23 Delicious Side Dishes For Crab Cakes

Get ready for a fabulous dinner.

By

Updated on May 2, 2024

Spring Salad With Berries and Bacon in bowl with tongs for serving - Southern Living — Photo:
Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Crab cakes are often made with breadcrumbs and a heaping helping of butter, so deciding what side dish to serve in tow is always a challenge. Our rule? Find something bright and flavorful yet simple enough not to outshine your cakes. For us, that means grains, vegetables, and salads. Here are a few of our favorite sides to serve with crab cakes any time.

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Roasted Pepper-Tomato Salad With Crispy Black-Eyed Peas

Southern Living Roasted Pepper-Tomato Salad With Crispy Black-Eyed Peas — Greg Dupree; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Melissa Gray

Flavorful heirloom tomatoes, sweet roasted bell pepper, and roasted black-eyed peas are a match made in heaven. Plus, you can make the majority of this salad up to three days in advance.

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Quick Pickled Slaw

Quick Pickled Slaw — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Mindi Shapiro Levine; Food Styling: Tina Stamos

This slaw doesn't need mayo for flavor. Angel hair cabbage, crisp carrots, and crunchy radishes combine with a balanced combination of mild rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and mustard seed for a flavorful alternative to regular coleslaw.

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Spring Salad with Strawberries and Bacon

Spring Salad With Berries and Bacon in bowl with tongs for serving - Southern Living — Johnny Autry; Food and Prop Styling: Charlotte L. Autry

Almost too pretty to eat, this berry-laden salad is a lovely contrast to rich, buttery crab cakes.

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Baked Zucchini Fries

Baked Zucchini Fries — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

"I genuinely could not stop reaching for one after another of these fries!" one editor said about this recipe. "Because they're reminiscent of a mozzarella stick or French fry, these would be a huge win with the picky eaters in your home." While we like serving them with marinara sauce, a tasty seafood dip would be just as appropriate.

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Glazed Carrots

Southern Living Glazed Carrots on a serving platter with a serving fork beside — Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Orange juice and marmalade give these sweet carrots a zesty kick.

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Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, And Onion Salad

Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, and Onion Salad — Hannah Zimmerman

Though humble in its ingredient list, this salad sure packs a punch. Simultaneously refreshing and comforting, it's fantastic alone or mixed into pasta or rice. Thyme, tarragon, basil, rosemary, oregano wrap up the act.

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Asparagus With Cheese Sauce And Herb Breadcrumbs

Asparagus with Cheese Sauce and Herb Breadcrumbs — Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

A drizzle of cheese and breadcrumbs is all you need to enhance the flavor of your spears. This recipe's simple cheese sauce is made by simmering cream with Parmesan. Fresh herbs and lemon zest brighten the dish.

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Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad

Tangy Potato-Green Bean Salad — Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

The lemon-dill vinaigrette in this potato salad is a bright change of pace from your usual creamy version. Plus, you'll love the crunch of tender-crisp green beans and sliced radishes. If you are making it in advance, chill the cooked potatoes in the dressing for 30 minutes, then assemble the salad just before serving.

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Classic Grilled Corn On The Cob

Classic Grilled Corn on the Cob — Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

When it comes to corn on the cob, we like to use the husks as handles. It makes for a pretty presentation and simplifies handling hot ears. Eat it the old-school way with loads of salt and butter, or try one of our delicious drizzles, glazes, and rubs.

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Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad With Field Peas

Lemon Vinaigrette Pasta Salad with Field Peas — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Claire Spollen; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners

A fantastic blend of flavors, this lemony pasta salad is a great way to use up the fresh herbs hanging out in your fridge (or in your garden). You can use frozen field peas, but in summer it's worthwhile to buy them fresh from the market.

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Sautéed Squash And Zucchini

Southern Living Sauteed Squash and Zucchini in a serving bowl — Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Claire Spollen

The ultimate quick-and-easy vegetable combination, this side serves up all the flavor of a squash casserole without the extra calories. Garlic and onions make this light and savory side an excellent complement to seafood.

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Best-Ever Succotash

Best-Ever Succotash — Photo: Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Tina Bell Stamos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

Why not use all of summer's bounty in one glorious dish? Fresh cherry tomatoes, basil, and a little bit of salted butter are just a few of the secrets to our Best-Ever Succotash. This side is open to interpretation and can be customized to include your favorite fresh vegetables.

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Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder

Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder — Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall

All you need is a hunk of bread to go with your crab cakes and summer soup. This recipe calls for fresh ears of corn, so you can include the juices released from the cobs. The brightly colored garnish adds zest to every bowl.

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Tomato, Peach, And Corn Salad

Tomato, Peach, and Corn Salad — Photo: Greg DuPree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Cat Steele

Put your farmers' market finds to good use in this summertime salad you'll want to eat by the forkful. The delicious blend of crunchy sweet corn, ripe peaches, and juicy beefsteak tomatoes in a honey vinaigrette is a surprising but satisfying combination. If you're looking for even more flavor, garnish the salad with fresh basil.

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Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad — Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Ruth Blackburn; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke

If you're an owner of the Southern Living Party Cookbook, circa 1972, you might be familiar with this recipe. The simple dressing includes white wine, so it does have a slightly boozy touch. Cool and refreshing, this salad pairs well with rich crab cakes.

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Pineapple-Pepper Slaw

Pineapple-Pepper Slaw — Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Missie Neville Crawford; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Colorful, crunchy, and with just the right amount of sweetness and heat, this Pineapple-Pepper Slaw is full of flavor. It's equally good over crab cakes or pulled pork. The wonderful honey dressing can also be used on fish and chicken.

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Lady Pea Salad

lady pea salad — Photographer: Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn

Herby and bright, this pea salad is simple but stunning. Lady Peas are a more delicate field pea with mild flavor. When Lady Peas aren't an option, use another mild type of field pea such as Purple Hull, Zipper, or Pink Eye.

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Grilled Endive-And-Halloumi Salad with Strawberries

Grilled Endive-and-Halloumi Salad with Strawberries — Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

To instantly add flavor to any summertime dish, pop it on the grill. Even endive will benefit, developing more mellow, savory notes. Tossing it with bright strawberries and onions makes it taste and look restaurant worthy.

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Chopped Kale Salad With Toasted Breadcrumbs

Chopped Kale Salad with Toasted Breadcrumbs — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis

This lightened-up take on Caesar salad is our new go-to for family meals and dinner parties alike. The toasted breadcrumbs are so delicious, you won't miss croutons for a second. And the Worcestershire sauce adds a richness you can enjoy without the fishy flavor of anchovies.

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Oven-Roasted Corn On The Cob

Baked Corn on the Cob — Caitlin Bensel

You can't go wrong with classic corn on the cob come summertime. This simple, oven-roasted recipe is reliable and works with lots of butter and herb variations. Wrapped in foil, the ears soak up all that buttery goodness before they hit your plate.

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Cucumber-And-Vidalia Onion Salad

Cucumber-and-Vidalia Onion Salad — Greg DuPree; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

This refreshing, veggie-forward side will pair well with just about any main dish you make, including juicy crab cakes. Even though it looks pretty enough to be on Instagram, it only takes 10 minutes to get it on the table. Make sure to use a sweet and mild Vidalia onion for this salad.

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Tangy Rainbow Slaw

Tangy Rainbow Slaw — Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

This light cole slaw recipe puts the focus on the veggies instead of a heavy mayo dressing. You'll love the addition of toasted sesame oil and peanuts, as well as sweet and crispy apples.

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Peach Salsa

Peach Salsa — Jennifer Causey; Food Styling: Loren Wood; Prop Styling: Christine Keely

This sweet and spicy salsa is a versatile side that can be used as a dip, topping, or salad. Plus, it takes just a few minutes to toss together and marinate. Load up your crab cakes with a generous scoop or serve it over a bed of lettuce.

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