usually, the peas are cooked with sweet shallots, diced ham, and a slight addition of sweet cream to complement the peas. 

DIY recipe—

Scalloped Potatoes

Total calories (per 100g): 88

Total preparation time: 80 minutes

You might remember this side dish from a posh holiday dinner.

Scalloped potatoes are made of potatoes and onions, arranged in layers with cream sauce in between, and baked until the dish turns golden and delicious.

Tender, bubbly and beautiful— this French delight will satisfy your tummy and heart.

DIY recipe—

Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms

Total calories (per 100g): 149

Total preparation time: 40 minutes

If you are looking to serve something at your house party, then this side dish will make your guest nag you for its recipe.

Garlic Stuffed Mushrooms are typically made with button mushrooms, stuffed with cheese, garlic, butter, and parsley. 

Rich in flavor, these bite-sized morsels will disappear as soon as they hit the tables. 

DIY recipe—

Carrot Soufflé

Total preparation time: 75 minutes

This side dish pairs perfectly with chicken and beef but can also be kept as a dessert option.

Carrot soufflé is a light and fluffy French dish that is made with pureed carrots mixed with sugar, butter, and eggs. 

This mixture is baked until it acquires a beautiful golden brown color. This is one of the best ways to prepare carrots, and you should try it for sure!

DIY recipe—

Panisse

Total calories (per 100g): 102

Total preparation time: 26 minutes

A beloved dish from Marseilles!

Panisse is fries made out of chickpea flour. It has an extremely crispy exterior with a soft and creamy interior and is perfect to serve when you are bored of French Fries. 

Made with just four ingredients of chickpea flour, salt, butter, and olive oil— this simple and easy dish is quite addictive. 

DIY recipe—

French Potato Pie

Total calories (per 100g): 281

Total preparation time: 180 minutes

A specialty of Limousin, France— this savory pie is elegant and filling. 

Dearly known as Pâté aux Pommes de Terre in French, this potato pie is crafted from a puff pastry with a savory potato filling.

The filling is made from potatoes, garlic, shallots, parsley, pepper, and cream. This side dish is generally served beside a green salad. 

DIY recipe>

Pommes Anna

Total calories (per 100g): 125

Total preparation time: 80 minutes

It must be obvious by now that the French love potatoes and cook the potatoes with that love. 

This simple yet lively dish is made with layers of thinly sliced potatoes, which sandwich between them garlic and thyme butter, and has a sprinkle of parmesan. 

Serve it at your next gathering and see how it becomes your showstopper. 

DIY recipe—

Truffade 

Total calories (per 100g): 222

Total preparation time: 50 minutes

Auvergne sends its love from France with this side dish.

It is traditionally made with Cantal cheese, potatoes, and bacon; its vegetarian version makes up for the lost bacon with additional herbs and cheese. 

It is a wintry indulgence that can be served as a side dish during holidays or for dinner before a fireplace. 

DIY recipe>

Piperade

Total calories (per 100g): 94

Total preparation time: 45 minutes

A sweet and spicy side dish that is mouthwateringly tasty. 

This French side dish, or rather a special dish from the Basque region of France, is made with sweet peppers which are seasoned with spicy espelette peppers. 

Its flavors are enhanced when it is served beside a meat dish, pasta, or at brunch with some crusty bread.

DIY recipe—

Fougasse

Total calories (per 100g): 226.8

Total preparation time: 15 minutes

The French relative of Italian Focaccia bread!

Fougasse is a French flatbread that is usually seasoned with olive oil and salt; but other herbs, like rosemary, can also be added to elevate its flavors.

This bread has a stunning design of a rustic leaf and has spongy with a slightly chewy texture. 

DIY recipe—

French-Style Lobster Bisque

Total calories (per 100g): 100

Total preparation time: 25 minutes

French lobster bisque has got to be the ultimate thick and creamy soup that you have ever had in your life.

This Bisque is made with lobster meat which is drowned in a thick and wholesomely seasoned cream. 

It’s a delectable side dish that pairs gorgeously well with bread, salad, and Chardonnay meal.

DIY recipe—

Pumpkin Soup

Total calories (per 100g): 29

Total preparation time: 55 minutes

You’ll ‘fall’ for this soup during autumn and you’ll still be in love with it in winters.

Easy to make and healthy, Pumpkin soup made in a classic French fashion is beyond delicious.

Rich with delicate and savory flavors, this soup has a velvety texture and is an excellent choice of side dish for a wholesome lunch. 

DIY recipe—

French Bouillabaisse

Total calories (per 100g): 106

Total preparation time: 70 minutes

Yet another dish from the lovely city of Marseilles.

Bouillabaisse is essentially a fish stew with a tomato base. In its city of origin, this stew is made with varieties of fish which makes this seafood-driven soup hearty. 

The broth has a distinctive flavor of saffron, orange zest, and fennel. Also, it has a very inviting orange color. 

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

Total calories (per 100g): 310

Total preparation time: 55 minutes

Add more veggies to your plate with this side dish. 

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables take simple roasted vegetables to a different level with balsamic vinegar. 

The vinegar adds tanginess to the dish and deepens the natural flavor of the vegetables. It goes great with roasted meat and even with heavy vegetarian dishes.

DIY recipe—

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Total calories (per 100g): 102

Total preparation time: 25 minutes

This soup is utterly comforting during winters and soothes the soul as well as the stomach. 

It’s one of the classic soup recipes in the French kitchens with its smooth and velvety texture and creamy flavor. 

It becomes exquisite with some bacon-thyme croutons. Easy to make and quick, it can be added to your regular weeknight menu.

DIY recipe—

Mushrooms Duxelles 

Total preparation time: 35 minutes

This one is a powerful recipe that makes for a side dish as well as a condiment.

Mushrooms Duxelles is an ardently flavored mushroom recipe made with fresh shallots and herbs like parsley and thyme. 

It is used for flavoring soups and ravioli but it makes for a wicked spread for crostini and can be added as a flavor enhancer in mashed potatoes. 

DIY recipe—

Herbed White Bean Soup

Total calories (per 100g):  73

Total preparation time: 120 minutes

In this dish, the filling white beans are combined with crisp bacon in the herb-laced broth. The beans add a velvety touch to the soup and leave a great mouth-feel.

The simmering part may take a while but it is this part that brings together all the flavors.

DIY recipe—

French Grilled Romaine Hearts

Total preparation time: 10 minutes

Romaine lettuce has its charm and is quite popular for its crisp texture and fresh flavor. 

When this lettuce is grilled, its natural sweetness gets infused with the smoky flavor imparted by the grill to create a satisfying taste. 

Its flavors taste supreme with strongly flavored vinaigrette dressings or even with simple salt and pepper. 

DIY recipe—

The Bottom Line

We hope this wholesome guide gave you a taste of the most exquisite French side dishes. 

If you have any tips or suggestions, do let us know below.

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