34 Irish Side Dishes That'll Beat Boiled Cabbage Every Time

If you’re icked by unnaturally green food and aren’t a big drinker, you might think St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the holiday for you. We get it—the holiday 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! You can still celebrate by 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, but don’t forget about Irish-inspired side dishes too. We've got 34 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. 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, our pan-fried potatoes, our potato leek 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!