Salads

Awesome Side Dishes That Go With Tilapia!

September 2, 2023 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. So, I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about Awesome Side Dishes That Go With Tilapia!

A picture of Cilantro Lime Rice and limes in a bowl. A picture of mashed sweet potato with melting butter and chives in a gold rimmed bowl. A picture of green beans and tomatoes in a white bowl. A picture of white asparagus with melted cheese and Italian parsley.

So do you love tilapia as much as I do? This mild fish shows up frequently on my plate at home. It's so easy to prepare and very versatile as there are so many different ways to prepare it.

I like to serve both a starch and a vegetable to accompany this popular white fish to make a complete and wholesome meal.

Here you will find some great ideas for the best side dishes to serve with tilapia!

Great Vegetable Side Dishes

1. Fresh Green Beans With Tomatoes, Chili, and Garlic

Green beans and tomatoes in a white dish.

This green bean dish is out of this world delish and makes the perfect side dish to tilapia fillets.

The garlic and chili in this easy side dish give it bold flavors, and this side is a great accompaniment to tilapia, which is a mild white fish.

It's quick and easy and a wonderful healthy side to go with your fish!

2. Incredibly Delicious Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts that have been cooked and browned in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with pepper.

Another great side dish is delicious brussels sprouts. Whether roasted or pan fried, this member of the cabbage family is a great option to include as part of a healthy meal.

These brussels sprouts have been pan fried in a mixture of butter and olive oil. They are then simply and simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

You'll love how this healthy side dish complements your tilapia fish!

3. Easy And Elegant White Asparagus Side Dish Recipe

White asparagus spears in a white serving dish with melted Parmesan cheese garnished with Italian parsley.

This Easy and Elegant White Asparagus side dish is very special indeed. This recipe uses jarred white asparagus rather than fresh asparagus spears.

It's super easy to make. All you need to do is place drained asparagus under the broiler with some Parmesan cheese, butter, and some seasonings, and enjoy this along with any of your favorite tilapia recipes as part of a delicious meal!

4. Roasted Carrots With Berbere Spice

Multicolored carrots cut into slivers and wedges on a white dish.

You can't go wrong with carrots as a good choice for a side! Make your favorite roast carrot recipe, or try this Roasted Carrots With Berbere Spice to add an exotic flair to your meal!

Berbere spice is a spice mix used in Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisines. It's a mixture of spices and blends typically differ but may include paprika, salt, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, chili peppers, black pepper, and/or cumin. Using this spice is a great way to spice up your meal, and a great choice as an accompaniment to tilapia fish fillets!

5. Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad

Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad in a blue dish.

Another simple side dish to go along with your healthy fish dinner is this Middle Eastern Style Cabbage Salad.

Any salad would be great to accompany tilapia, but why not try this cabbage salad for a change? It's a light, delicious, and refreshing salad! It's a bit tangy, garlicky, and peppery to taste, with a lovely salty flavor as well.

This is simply made with either red or green cabbage, olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic, salt and pepper. You'll love how this great recipe pairs with fresh tilapia that you have baked or pan fried!

6. Delicious Balsamic Red Onions

Balsamic red onions in a casserole dish.

If you love onions and would enjoy something sweet and tangy with mild and delicate tilapia, then try this Balsamic Red Onion Recipe! Red onion never tasted so good!

These balsamic red onions have a great flavor and this recipe couldn't be easier to make.

The mild flavor of tilapia definitely gets a boost when paired with these balsamic roasted red onions!

7. Easy and Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet mashed potatoes in a gold rimmed bowl garnished with chopped chives with melting butter on the top.

One of the best sides to serve with tilapia is sweet potatoes. And a favorite way of mine to prepare sweet potatoes is by mashing them up with Parmesan cheese, butter, and cream.

You'll fall head over heels for this fluffy sweet potato mash! It's fantastic to pair with your favorite baked tilapia recipe. Try dunking a piece of tilapia into the mash and enjoying a mouthful of tender fish and creamy potatoes together. It's a pure delight!

Tasty Starchy Side Dishes

8. Cilantro Lime Rice

Cilantro lime rice and lime wedges in a bowl.

Rice is a perfect side dish to serve with tilapia. Some options are white rice, brown rice, and jasmine rice. And if you'd like to try a delicious seasoned rice dish, consider serving the ever popular Cilantro Lime Rice with your fish!

This rice is delightfully easy to create. A generous amount of lime juice and cilantro mixed into the rice gives this a superb tangy flavor which pairs well with the delicate flavor of the fish.

9. Southern Macaroni Salad

Southern macaroni salad with eggs and mayo garnished with green onions in a white dish, with the handle of a spoon visible in the background.

Macaroni salad is not just for barbecues and fried chicken! This is one of the most popular dishes and for good reason! This salad pleases everyone, including picky eaters, and is a great side to accompany your fish dinner.

Classic southern macaroni salad contains macaroni that is cooked al dente (firm). It also typically contains lots of creamy mayonnaise, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle relish, and onions. Green bell pepper or fresh crunchy celery is also included for some nice crunch.

Why not serve this macaroni salad with some easy baked tilapia as part of a most delicious dinner your family will LOVE?

10. Basmati Rice With Saffron

Basmati rice garnished with cilantro and saffron threads with a yellow tinge to the rice from saffron.

Highly aromatic, fluffy and with a delicate texture, basmati rice is the king of rices! Infused with some beautiful saffron it becomes an elegant side to any type of fish, including delicious tilapia cooked your favorite way!

Which Side Dishes Will You Make To Go With Your Tilapia?

So there you have some AWESOME Side Dishes To Serve With Tilapia!

Which ones will you make? Serve one or more and enjoy a delicious and complete meal featuring delicious tilapia!

FAQ

What side dishes go with tilapia?

Tilapia pairs well with so many different side dishes! For a complete meal serve a vegetable side along with a starchy side. Some great vegetable sides include green beans, mashed sweet potatoes, and salads. Consider rice or a delicious macaroni salad for your starch as part of a great fish meal!

What does tilapia taste like?

Tilapia has a very mild and delicate taste, not "fishy" at all. There is a slight sweet taste to this fish as well.

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Cheers!

Grace

Easy Italian Mushroom Salad Recipe

April 18, 2023 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about an Easy Italian Mushroom Salad Recipe which you will just love!

A white bowl containing sliced mushrooms with garlic, red pepper flakes, and minced Italian parsley.

Are you a mushroom lover like I am? If so, you've GOT TO TRY this amazing mushroom recipe, made with fresh mushrooms!

I discovered Mushroom Salad, which I have fallen in love with, in a gem of a book called 365 Easy Italian Recipes by Rick Marzullo O'Connell. I've adapted this no cook mushroom recipe you find here from Mr. O'Connell's book and am so excited to share this with you!

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What Is Italian Mushroom Salad?

Italian mushroom salad is a brilliant antipasto made with raw mushrooms coated with a light dressing of lemon juice and olive oil.

Antipasto, which translates to "before the pasta," is similar to an appetizer, or is considered the first course of an Italian meal.

They are like tidbits served to stimulate or whet your appetite for what is to come.

This dish is a cold mushroom salad and has an earthy taste to it. It is garnished with fresh herbs and garlic.

So let me tell you what ingredients you will need to make this super easy salad, which is ready in 10 minutes!

🥘 Ingredients

A white bowl with sliced mushrooms, and small bowls containing parsley, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, and salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.

You only need a few simple ingredients to make this salad. All the ingredients are easily found at your local grocery store. The ingredients you will need are:

Fresh white button mushrooms - slice these as thinly as you can for best results
Fresh garlic
Fresh parsley
Fresh oregano
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Black pepper
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Fresh herbs elevate this Italian dish into something very special. And I love a bit of extra spice, so have included some red pepper flakes. However, if you prefer to leave them out it's perfectly fine. 😊

I didn't include Parmesan cheese in my recipe, however some grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over this salad would be divine!

🔪 Instructions

All you need to do to prepare this dish is rinse and clean, and then thinly slice the mushrooms. I recommend slicing them as thin as possible as they become almost ethereal when sliced this way. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, except for the mushrooms, and stir to combine.

Then add the mushrooms and toss to coat.

A white bowl containing sliced mushrooms with garlic, red pepper flakes, and minced Italian parsley. There is a yellow spoon with a wooden handle in the bowl.

Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes if desired.

If you have some Parmesan cheese sprinkle some over the salad for extra deliciousness!

Buon appetito!

How To Serve This Italian Mushroom Salad

This raw mushroom salad is ready to enjoy immediately. However, you can also refrigerate it in an airtight container and allow the mushroom salad to marinate for a few hours. During this time, the mushrooms will give off some delicious juices.

So this Italian mushroom salad can be served as an antipasto, or as Mr. O'Connell suggests, served with grilled meats or over steak.

I personally like to serve it as part of a green salad, to which I like to drizzle some of the juices from the mushroom salad over.

I hope you will partake of the delights of this Italian Mushroom Salad soon! Buon appetito!

FAQ

How can I store this fresh Italian mushroom salad?

Store this mushroom salad in an airtight container in your refrigerator, and consume within 2-3 days.

Do mushrooms need to be cooked before eating them?

Most store bought mushrooms can be eaten raw and do not have to be cooked. An exception is the shiitake mushroom. Please note I am not referring to mushrooms picked while foraging in the wild.

What is the best mushroom to use for this Italian cold mushroom salad?

White button mushrooms, on the smallish side, are the best mushrooms to use for this dish.

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy!

Here are some other recipes which you may enjoy:

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

Cheers!

Grace

Easy Italian Mushroom Salad Recipe

Grace Stewart (adapted from and inspired by Rick Marzullo O'Connell's Recipe for "Mushroom Salad" from "365 Easy Italian Recipes""

This Easy Italian Mushroom Salad Recipe is absolutely delicious and can be ready in about 10 minutes! Mushroom lovers will fall head over heels for this salad, which makes a great side dish or accompaniment to your favorite grilled meats!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 9

Combining the ingredients 1

Total Time 10

Course accompaniment, antipasto, Side Dish, vegetable side dish

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 64 kcal

Ingredients

8 oz mushrooms select whole white mushrooms for use in this recipe and slice them thinly
2 cloves garlic minced; can adjust the amount to your tastes
2 tablespoon parsley minced; I used fresh Italian parsley
½ tablespoon oregano minced; I used fresh oregano
2.5 tablespoon olive oil
1.5 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ ts salt plus additional to taste
¼ ts pepper plus additional to taste
¼ ts red pepper flakes plus additional to taste
Parmesan cheese optional, to taste

Instructions

Rinse and thinly slice the mushrooms. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, except for the mushrooms, and stir to combine. Then add the mushrooms and toss to coat.
Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and/or red pepper flakes if desired. Buon appetito! If you have some Parmesan cheese sprinkle some over the salad for extra deliciousness!

Notes

Serve this as a side dish to accompany your favorite mains or as an antipasto.

I didn't include Parmesan cheese in my recipe, however some grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled over this salad would be divine!

You can enjoy this immediately, or refrigerate and allow to marinate for a few hours. It's all good!

Nutrition

Calories: 64kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gSodium: 101mgPotassium: 142mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 132IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 12mgIron: 0.5mg

Keyword antipasto, Italian side dish, mushroom salad, mushrooms

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

October 21, 2022 by Grace Leave a Comment

This page may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link. This post is about a Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe!

Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon pictured at the top right.

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If you are yearning for an easy, delectable, and creamy Southern Macaroni Salad recipe then you have come to the right place!

What is Southern Macaroni Salad?

Macaroni salad, like potato salad, is a classic side dish and a deli staple. It's often served at summer barbecues and is a fixture at potluck dinners.

There are some regional variations when it comes to macaroni salad. For example, Hawaiian macaroni salad typically contains shredded carrots and the macaroni may be cooked until it is very soft (i.e. overcooked).

Why You Will Love This Recipe

I'm confident your family will love this great side dish! And you will love this recipe because:

This recipe uses fresh ingredients that combine to give this cold pasta salad a delicious flavor (as good as your deli macaroni salad!)
It's super easy to make. The hardest part is peeling the hard-boiled eggs 😅. Other than that, you only have to cook the macaroni and mince some green bell pepper and onion, and that's it!
This is the perfect side dish to accompany not only fried chicken and barbecue, but any of your favorite mains.
This salad is so nice and creamy. The creamy dressing, with mayonnaise as its base, is made even creamier with the addition of plenty of chopped hard-boiled eggs.

So let me tell you what you will need to make this Southern creamy macaroni salad!

🥘 Ingredients

You will only need a few ingredients to make this easy and delicious recipe.

Cooked macaroni in a white dish, chopped hard boiled eggs in a yellow bowl, small bowls containing each of the following: mustard, sweet relish, mayonnaise, seasonings, chopped green bell pepper, and diced onion.

Elbow macaroni, cooked according to package directions. Aim to cook them al dente (with a bit of bite to them)
Hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
Sweet relish
Onion (I used yellow onion, but you can sub some crisp red onion if you prefer)
Green bell pepper (can sub red bell pepper)
Mayonnaise
Mustard (I used Dijon mustard, but feel free to sub yellow mustard)
Cayenne
Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic powder (can also sub onion powder)
Green onions sliced, for garnish

Try to use the best quality mayonnaise for this macaroni salad as it really does make a difference!

🔪 Instructions

Hard boil your eggs and then peel and chop them. You can cut down on this prep step by using a product like Eggland's Best Hard Cooked Peeled Eggs. If you need instructions as to how to hard boil your eggs, check out this tutorial from Egg Farmers of Cananda on "How To Make The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg."

Mince the onion and the green bell pepper. Using a food processor makes this a snap!

Prepare the macaroni noodles according to your package directions and drain. Rinse under cold water to cool the macaroni down.

In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix together.

Cooked macaroni, chopped hard boiled eggs, seasonging, sweet relish and green bell pepper in a white mixing bowl. — Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

A white mixing bowl filled with cooked macaroni, chopped up hard boiled egg, mayo, mustard, and sweet relish being stirred with a yellow spoon with a wooden handle and a hand in the picture holding the spoon. — Add the ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

Taste and adjust for seasoning by adding additional salt and pepper to your tastes. Then add sliced green onions as a beautiful garnish and the perfect finishing touch.

Behold your delectable creamy Southern Macaroni Salad!

Macaroni, chopped hard boiled eggs, and chopped green peppers coated with mayonnaise and mustard in a white mixing bowl with a spoon containing this macaroni in the foreground.

How To Serve This Easy Macaroni Salad

Creamy macaroni salad with chopped hard boiled eggs and green peppers garnished with green onion slices in a white bowl with the stem of a spoon in the background.

You'll probably want to dig right in after making this classic macaroni salad recipe! And that's perfectly acceptable. 😊

So although this is traditionally a cold salad, you can also serve it at room temperature. It is typically not heated, though.

This great recipe is here for you whenever you need an easy and delicious side dish. It's also the perfect make-ahead side dish, as you can keep it refrigerated for a couple of days and pull it out whenever you are ready for it. Actually, the salad may taste better a day or two after (I think so anyway!).

It's also ideal for family reunions, and you'll certainly want to include it at your next picnic.

I certainly hope that you will give this a try and let me know what you think! A printable recipe card with nutritional information is available below.

FAQ

How do I store macaroni salad?

Store macaroni salad in an airtight container in your fridge. It is best consumed in about 4 days.

What is macaroni sauce made of?

The macaroni sauce (or dressing) is typically made of mayonnaise, sweet relish, and sometimes mustard.

What goes well with macaroni salad?

Macaroni salad goes well with all your favorite mains! It's especially great with fried chicken and barbecue!

Some Other Recipes You May Enjoy

Here are some other recipes you may enjoy!

Join Me On A Fun Food Journey!

Cheers!

Grace

Delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe

Grace

This delectable Southern Macaroni Salad Recipe is the PERFECT and easy side dish! Ideal with fried chicken, barbecue, and any of your favorite mains!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Total Time 15

Course accompaniment, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings people

Calories 558 kcal