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25 Simple Side Dishes to Serve with Salmon

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Credit: Amelia Rampe

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

It always feels like a treat when salmon is in my dinner’s lineup. This rich-tasting fish is a family favorite that everyone around the table is happy to gobble up. I love it because it’s easy to prepare and there are so many ways to cook it . Take your pick between cooking salmon in the oven , under the broiler for an extra-speedy dinner, or on the grill . You can even cook salmon straight from the freezer .

The best side dishes for salmon should be simple enough to make while the salmon cooks, and deliver plenty of flavor without outshining or overpowering the beautiful fish. We think basics like rice, vegetables, or salad work well with salmon. Here are 25 easy side dish recipes that pair perfectly with salmon, no matter how you plan on cooking it.

1 / 25

French-Inspired Potato Salad

This simple, stunning potato salad replaces the mayo with two types of tangy mustard, a shocking amount of herbs for a fresh side that's easy to devour.

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2 / 25

Crunchy Cabbage Slaw with Farro, Pecorino, and Dates

This crunchy, no-wilt salad is packed with red cabbage, shredded kale, dates, farro, and Pecorino cheese, and leaves you with ample leftovers for lunch.

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3 / 25

Oven-Caramelized Cabbage Wedges

Cooked in a fiercely hot oven, cabbage ascends to the ranks of potato chips: crisp, golden, savory, toasty.

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4 / 25

Mushroom Rice Pilaf

This creamy mushroom and herb-flecked skillet makes the perfect side to anything you're cooking for dinner, or better yet top it with a yolky poached or fried egg to make it the star of your plate.

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5 / 25

Grilled Zucchini

Grilling gives the mild-mannered squash a spunky, smoky attitude, and it makes a great partner to salmon no matter how you cook it.

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6 / 25

Perfectly Cooked Green Beans

For perfectly cooked green beans that are flavorful, crisp, and tender, you have to employ a quick two-step technique. Here's how to do it.

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7 / 25

Easy Skillet Kale with Lemon & Garlic

There aren’t any big secrets to making awesome kale — you just need a large skillet, plenty of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon.

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8 / 25

Cheesy Grilled Parmesan Broccoli

Marinated broccoli gets tossed with Parmesan and grilled to tender, smoky perfection.

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9 / 25

Tangy Cucumber Salad

A light, fresh salad of quick-pickled cucumbers and chopped fresh chives that's perfect for your next potluck or barbecue.

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10 / 25

One-Pot Smoked Almond and Herb Couscous

This side dish recipe for couscous spiced with smoked paprika and flecked with almonds and parsley.

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11 / 25

Tangy Carrot Slaw

When you're craving something crunchy, fresh, and a little tangy, this simple slaw delivers every time.

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12 / 25

Garlicky Roasted Broccoli

This broccoli takes just a few minutes to throw into the oven and emerges toasty around the edges and garlicky and a little spicy.

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13 / 25

Honey-Garlic Butter Roasted Carrots

Once you’ve tasted these roasted carrots bathed in a honey-garlic butter sauce, you may never want to eat them any other way.

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14 / 25

Butter-Roasted Sweet Potatoes

These potatoes are roasted until they are a dark amber on the outside, creating a layer of deeply caramelized sweet potato that just barely holds the soft, buttery insides together.

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15 / 25

Easy Lemon-Ginger Spinach

Not only is this easy weeknight side packed with light, refreshing flavors from lemon and ginger, but it also goes with everything.

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16 / 25

Saucy Chili-Garlic Cucumber Noodles

A punchy and fragrant chili-garlic vinaigrette will keep you coming back to this noodle salad.

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17 / 25

Peanut, Carrot, and Cabbage Slaw

This summer side dish is not quite coleslaw, and definitely not green salad. It has a subtle bite from the citrus, a nuttiness from the sesame oil, and a creaminess from the peanut butter.

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18 / 25

Marinated White Beans

This recipe for quick, garlicky marinated white beans that can be enjoyed on toast, tossed with grains, or eaten on their own as a side dish.

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19 / 25

Creamy Spinach Parmesan Orzo

This recipe for quick and easy creamy orzo pasta made with spinach and Parmesan cheese. It's a perfect vegetarian dinner or simple side side.

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20 / 25

Wild Rice Pilaf with Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries

Wild rice studded with butternut squash, pecans, and dried cranberries, which can be enjoyed warm or cold.

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21 / 25

Stir-Fried Lettuce (or Baby Bok Choy) with Garlic Chiles

Here is a recipe and a stir-fry technique that any of us can take into our kitchens and adapt to just about any vegetable we find in the fridge.

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22 / 25

Cacio e Pepe Broccoli

The beloved pasta meets roasted broccoli florets in this place, feel-good side dish.

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23 / 25

One-Pot Rich Lemon Rice

This vegetarian dish is part risotto, part carbonara. Rich and creamy thanks to eggs and Parmesan, its burst of brightness comes from a squeeze of lemon.

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24 / 25

Minty Snap Pea Salad

This refreshing snap pea salad with fresh mozzarella, radishes, and lots of fresh mint.

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25 / 25

Lemon-Pepper Asparagus

This simple side dish is just as much about the tender roasted asparagus as it is about the burnished lemon slices that are tossed in the mix.

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Meghan Splawn

Food Editor, Skills

Meghan is the Food Editor for Kitchn's Skills content. She's a master of everyday baking, family cooking, and harnessing good light. Meghan approaches food with an eye towards budgeting — both time and money — and having fun. Meghan has a baking and pastry degree, and spent the first 10 years of her career as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. She co-hosts a weekly podcast about food and family called Didn't I Just Feed You.

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Source : food