Go Back
35 Best Side Dishes: What to Serve with Salmon

Salmon Side Dish Trio

Prepare a complete salmon dinner with lemon-garlic roasted asparagus, savory garlic-butter rice, and a cool cucumber-dill salad. The three sides can be served together or mixed and matched with your favorite salmon preparation.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Lemon-Garlic Roasted Asparagus
  • 1 lb Asparagus, woody ends trimmed
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tbsp Grated Parmesan, optional
Garlic-Butter Rice
  • 1 cup Long-grain white rice
  • 1 3/4 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp Unsalted butter
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tbsp Chopped parsley
  • 1-2 tsp Lemon juice, optional
Cucumber-Dill Salad
  • 2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 Small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Lemon juice or white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1 tsp Sugar, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the asparagus with olive oil, minced garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper, then spread it in a single layer on a baking sheet.
  2. Roast the asparagus for 10-12 minutes, or until bright green and tender-crisp. Finish with lemon juice, lemon zest, and optional Parmesan just before serving.
  3. Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear. Melt the butter in a saucepan, sauté the garlic briefly, stir in the rice for about 1 minute, then add broth and salt.
  4. Bring the rice to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-18 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it stand covered for 5-10 minutes before fluffing with parsley and optional lemon juice.
  5. Whisk the sour cream or Greek yogurt with lemon juice or vinegar, dill, salt, pepper, and optional sugar. Toss the dressing with the cucumbers and red onion, then chill for 15-30 minutes before serving.

Notes

Use thick asparagus spears for roasting because thin spears can cook too quickly. Add lemon juice after roasting for a fresher flavor. Drain especially watery cucumbers for 10-15 minutes after lightly salting them, and dress the salad shortly before serving so it stays crisp.