August 20 2023

5 Side Dishes for Your Next Fish Dinner

by Lauren Collins
23 comments

Hello My Fishing Cape Cod! As many of you know, I have a serious passion for food and cooking.

Of course since I am married to a fisherman, it's pretty common that I'm cooking something involving haddock, tautog, black sea bass or some other fish.

However, if you're not careful, fish can get boring real quick.

So with that in mind, today I am sharing 5 of my all time favorite side dishes, which you can use to pair with your own fish dinners.


1. Greek Orzo Salad

Anytime I serve this, it's gone in about 5 seconds.  Not only is it delicious, but it is so easy to make.  Greek Orzo salad goes particularly well with my Citrus Striped Bass recipe.

All this dish contains is orzo pasta, served cold with fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, basil and celery in a simple salt and pepper olive oil dressing. This side dish is easy, healthy and super fresh.

Since Greek Orzo Salad is so versatile, it will pair perfectly with anything from a white flakey fish to swordfish.

You can find my full recipe for Greek Orzo Salad here.


2. Asian Peanut & Wasabi Broccoli Slaw

There's no question that I am a New Englander, but one thing I don't really like is classic cole slaw.  To me, a slaw should have more depth of flavor to it.  This cole slaw has depth of flavor and so much more.  

This slaw is crunchy, sweet, spicy, savory and delicious. I love to pair this with tuna burgers, or use it as an "interesting" topping on fish tacos.

The broccoli slaw versus the traditional cabbage slaw has a lot more crunch to it, and it is so good for you too!  Why not get a little more broccoli in your life, right?

Get the recipe for my Peanut & Wasabi Broccoli Slaw here.


3. Savory Mushroom & Basil "Pilaf" with Toasted Pine Nuts

I often eat this side dish before it's even left the pan, simply because this dish is so darn good. I could eat it all by itself with a spoon on the couch, but instead I'll serve it with any flakey white fish, swordfish or tuna.

The ingredients are very simple and you can make this ahead of time or right before serving.  I love it because there's no cheese or dairy in it.

This is a great summer bbq side that can sit out and won't spoil.

Get the recipe for my Savory Mushroom & Basil "Pilaf" here.


4. Pesto Saute with Kale

A few years ago I discovered a love for kale, and if you haven't given kale a try yet, then this side dish might just change your mind.  

This side dish comes from Caramelized Bluefish, which is one of the most popular recipes here on My Fishing Cape Cod. Special thank you to MFCC member Eric Meyer for inspiring Ryan and I to give caramelized bluefish a try. 

It's a very simple recipe consisting of sautéed mushrooms, chickpeas (or cannellini beans if you prefer) and kale tossed with fresh pesto and a few other goodies.  

It's delicious as is or served like I did with rice pilaf and the Caramelized Bluefish. You can find the Pesto Saute with Kale recipe by clicking here.


5. Cold Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

This side dish is another winner for a summer bbq and is super easy to make.  I love serving this with a seared tuna steak.

You can play around with the spices here too - I love a lot of spice, so I add in red pepper flakes, but if you don't like spice, just omit the red pepper flakes.  

This is delicious on it's own or served with fresh tuna.  I've also sent it out with Ryan on the boat for a night of fishing and received rave reviews!

For the Cold Sesame Soba Noodle Salad recipe, please click here.

I hope you try a few or all of these recipes this year, and please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Happy cooking! 🍽

About the author 

Lauren Collins

Through the eyes of a fishermans' wife, I'm excited to share my cooking and photography with you here on MFCC. You can learn more about cooking, and get more recipes by visiting my website Creatively Delish.


  • Found your cold sesame soba salad 3-4 yrs ago , have made it several times to rave reviews each time, am making it again today and realized a thank you is in order. Also just became aware of your extensive recipe list , looking forward to trying others. Merry Christmas. 😎

  • My wife and I just made the Greek orzo salad and it was delicious! We added some Kalamata olives to enhance the Greek flavor.

    Thanks for posting these recipes. Can’t wait to try the others.

  • Hey Lauren,
    The side dishes look great and hearty enough
    to be served as an entree! Now I just have to get
    back to the Cape and catch some Sea Bass!

  • Some of my own favorites listed above! Thanks for sharing.

    I’ve made similar cold soba noodle salad many times. If you like a little heat in your dishes, try adding sambal oelek or even better gochujang (Korean fermented hot chili paste) instead of the red chili flakes. They’re great ingredients to have around in the kitchen and can liven up lots of other things!

    I often keep pre-cooked orzo around in the summer to whip up a quick kalamata olive/feta salad with veggies from the garden! Just mix in a little EVOO with the orzo and store in the fridge until needed.

    • That’s so smart to keep some pre-cooked orzo around! That’s one of my favorite salads. Also good tip on the sambal oelek – never tried gochujang but it’s on my list to try cooking with!

  • Sometimes I want to put more effort into interesting side dishes featuring vegetables rather than the “main dish,”. These are perfect and exactly fit the bill for me . Thanks Lauren. Congrats on the house!

  • Thanks for the new fish sides! My husband has followed your husband ‘forever’–which is how we found you. I tried your Kale Pesto dish years ago and can’t wait to try some of the others here…maybe he will give one a try tomorrow–my Mother’s Day gift–NO KITCHEN DUTIES. : )

    • This is a *very* late reply but I just had to say thank you for trying out my recipes, I’m so glad you enjoy them, and I hope every Mother’s Day is a “no kitchen duties” day for you! 😉

  • I’m making your cold Sesame soba
    Noodle salad tonight.
    I hope the fishmarket has tuna steaks-
    If it taste half as good as it looks know I will enjoy it! I’ll let you know ?

  • They look delicious. I will definitely try them soon. Would you please include a link for the Cold Sesame Soba Noodle Salad recipe.
    Thanks Lauren!

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