What To Serve With Crab Cakes

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Crab cakes are a popular summer dish in the United States. Crab meat encrusted with a breadcrumb mixture can be prepared in a variety of ways.

What kinds of sides should you prepare to go along with crab cake at the next picnic or gathering?

There are a variety of options, ranging from the common to the incredibly unique sides for crab cakes. You can go with some corn chowder, grilled vegetables, a salad, or bread rolls. You might even consider gazpacho, succotash, or a mad hatter salad.

Contents

17 Side Dishes to Serve with Crab Cakes

From the ordinary to the extraordinary, here are 17 of the best dishes to serve with crab cakes.

1. Corn

Nothing says summer more than some crab cakes and corn.

Roasted corn gives a nice grilled and subtle smokey flavor, whereas corn salad will give a nice mix of sweet, fresh, and spice. Both pair nicely with the rich and lightly fishy flavor of crab cakes.

2. Corn Chowder

Want all the benefits of corn but in a sweeter, soupier form? Corn chowder is another excellent accompaniment to crab cakes.

Thick, creamy, and sweet, with a light crunch from the corn, it’s similar to a crab cake but without the fishy flavors. The two complement each other perfectly, pun intended.

3. Grilled Veggies

Nothing goes better with tender crab meat than crunchy vegetables. Skewer corn, eggplant, squash, asparagus, zucchini, and other vegetables.

The charred flavor of the vegetables complements the sweet and savory crab cake just as well as the crunch does.

4. Fresh Salad

Loaded with health benefits and super easy to prepare, you simply can’t go wrong with a nice, fresh salad.

Salad is a nice breath of fresh air compared to the rich and savory crab cakes, giving your pallet a chance to recover. Add a light vinaigrette or any other dressing that you like.

5. Asparagus

Speaking of healthy vegetables, asparagus is another great side dish. Crunchy and rich in flavor it pairs very nicely with the tender and succulent crab cakes.

You can simply steam or grill asparagus, or you can be adventurous. Enjoy a nice chilled asparagus salad with feta and tomatoes or drizzle on a toasty garlic and parmesan sauce.

6. Avocado

Rich and creamy avocados also evoke the feelings of summer. Soft and easy to eat, these two go perfectly together.

You can make an avocado salad, grill your avocados, or both! Whatever you choose, it’s guaranteed to go nicely with succulent crab cakes.

7. Bread rolls

You can never go wrong with a good buttered bread roll. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, these are the perfect complement to almost any dish.

The buttery (and sweet if you use honey butter) rolls complement the slightly fishy tones of the crab.

8. Herbed Potatoes

What could go wrong with some classic herbed potatoes? One of the more filling and flavorful sides, these potatoes also go well with many dishes.

The best part about herbed potatoes is that they can be as varied as the crab cakes, with any number of potato and spice combinations.

9. Parmesan Roasted Potatoes

Speaking of potatoes, some parmesan roasted potatoes are a perfect side dish. Crisp and savory, they perfectly complement the tender and rich crab cakes.

Made by sprinkling some parmesan, thyme, salt, and any other spice you like onto potatoes, the dish is simple and delicious.

10. Gazpacho

Soup has long been known as a companion for fried food, and gazpacho is a great companion to crab cakes. Chilled instead of hot, this tomato soup helps you cool off on warm days.

Gazpacho’s smooth texture and tart but sweet flavor perfectly complement the crisp and rich crab cakes.

11. Red Pepper Soup

Speaking of soup, red pepper soup is another great choice to pair with crab cakes. It can be served chilled on warm days or hot on cold, rainy ones.

The dish is also spiced, but not quite spicy, giving off a subtle heat that works beautifully alongside the sweet and slightly salty crab cakes.

12. Lemon Pasta

As established by other entries on this list, tanginess complements the sweet, salty, and subtly fishy crab cakes.

So, what better to add some tartness than creamy lemon pasta? Simple to make, a lemon zest pasta topped with parmesan is a great choice for aside.

13. Chickpea Salad

Chickpea salad is another side that provides some relief from the crab cakes’ burst of the flower. The subtle taste of the chickpea combines beautifully with some tomatoes, celery, and cucumber.

To add more flavor, spice it up with parsley and tangy lemon dressing. This will give it an acidic tinge to further compliment the crab cakes.

14. Quinoa Salad

Healthy eaters will quickly preach of quinoa as an alternative to rice. Unlike the heavier crab cakes, quinoa is light and bubbly, giving a nice contrast in texture.

Quinoa is also subtle and mild in flavor, giving your taste buds a nice rest. But, if you want to add more flavor, you can include cranberries in the mix, giving an added acidic contrast.

15. Succotash

Packed full of an assortment of vegetables, such as peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, and corn, succotash is another healthy companion for crab cakes.

Blending all the flavor benefits of each vegetable included, it has a flavor profile that is similar to many corn salads. Light and delicious, it perfectly complements crab cakes.

16. Mango Salsa

Salsa is typically served with chips and a bit on the spicy side, but not this version. Mango salsa is a nice balance between the sweetness of the fruit and the spice of peppers, with some versions being entirely sweet.

Mango salsa is perfect for dipping your tender but crisp crab cakes, adding even more sweetness to them or an opposing spice.

17. Mad Hatter Salad

Perhaps you have never heard of this dish before. Mad hatter salad is made with green onions, broccoli, almonds, and sometimes mandarin oranges. Broken up ramen noodles are sprinkled on top and the whole thing is then tossed in an apple cider vinegar and soy sauce dressing.

Tangy and certainly unique, this dish is something that you should try with your crab cakes. The dressing has a nice tang to compliment the sweet oranges and subtleties of the other ingredients.

Wrap Up

After all those entries, hopefully, you discovered at least one companion for your crab cake meal. Perhaps you will keep it standard with some asparagus or herbed potatoes. We encourage you to be adventurous though and give that quinoa salad, mango salsa, or red pepper soup a try. Whatever you choose, happy eating!

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