Who doesn’t love a good crab cake? Crab cakes are famous everywhere but most famous in Maryland. There are many lists and debates on who makes the best crab cakes in town and we thoroughly follow this list. We´ve looked into who makes the best sides with the crab cakes. We’ve come up with a list of vegetables that go well with crab cakes . We´ve looked into who makes the best sides for crab cakes and have come up with a list of vegetables that go well with crab cakes.
If you’re a seafood aficionado, you’ve most likely have had crab cakes at least once. Crab cakes are absolutely delicious and we’ve been obsessed with them.
Crab are naturally sweet and briny. We often have to crack the shell on our own and nib our way through its meat to enjoy it. We think that one of the reasons why crab cakes are an obsession for some is because you can enjoy the lumps of crab meat in one concentrated patty without having to crack the crab shell on your own. We all know it’s not easy to crack a crab’s shell so to have someone do it for us is a luxury.
Crab cakes definitely originated in the United States of America but the question is where. Maryland is famously known for its crab and crab cakes but surprisingly, it’s not where it was first made. Some literature says that crab cakes were first made in the state of New York and some say it was in Philadelphia. Regardless, we love the crab cake and it doesn’t matter when it started or how. We absolutely love it and we’d eat it at any time of the day.
How are we able to extend this super delicious dish though? Crab cakes are often served with a good side to keep us full and happy.
We’ve put together a list of vegetables that go well with crab cakes.
Table of Contents
1. Potato
Potatoes naturally go well with crab cakes. Some crab cake recipes actually have mashed potatoes in them. The potatoes serve as an extender to the meat and it creates the form of the patty. It makes a perfect extender and a perfect binder of ingredients. However, potatoes aren’t only good for extenders but also great as a side. Serve your crab cakes with bacon fat potato fries or smashed potatoes for an enjoyable texture-filled meal.
2. French Beans
Crab cakes are sometimes presented as a formal dish or a casual dish. When you only have green beans to serve it with, you can go both ways. French beans are so delicate that you can roast them and place the crab cakes over them. Drizzle a little bit of remoulade or a beurre blanc and you have yourself a fancy starter. If you want a more casual setting for your crab cakes, you can simply deep dry the french beans in beer batter and serve them like fries.
3. Corn
Just like potatoes, there’s so much you can do with corn as a side dish for crab cakes. You can either serve buttered corn on the cob or shred the corn kernels and turn it into a salad with a nice apple cider vinaigrette dressing. You can also serve Mexican corn with crab cakes and it would taste amazing.
4. Zucchini
Garlic roasted zucchini is a very delicious side. The garlic seeps through the meat of the slightly bitter zucchini and the tenderness goes so well with the crispy yet soft crab cakes. There are so many ways that you can prepare zucchini and we assure you that most of those ways would go well with crab cakes.
5. Cucumber
Cucumber can get boring as a side, we’re not going to lie. However, cucumber does have that neutral taste that makes an oily dish more refreshing and forgiving. We suggest turning things up a notch with a cucumber and feta salad to go with your crab cakes. It may seem very Greek and it probably is but we do know that it balances the flavor of the crab cakes.
6. Cabbage
All colors of cabbage are needed for this side dish suggestion. A colorful coleslaw would be perfect to serve with crab cakes. Coleslaws are not only refreshing to the palate but they could also serve as a side that flirts with your eyes. Imagine a bed of green and red coleslaw with crab cakes on top. All of the flavors go perfectly well together and the dish will look great too.
7. Avocado
We know, we know. Avocado isn’t a vegetable but a fruit. However, avocados should be on this list because when it’s not yet too ripe and sweet, it makes a great savory side dish to go with crab cakes. How so? Try grilling slices of avocado and drizzling them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, and some lemon zest. It makes a delicious and refreshing side that absorbs the oil and fishy flavor from the crab cakes. It’s a very delicious savory side dish.
8. Tomato
We love tomatoes but for this dish, we recommend having it in soup form. Tomato gazpacho is a Spanish cold soup made with tomatoes, cucumber, onions, and other fresh ingredients. It is typically served cold to quench your thirst in the summer heat. Tomato gazpacho goes so well with crab cakes because the sourness and freshness counter the richness of the crab cake.
9. Asparagus
Another vegetable that goes well with crab cakes is asparagus. Asparagus, just like green beans, can go both ways – formal or casual. You can slice slivers of asparagus and saute them in garlic and butter to serve with crab cakes on top. You can also roast asparagus with a Parmesan breading and serve them like fries alongside the crab cakes.
10. Arugula
We’ve tried crab cakes in Europe and they served them on a bed of dressed arugula. It was amazing. Arugula tastes slightly bitter and nutty apart from its freshness. It is typically dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. We now love pairing arugula with crab cakes because it adds freshness and a little more flavor to the crab cake dish.
