You can’t get much healthier than a seafood and vegetable dinner — or much more delicious! There’s nothing better than eating something that’s good for your body and good for your soul. Luckily, the right seafood and vegetable pairing combined can create a dinner you’ll want to enjoy again and again.
To help coordinate your menu, we’ve gathered up a few of our favorite seafood and vegetable pairings for inspiration:
Grilled zucchini and mushrooms with shrimp
The flavor of grilled vegetables is quintessentially summertime. Try layering zucchini slices and baby portobella mushrooms with shrimp on skewers and brush with your favorite zesty marinade. With just a few minutes on the grill, you’ll have a flavorful, satisfying meal.
Leafy greens and white fish
Whether combined fresh for a salad or sautéed with garlic as a topping for your fish, the brightness and nutritional powerhouse of leafy greens goes perfectly with a tender piece of fish. Try raw kale massaged with olive oil and sea salt or sautéed spinach.
King crab and corn
It’s the seafood boil staple: corn on the cob and shellfish. We aren’t sure if it’s the shared love of butter or the contradictory textures that make this combination such a win, but we’re not going to question it too much. There’s just something so satisfying about cracking open a crab claw and biting into a fresh piece of corn on the cob.
Salmon and mashed cauliflower
Arguably the most versatile of vegetables, cauliflower is great roasted in its natural state or transformed as a potato or rice substitute. We love it mashed with garlic, a little butter and sour cream for a smooth side dish that complements the richness of salmon nicely.
Crispy roasted potatoes and cod
There’s a reason fish and chips is a long-beloved dish. Make your own lightened up version at home with a pan-fried cod and crispy roasted potatoes. Simply top with olive oil, salt and garlic pepper and cook at 425 degrees F until golden brown, turning once midway through.
Fresh side salad and any seafood
A crisp, refreshing side salad is often the perfect complement to a warm seafood entrée. Keep it simple with ingredient and dressing so the flavors don’t overpower each other — just a few crisp vegetables and an oil-based dressing will serve as the perfect crunchy interlude.
While all of these suggestions are delicious on their own, they’re just the start of all the ways vegetables can be prepared with seafood. With the right seasonings, just about any vegetable side dish will stand up well alongside a nice piece of fish, shrimp or crab. Do your best to stick with what’s in season and avoid overcooking, but otherwise, you really can’t go wrong. Roast ‘em, boil ‘em, grill ‘em or sautee ‘em — we’re big veggie fans, however you make them.
