20 Delicious Side Dishes for Salmon

Green Bean and Garlic Sautée — The Spruce

Whether you grill it, bake it, or fry it up in a pan, salmon is America's favorite fish. But what should you pair with it? While this rich-tasting fish is versatile, the best side dishes for salmon will balance its flavor while still allowing it to shine. Here are our favorite recipes to serve with salmon.

44 Salmon Recipes to Help Solve Your Dinner Dilemma

01 of 20

Mushroom Risotto

The Spruce

Rich-tasting mushroom risotto makes an elegant side dish for salmon whether you're entertaining or having a date night at home. Simmering the rice in mushroom stock infuses it with incredible flavor and the classic slow-cooking method helps the rice to release its starches, for a thick and creamy dish with no need for added cream.
02 of 20

Lemon and Garlic Broccoli

Diana Rattray

Tasty lemon garlic broccoli takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and makes a healthy side dish for baked or pan-seared salmon fillets. The buttery lemon juice and garlic sauce adds great flavor to simply steamed broccoli. Feel free to add a pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like.
03 of 20

Corn and Lima Bean Bake

Philip Dowell/Getty Images

Bake up a creamy Southern-style succotash casserole with corn, lima beans, pimientos, and a buttery cracker crumb topping for serving with salmon at cookouts. You'll love the custardy sauce, which is easy to make with evaporated milk or cream, eggs, and cheese.
04 of 20

Green Bean and Garlic Sautée

The Spruce

Bright, crisp-tender green beans are a classic side for salmon and taste even better when pan-sauteed with fragrant garlic and a few simple seasonings. Use a microplane to grate your garlic, instead of chopping, if you like a more intense garlic flavor. Top with grated lemon zest for serving.

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05 of 20

Dill, Mint, and Lemon Pesto

Molly Watson

When you're hosting company, but still want to eat healthfully, make this bright-tasting pesto for topping meaty salmon steaks. It uses shelled pistachios in place of pricey pine nuts, and packs in tons of flavor with a trio of fresh herbs.
06 of 20

10-Minute Thai Cucumber Salad With Peanuts

The Spruce

Dress up Asian flavored salmon dishes with this unique, fresh-tasting cucumber salad inspired by Thai cuisine. You can assemble this salad in mere minutes, but it's anything other than ordinary, featuring crunchy cucumbers, tangy shallots, sweet red pepper, spring onions, cilantro, and roasted peanuts, in a tangy, sweet, and spicy dressing.
07 of 20

Scalloped Asparagus With Cheddar Cheese Sauce

The Spruce

Use fresh or frozen asparagus for this indulgent-tasting casserole that envelops the vegetable, and diced pimientos, in a velvety cheddar cheese sauce, topped with a crunchy buttered breadcrumb crust. A little Worcestershire sauce adds a nice savory note to the filling.
08 of 20

Zucchini "Spaghetti" With Tomato, Corn, and Goat Cheese

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Use a spiralizer to transform zucchini into spaghetti-shaped noodles for serving with salmon, as a lighter alternative to pasta. This colorful, healthy "zoodles" recipe includes grape tomatoes, yellow corn kernels, shallots, garlic, and a little olive oil. Toss in some goat cheese, if you like, for added creaminess.

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09 of 20

Easy Roasted Carrots With Parsnips and Herbs

James Ross/Getty Images

Oven roasting brings out the natural sweetness of carrots and parsnips, transforming these budget-friendly root veggies into something special to go with fish. All that is needed is some olive oil, a few chopped fresh herbs, and kosher salt.
10 of 20

Roasted Bok Choy

The Spruce/Jennifer Perillo

Bok choy is a variety of Chinese cabbage that high in healthy nutrients and fiber, with a mellow, peppery flavor similar to mustard greens. It is often sauteed, but develops a deeper flavor when roasted, as in this tasty, 10-minute recipe that adds Asian flavorings to bok choy, for a simple, nutritious side dish.
11 of 20

Spinach Orzo Salad

The Spruce/Pete Scherer

Orzo is a tiny pasta grain with a shape similar to rice. This vibrant, elegant orzo salad with baby spinach, artichoke hearts, and two kinds of cheese is ideal for serving hot or warm with grilled or roasted salmon.
12 of 20

Lemony Lentil Salad

Molly Watson

Lemony lentil salad is super-healthy, easy to prepare, and so tasty you won't be able to stop yourself from going back for seconds. Make it ahead with green or brown lentils, lemon, olive oil, scallions, garlic or shallot, and simple seasonings, storing up to three days in the fridge. Serve at room temperature after the flavors have melded.

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13 of 20

Herb Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

The Spruce

These easy, substantial-tasting herb-roasted fingerling potatoes would look right at home on a holiday table. Make them in 30 minutes to go with salmon, dressing potatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and chopped fresh herbs, before baking them in a single layer in the oven.
14 of 20

Thai Rice Noodle Salad With Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

The Spruce

Thai rice noodle salad makes a fresh and flavorful side for salmon on days when you crave a lighter meal. The healthy dish is loaded with colorful and crunchy fresh vegetables, which mingle with delicate rice noodles in a Thai-flavored dressing that is out of this world.
15 of 20

Skillet Zucchini and Tomatoes

Diana Rattray

Simmer zucchini, tomatoes, and onions on the stove-top with a little olive oil, tomato juice, garlic, and simple seasonings for a super-easy, nutritious summer side dish to serve with salmon fillets. The veggies cook in only 10 minutes, making this an ideal last-minute option when you're rushing to get dinner on the table.
16 of 20

Creamy Mashed Cauliflower and Leeks

Diana Rattray

Move over, mashed potatoes! There's a new, low-carb mash in town. Healthy mashed cauliflower gets extra flavor from soft sauteed leeks and garlic in this easy recipe, with a little butter and heavy cream added for richness.

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17 of 20

Curried Quinoa Pilaf

The Spruce/Anastasiia Tretiak

Curried quinoa pilaf studded with sweet raisins and crunchy cashews makes a healthy, flavorful, low-fat side to serve with cooked salmon fillets. It's simple to prepare in about 15 minutes, and you can enjoy any leftovers the next day, as a protein-rich alternative to your usual brown bag lunch salad.
18 of 20

Creamy Dill Potato Salad

Ina Peters/Stocksy United

When grilled fish is on your cookout menu, round out plates with this delightfully dilly and creamy potato salad. Chopped dill pickles, pickle juice, and snipped fresh dill are the secrets to its fabulous flavor. Keep well-chilled until serving.
19 of 20

Sweet Potato Risotto

Diana Rattray

Delight fall and winter dinner guests with this lusciously creamy sweet potato risotto. The combination of starchy arborio rice, sweet potatoes, pecans, and Parmesan cheese is a knockout on the palate, and pair particularly well with naturally sweet-tasting salmon.
20 of 20

Sauteed Spinach

The Spruce

On busy evenings, get a healthy dinner on the table fast, by serving fish with quick and easy sauteed spinach. Cooking the greens quickly over high heat in a little butter avoids bitterness, and brings out the best in leafy spinach. Add a spritz of lemon juice at the end of cooking for brightness, and serve at once.

15 Healthy and Delicious Side Dishes That Take a Fish Dinner to the Next Level