20 Side Dishes to Rely on All Summer Long

By Alison Spiegel
May 30, 2018
© Marcus Nilsson
Whether you spend a lot of time in front of the grill or in the comfort of your air conditioned kitchen over the next few months, cooking should be easy this summer. Fresh produce needs little to shine, and when the beach, pool or campsite is calling, you don’t want to spend hours laboring over dinner. Whatever centerpiece you’re serving, be it grilled fish or barbecue chicken, the sides should be as easy to assemble as they are delicious. So, we’ve rounded up 20 easy side dishes that are great for crowds and celebrate the best of the season—from cucumbers to corn— to keep in steady rotation this summer.
Start Slideshow
Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.

1 of 20

Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Pancetta  

Greg DuPree

Best New Chef Michael Gallina of Vicia in St. Louis has a way with vegetables, and this time of year tomatoes are his muse. His Burst Cherry Tomatoes and Pancetta is a simple sauté that brings everything to the table: sweet acidity from the tomatoes; a salty, savory chew from the pancetta; and aromatics from the garlic and onion. The pancetta seasons the mixture, which begs to be served over ricotta toast.

Go to recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 20

Grilled Baby Potato Salad

© Con Poulos

This modern take on potato salad forgoes mayo for a base of vinegar and olive oil. Justin Chapple also grills the potatoes to add a great smoky flavor before tossing them with quickly pickled red onions. But the best part is the playful salt-and-vinegar potato chip topping, which adds an addictive crunch.

Go to Recipe

3 of 20

Blistered Snap Peas with Mint

© FREDRIKA STJÄRNE

Get a skillet really, really hot before adding the snap peas; they make a fun popping sound when they hit the pan. Then put the skillet straight into a hot oven, tossing the peas every few minutes so they don’t burn.

Go to recipe
Advertisement

4 of 20

Mexican Grilled-Corn Salad with Citrus Aioli

Rick Poon

This sweet, salty corn salad is the perfect picnic side. Bonus: You can make the aioli the night before and fold in right before serving.

Go to Recipe

5 of 20

Haricots Verts and Potato Salad with Pesto


© John Kernick

This traditional Italian salad from chef Chris Behr of the Rome Sustainable Food Project is incredibly versatile. He adds roasted almonds here for crunch, but he also likes to fold in blanched fresh peas and halved pitted olives.

Go to Recipe

6 of 20

Grilled Eggplant, Apricot and Tomato Salad

CON POULOS

This simple summer salad from Portland, Oregon, chef Joshua McFadden perfectly showcases summer produce at its peak. When corn season is in full swing, cut the sweet, raw kernels off the cob and toss them into this dish.

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 20

Caramelized Coconut Green Beans

Jennifer Causey

Instead of dried flaked or shredded coconut, chef Biju Thomas uses meaty fresh coconut in this vegetable dish. You can find the fresh chunks in some well-stocked produce sections, or buy the frozen unsweetened variety at Trader Joe’s or a natural food store. Fried mustard seeds, coriander, and chiles light up the dish with color and texture.

Get the recipe

8 of 20

Watermelon, Feta and Almond Salad

© Christina Holmes

Chef Scott Conant likes serving summer's juiciest, sweetest watermelon just with feta, salt and crunchy toasted almonds.

Go to recipe

9 of 20

Crispy Smashed Potatoes with Fried Onions and Parsley

Abby Hocking

“For those of you who have struggled with these in the past, I can offer you a few tips to make your life easier: Don’t oversteam or they will fall apart, never giving them a chance to hit that oil. Don’t understeam or you’ll never be able to crush them. Let them cool a bit before you smash them so they also dry out a bit, making them less likely to fall apart. The oil must be hot. Think of this as a shallow-fry: if the oil is not hot enough, it will soak into the potato rather than crisp it up.” Reprinted from Dining In: Highly Cookable Recipes. Copyright © 2017 by Alison Roman. Photographs by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriott. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 20

Tomatoes with Herbs and Almond Vinaigrette

JOHN KERNICK

New York City chef Dan Kluger makes a deeply flavorful vinaigrette for summer's sweetest and juiciest tomatoes. Instead of dry-roasting almonds for his salad, Kluger toasts them in olive oil until they're crisp and golden, then uses the richly flavored oil to make a tangy dressing.

Go to Recipe

11 of 20

Peach-and-Fennel Slaw

This sweet and crunchy salad with lots of immune-boosting vitamin C is delicious with grilled pork or in a pulled-pork sandwich. To wilt the fennel slightly, Michel Nischan briefly marinates it in vinegar and salt before tossing it with firm, ripe peaches.

Go to recipe

12 of 20

Roasted Eggplant Caponata

If you have the time, make the caponata at least a day ahead; it’s one of those dishes that improves with time. Eat it as they do in Sicily: spooned over bread or focaccia, alongside roast lamb or chicken, paired with a wedge of pecorino…in short, with almost anything!

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

13 of 20

Quick-Pickled Sweet Cucumbers

© John Kernick

Requiring just 15 minutes of prep, these superthin sweet pickled cucumbers are salted before they're submerged in the pickling brine for maximum flavor

Go to Recipe

14 of 20

Green Bean Slaw

In this alternative take on a classic coleslaw, tender haricots verts get tossed with crunchy strips of carrot, red pepper and parsnip. 

Go to Recipe

15 of 20

Corn-and-Zucchini Orzo Salad with Goat Cheese

Con Poulos

Kay Chun takes pasta salad to a new level with sweet grilled corn, zucchini and a creamy lime dressing spiked with chile powder. She uses fresh cilantro to add brightness and then tops the whole salad with tangy slivers of fresh goat cheese.

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

16 of 20

Baby Lettuces with Feta, Strawberries and Almonds  

This salad is an extraordinary combination of ingredients that wouldn't seem to go together: feta, strawberries and almonds.

Go to recipe

17 of 20

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Anchovy Vinaigrette

This warm, garlicky anchovy dressing here is fantastic with an assortment of juicy, peak-season tomatoes. To finish the dish, Amelia O'Reilly and Nico Monday top it with tangy pickled shallots and an oozy, soft-boiled egg.

Go to Recipe

18 of 20

Corn on the Cob with Seasoned Salts

CON POULOS

"Walk to pick it, run to cook it," was the mantra back in the days when corn turned starchy within hours of harvesting. New varieties stay sweet and tender longer. Flavoring the ears here is a trio of seasoned salts.

Go to Recipe
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

19 of 20

Summer Chopped Salad with Quick-Pickled Vegetables

Paul Newman, the late co-owner of Dressing Room, Michel Nischan's restaurant in Westport, Connecticut, loved a good chopped salad. To add a tangy burst of flavor, Nischan pickles the carrots, celery and peppers before tossing them with the rest of the salad.

Go to Recipe

20 of 20

Avocado-and-Cabbage Slaw

© Marcus Nilsson

When Suvir Saran's mother tried this spicy, crunchy cabbage slaw at his restaurant Tapestry in New York City, she said, "Baba, this is the best chaat I've ever eaten!" While Saran didn't intend to make over the traditional Indian snack, a dish with chickpeas, potatoes, yogurt and chutney, the crunch, spice and tang immediately elicit an iconic chaat. "There is nothing Indian about it, and yet, it's entirely Indian," says Saran.

Go to Recipe
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Up Next

Advertisement
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.foodandwine.com