Summer Side Dish Recipes

For pairing with a stellar main dish or packing for a picnic, our summer side dish recipes are full of grilled veggies, potato salads, and more preparations that don't disappoint.

Plate of southern corn fritters nearby a tray of fritters and a glass of beverage

A dish of corn salad with herbs lime wedge garnish and nori strips visible

Corn Salad With Furikake and Shiso

An oval ceramic platter holding caprese salad. The platter is on a dish cloth. There is a pair of forks to the left of the platter, and in the bottom right of the image is a wooden cutting board holding torn chunks of bread.

10 Summer Sides You Can Make With 5 Ingredients or Fewer

Overhead view of buffalo chicken salad

20 Refreshing, Veggie-Packed Summer Salads to Keep You Cool

Grilled eggplant slices topped with a creamy white sauce served in a bowl on a wooden table beside a red cloth napkin

Grilled Eggplant With Yogurt Sauce

Plated grilled corn cobs topped with sauce and herbs alongside a small bowl of sauce

A bowl of corn salad with various toppings, photographed with vibrant background colors

Charred Corn and Avocado Salad

A bowl of potato salad garnished with herbs and sliced boiled eggs

Potato Salad With Green Goddess Dressing

Bowls of couscous garnished with dried fruits and nuts on a table near a drink and a yellow napkin with spoon

Lemon Thyme Couscous Salad

Tomato salad with sliced vegetables and fresh herbs in a bowl

Tomato and Tomatillo Salad

Grilled cabbage wedges drizzled with sauce inside of a blue platter. On the lefthand side of the image are a small bowl with a metal spoon holding additional sauce, and in the top left corner is a blue plate holding silverware.

15 Grilled Vegetable Sides That Will Steal the Spotlight at Your Memorial Day Cookout

Dark blue plate with fried okra and a bowl of comeback sauce, on a deep green surface

Overhead of Fried Green Tomatoes and dip on a printed surface. Plate on the corner has bitten tomatoes on it

Fried Green Tomatoes

Side view of cooked corn

How to Boil Corn: Our Tests Reveal It's Not What Anyone Tells You

Pennsylvania Dutch pudding in a red baking dish.

Pennsylvania Dutch Corn Pudding

A bowl of Greek salad.

Horiatiki (Greek Salad) Recipe

Classic coleslaw in a white serving bowl with utensils

Classic Coleslaw

Serving bowl of Austrian potato salad (Erdapfelsalat).

Erdäpfelsalat (Austrian-Style Potato Salad)

Small cobs of sous vide-cooked corn with a chunk of butter on the side.

Sous Vide Corn on the Cob

A white ceramic bowl holding Japanese potato salad.

Japanese Potato Salad With Cucumbers, Carrots, and Red Onion

Robb Walsh's Fresh Field Peas

Mustardy Coleslaw Recipe

Sweet and Spicy Pickle Relish

classic Panzanella salad served inside a dish

Classic Panzanella Salad (Tuscan-Style Tomato and Bread Salad)

Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans

Easy Gan Bian Si Ji Dou (Sichuan Dry-Fried Green Beans)

A square glass serving bowl filled with fingerling potato salad with creamy dill dressing is set next to grilled flank steak pinwheels on a weathered wooden table.

Easy Fingerling Potato Salad With Creamy Dill Dressing

A plate of Roman rice-stuffed tomatoes, served with roasted potatoes in a white bowl.

Pomodori al Riso (Roman Rice-Stuffed Tomatoes)

20110421-entertaining-greekeaster-zucchini-fritters.jpg

Kolokithokeftedes (Greek Zucchini Fritters) with Tzatziki Recipe

20190619-charcoal-chimney-grilled-vegetables-vicky-wasik-9

Charcoal Chimney–Grilled Broccolini With XO Sauce Recipe

A head of spiced and grilled cauliflower, cut in half lengthwise and overlapping on a green ceramic plate. At the top left edge of the image is a small ceramic bowl holding chopped herbs, which are also sprinkled across the surface of the cauliflower.

Grilled Spiced Cauliflower Recipe

Overhead view of grilled-potato salad with grilled-lemon vinaigrette, mounded on a white plate.

Simple Grilled-Potato Salad With Grilled-Lemon Vinaigrette

Vinegar coleslaw served inside a small bowl

Vinegar Coleslaw

Jalapeño Coleslaw Recipe

Four grilled corn cobs on a plate, accompanied by lime wedges on the side

The Best Basic Grilled Corn

Overhead view of sweet and savory corn casserole

Sweet and Savory Corn Casserole

overhead shot of Classic potato salad

Classic Potato Salad

Super-Simple Tangy Buttermilk Coleslaw Recipe

Spiced Eggplant With Tomato and Mustard Seeds

Spiced Eggplant With Tomato and Mustard Seeds Recipe

Smashed potatoes on the grill.

Grilled Smashed Potatoes

Overhead view of a bowl of tangy and creamy macaroni salad, served in a shallow bowl.

Tangy and Creamy Macaroni Salad

20180726-MHT-broiling-summer-squash-avocado-agrodolce-vicky-wasik-13-

Broiled Summer Squash in Agrodolce With Corn and Avocado Recipe

A bowl filled with succotash made with fresh summer corn.

Succotash (Corn, Bean, and Vegetable Stew) Recipe

A bowl of marinated cucumber slices topped with sesame seeds and red chili flakes

10 Summer Sides You Can Make in 10 Minutes or Less

Overhead view of Classic Coleslaw, served on an irregularly shaped round off-white bowl, next to a bowl of potato chips, in specular light.

16 BBQ Sides That Just Might Steal the Show

Overhead view of a sheetpan piled high with zucchini-and-corn fritters and a ramekin of herb sour cream. The fritters are garnished with squash blossoms and basil sprigs.

Zucchini-and-Corn Fritters With Herb Sour Cream

20140920-zucchini-summer-squash-tomato-saute-easy-8.jpg

Easy Sautéed Zucchini, Squash, and Tomatoes With Chilies and Herbs Recipe

4 grilled cobs of corn with soy butter and scallions.

Grilled Corn With Garlic and Ginger Soy Butter

Grilled Corn With Spicy Miso Butter Recipe

Sautéed Corn With Chorizo, Cilantro, and Lime Juice Recipe

20130220-hearts-of-palm-grilled-tacos-refried-beans-cabbage-slaw-vegan-06.jpg

Spicy Cabbage Slaw Recipe

20180706-succotash-vicky-wasik-19

How to Make Succotash

Creamy Vegan Fingerling Potato Salad Recipe

20170621-chimichurri-grilled-vegetables-vinegar-vicky-wasik-7.jpg

Grilling With Vinegar: Chimichurri Transforms Grilled Summer Squash

20150604-pasta-salad-spanish-chorizo-daniel-gritzer-14.jpg

Spanish Pasta Salad With Chorizo, Piquillo Peppers, and Pickled Onion Recipe

Stew Summer Squash for a Bright and Quick Seasonal Side

Easiest Summer Ever: Corn, Chorizo, Cilantro, and Lime

20141006-grilled-leeks-with-romesco-finished-joshua-bousel.jpg

The Trick to Perfectly Grilled Leeks: Boil Them First

Charred Eggplant and Tomatoes with Harissa and Mint Recipe

Closeup of roasted carrots drizzled with black sesame dressing and garnished with parsley leaves.

Roasted Carrots With Black Sesame Dressing Recipe

Charred Corn and Cherry Tomato Salad With Zucchini and Radishes Recipe

Grilled Corn With Spicy Korean Miso Sauce Recipe

A plate of cryo-blanched green beans topped with crunchy fried garlic.

Cryo-Blanched Green Beans Recipe | The Food Lab

25 Fresh Corn Recipes to Make Before the Season Ends

Closeup of a pimento cheese twice baked potato.

Pimento Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes Recipe

More In Summer

4th of July Father's Day Labor Day Summer Breakfast & Brunch Summer Mains Summer Snacks & Appetizers Summer Salads Summer Desserts Summer Drinks Grilling Barbecue