15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (2024)

Pair salmon with one of these delicious veggie side dishes. Vegetables that go with salmon, like zucchini, broccoli, cucumber and spinach, are perfect sides especially for summer. Plus, they're easy to make, only taking 30 minutes or less to prepare. Recipes like our Cauliflower Rice and Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Carrots are flavorful and seasonal.

Vegetable side dishes always taste best when fresh, but if you havecooked leftovers, you can enjoy them longer if you properly store them. A set ofairtight containersis always a wise investment, as it will help slow down spoilage and prevent odors from mingling with your other fridge foods. Before packing,most cooked vegetables should be cooledto room temperature before affixing the lid. Otherwise, the seal may be compromised, plus the steam from the hot vegetables will wreak havoc on your finished dish. As with any food, the number of days that cooked leftovers will be good is a guideline. Using your senses and good judgment will help determine freshness. If your food looks odd or smells odd, it's best to toss it.

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Creamy Cucumber Salad

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This creamy cucumber salad is an easy side dish for any summer BBQ. Bright dill and white-wine vinegar add fresh tartness to cucumbers and red onions. Enjoy this salad the day you prepare it so the ingredients don't turn watery.

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Cauliflower Rice

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When cauliflower is pulsed in a food processor, it magically turns into a vegetable that really resembles white rice. In this easy recipe, cauliflower rice is made into an herbed pilaf.

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Garlic & Parmesan Roasted Carrots

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (3)

Roasting carrots in the oven brings out their inherent sweetness, while Parmesan and garlic give this easy side dish a flavorful savory accent.

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Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

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Air-Fryer Corn on the Cob

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (5)

Air-fryer corn on the cob is a simple way to cook sweet corn with little mess. We like it smothered in butter, salt and pepper, but any spice blend will work well.

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Spinach Salad with Ginger-Soy Dressing

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (6)

This spinach salad tossed with spunky ginger dressing was inspired by the iceberg salads served at Japanese steakhouses across the U.S. Add shrimp for lunch or a light supper.

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Air-Fryer Zucchini

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Zucchini crisps up nicely in this simple air-fryer zucchini recipe. The interior is creamy and soft without feeling mushy, with the outside remaining crispy. A squeeze of lemon after cooking adds brightness and tang.

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Vinaigrette Coleslaw

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (8)

If you prefer, make this salad with broccoli slaw mix instead of the coleslaw mix.

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Air-Fryer Asparagus

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (9)

Use your air fryer to crisp up tender asparagus for a simple and easy side dish. If your air fryer is large enough, you can cook the asparagus in one batch. If it's smaller, cook the asparagus in two batches, keeping the first batch warm as the second batch cooks.

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Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

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These tender-crisp lemon-garlic green beans have tons of flavor from shallots, garlic and the tangy lemon. It's the perfect simple green bean side dish that pairs well with everything.

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Steamed Broccolini with Creamy Lemon-Caper Sauce

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A bright and herby sauce, a riff on the classic French sauce gribiche, is an easy way to dress up simple steamed broccolini.

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Air-Fryer Carrots

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Air-fryer carrots are an easy side dish that pairs with just about everything. Here the carrots are tossed with a touch of brown sugar and spices, with Parmesan cheese adding a savory note. Go even cheesier with a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese for garnish, if you like.

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Air-Fryer Sweet Potatoes

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These air-fryer sweet potatoes are nicely crisped around the edges and tender on the inside. Ground sumac adds a nice tang to the spice mix, but paprika can be used in its place.

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Charred Sugar Snap Peas with Sesame-Chili Sauce

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Be sure to let these sugar snap peas get some at-the-edge-of-burnt color in the skillet. It's the secret to the knockout flavor of this easy and healthy side dish.

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Bang Bang Cabbage Slaw

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15 Easy Summer Sides to Pair with Salmon (15)

Here we pair Bang Bang sauce, a sweet and spicy sauce made famous by the restaurant chain Bonefish Grill, with shredded cabbage and crunchy carrots and celery. You can swap out the carrots and celery for other crunchy vegetables like thinly sliced sweet bell peppers and radishes. Serve this easy slaw alongside grilled shrimp or use it to top a grilled fish sandwich.