Can you recommend a side dish for a bring-and-share meal?

[Yellowdaisies7]

It would be great to have recommendations for a side dish that's delicious, easy to transport, doesn't need heating, and is not too carby!

And if possible, one that can be made 2 days in advance and will still be fine! It could be made the day before if needed, though!

Thank you so much for ideas! If you have a good idea for this, I would be super grateful if you would include the recipe!

Many thanks!!!

This one is nice.

Cube pumpkin. Sprinkle and stir through your favourite spice mix (za atar, Cajun, ras al hanout etc). Roast until brown.

Mix the pumpkin with your favourite salad onion, nuts (pine, walnut and pecans have strong enough flavour to cope), black olives and a tin of cannellini beans.

On the day, crumble over Greek feta and either serve over green leaves or tear the leaves and fold through for freshness. A vinaigrette sprinkled over and stir.

It’s quite easy, has good flavour and colour, is filling but surprisingly light. Sliced celery is also the sort of thing that will work well if included.

I wouldn’t make a rice dish 24-48 hours before it was needed and then to be carried to a venue and possibly sitting around for a while. The food poisoning risk is too high.

Pasta salad needs to be banned.

This broccoli salad is unbelievably delicious and HAS to be made 24 hours in advance. Low carb too.

https://www.recipetineats.com/broccoli-salad/

What is the main OP?

A side for roast beef will not be the same as for a vegi quiche.

For my lunch today I am making stuffed beefsteak tomatoes, I'm using cous cous but you could do chopped veg, herbs and spices.

I put a couple of recipes for dips on this thread

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5536090-whats-for-dinner-the-vegetarian-version?latest=1

Griddled Mediterranean veg left to marinade in olive oil, lemon juice and mixed dried herbs.

Jamie Oliver Green Bean Salad. Basically green beans tossed with a buttery, garlic, shallot dressing. Google the recipie. It’s lovely cold but gorgeous warm. Goes with everything. You could bring beans cooked al dente in a bowl with the dressing in a jar. Blast in a microwave for 20 seconds for warmth and dress and you are done.
Otherwise puy lentils in a mint and shallot dressing, chopped beetroot on the top with feta crumbles.
We do ‘bring a side dish’ regularly here. Just make sure there is no cooking or assembling needed once you arrive.Try and bring your own service dish and serving utensils too. It’s infuriating to have guests clattering around in the kitchen while you are trying to cook asking for knives, chopping boards, pots, pandas and serving dishes and asking for space in full ovens. Looking at you dear friend who offered to bring the starter for Xmas dinner and arrived with a shopping bag of the ingredients for puff pastry things. She was rolling out sodding puff pastry and asking for eggs, whisks, rolling pins, flour, muffin tins while I was trying to organise Xmas dinner for 16.
she then did a sad face when I said no there was no room in the oven!

https://www.wholesomeyum.com/brussels-sprout-salad/

let a food processor to the chopping, make up the dressing but dress on the day.

Roasted anything tossed in red pesto (ideally homemade).

I especially like this with halved roasted new potatoes (or Jersey royals at this time of year), but if you are after something less carby it's also good with roasted tenderstem broccoli and/or asparagus (asparagus also good steamed or boiled). Or any combination of peppers, courgette, aubergine, onion roasted together.