40 Irish-Inspired Side Dishes That Are Better Than Boiled Cabbage
Lucky you!
We get it—St.Patrick's Day can bring up unpleasant memories of getting pinched for not wearing green, arduous bar crawls, and leprechauns and shamrocks in your face everywhere. It doesn't have to be that way! Even if you’re usually icked by unnaturally green food and aren’t a big drinker, St. Patrick’s Day can (and should!) be a day of pure celebration, and by that we mean making a lovely, traditional dinner at home. You’ll likely go with one of the hard hitters for your main dish, like corned beef and cabbage or shepherd’s pie (or shepherd's pot pie), but don’t forget about Irish-inspired side dishes too. We've got 40 here to inspire you—they're lovely for St. Patrick's Day (and we bet you'll return to them the rest of the year too!).
St. Patrick’s Day always occurs days before the Spring Equinox, heralding in sunshine and warm weather and (hurray!) fresh veggies after a long, cold winter. We love this holiday as an excuse to marry classic winter vegetables like potatoes and cabbage with fresh spring options like our spring pea & feta dip and spinach dip rolls. The best example of this has got to be colcannon or Irish sausage & champ; they're quite possibly the most quintessential Irish side dish there is, second maybe only to soda bread.
If you’re not into mashed potatoes with greens, we’ve got lots of other potato options for ya too. Our whipped feta roasted potatoes, crispy domino potatoes, pan-fried potatoes; soups like our potato leek soup and lemony white bean & potato soup; and our potato rolls prove you really can't go wrong with spuds. Not sure you’re into cabbage? Our bacon fried cabbage, our cheesy cabbage gratin, and our beer braised cabbage will make a brassica lover out of you. Whatever you go with, these side dishes will make your meal even luckier and tastier than before.
Want even more St. Patrick’s Day inspiration? Check out our best Irish food, St. Patrick's Day drinks, Irish appetizers, and St. Patrick's Day desserts too!
Boxty
Can’t decide between a crispy latke and a pile of creamy mashed potatoes? Make boxty. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy in the center, these Irish potato pancakes give you the best of both iconic potato dishes in a single bite.
Get the Boxty recipe.
Corned Beef & Cabbage Sliders
One of the most classic pairings for corned beef is cabbage. So in honor of this iconic St. Patrick’s day duo, these corned beef sliders pack all of those festive flavors into a bite-size package.
Get the Corned Beef & Cabbage Sliders recipe.
Crispy Domino Potatoes
If a pan of scalloped potatoes and a bag of chips got together, these domino potatoes would be their love child. Crisp and buttery on the edges, but soft and creamy in the center, these potatoes will reset the bar for everything you thought a potato could be.
Get the Crispy Domino Potatoes recipe.
Irish Soda Bread
Though the dough for this recipe is rather traditional, how we serve it (with chocolate 😅) is not. If you want to bake up a classic loaf, skip the mini chocolate chips and don't sprinkle extra sugar on top. Personally, we really love our sweeter, chocolatey version, but a plain slice served warm with salty Irish butter is just as amazing as a dinner side.
Get the Irish Soda bread recipe.
Colcannon
Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish made of creamy mashed potatoes and some green veggie, usually cabbage or kale. Here, we opt for a scallion and kale combo for vibrant color and deeper, nuttier flavors, but feel free to get creative—try folding in Brussels sprouts, broccoli, or even kimchi!
Get the Colcannon recipe.
Spring Pea & Feta Dip
In our spring pea & feta dip, sweet spring peas are blanched until tender yet vibrant green, then blended with tangy feta cheese, creating a luscious base that's both creamy and savory.
Get the Spring Pea & Feta Dip recipe.
Spinach Dip Rolls
To create this easy side, chopped spinach, marinated artichokes, and three types of cheese—Parmesan, cheddar, and Gruyère—are rolled into flaky puff pastry, topped with everything bagel seasoning, and baked until golden brown.
Get the Spinach Dip Rolls recipe.
Shamrockuterie Board
This decked-out board is loaded with corned beef, Irish cheddar, kettle-cooked potato chips, hard pretzels, rainbow bagel chips, and fresh veggies, all surrounded by baby gherkin pickles, grainy mustard, sauerkraut, and dip-stuffed bell peppers.
Get the Shamrockuterie Board recipe.
Lemony White Bean & Potato Soup
In this one-pot bean and potato soup, a simple combination of potatoes, leeks, and fresh lemon is transformed into something wholly unique and delicious.
Bacon Fried Cabbage
If you want to venture into the world of cabbage that goes beyond corned beef or coleslaw, try this fried cabbage on for size. Hearty and flavorful, it only requires 5 ingredients (if you don't count the salt and pepper). Plus, one of those ingredients is bacon! This simple recipe might just convert even the most ardent of cabbage haters.
Get the Bacon Fried Cabbage recipe.
Green Goddess Soup
For this recipe, we took inspiration from one of our favorite salad dressings, Green Goddess. The creamy green dressing is wholesome, herbaceous, and can improve even the most lackluster of salads, so we knew it had potential to be an incredible soup. Eating our greens just got a whole lot easier and tastier!
Get the Green Goddess Soup recipe.
Irish Sausages & Champ
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day than cooking traditional pub fare? Think of this like British bangers & mash, but with distinctive Irish heritage and flair. They're incredible as a meal all together, but these flavorful sausages, mashed potatoes, and onion gravy also make incredible sides for St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.
Get the Irish Sausages & Champ recipe.
Irish Brown Bread
This quick bread (meaning no yeast or rise) has a dense yet tender interior that’s as good for dipping into a creamy winter soup as it is for turning into a corned beef sandwich. Don't forget the Irish butter!
Get the Irish Brown Bread recipe.
Whipped Feta Roasted Potatoes
Think about when something creamy hits your mouth at the same time as something crispy—YUM! This recipe is the perfect example of that satisfying texture combo: Hot, crispy potatoes are spooned onto a billowy cloud of whipped feta, then showered with lemon zest and fresh herbs. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Get the Whipped Feta Roasted Potatoes recipe.
Roasted Parsnips
Parsnips don't get nearly the attention they deserve in the United States, but Ireland is ALL about them. They know that roasting them makes them slightly sweet and perfectly tender for a quick side dish you might just love more than potatoes.
Get the Roasted Parsnips recipe.
Beer Braised Cabbage
Don’t overlook the humble cabbage! It’s a natural flavor absorber that pairs well with punchy, intense ingredients (think kimchi), but we also think it can stand up and shine all on its own.
Get the Beer Braised Cabbage recipe.
Shepherd's Pie Baked Potatoes
We’re so obsessed with our new and improved shepherd’s pie recipe that we had to turn it into a potato skin. The saucy, red-wine spiked ground beef and vegetable mixture gets loaded into hollowed-out russet potatoes, topped with Parmesan mashed potatoes, and baked until all of the flavors mingle and meld.
Get the Shepherd's Pie Baked Potatoes recipe.
Creamed Spinach
Creamed spinach is a simple side dish that is also the perfect way to use up an abundance of dying spinach. The creaminess will make you forget you're eating greens!
Get the Creamed Spinach recipe.
Peas & Carrots
A quick side dish is always appreciated, especially one as easy as this. It goes well with your steak dinners, your rice & beans, or your vegan meatloaf, but if you really love your peas and carrots, you could just eat this in one sitting, as a meal (we have! 😉).
Get the Peas & Carrots recipe.
