Wondering what to serve with clam chowder? From crispy, savory biscuits to bright, refreshing salads, we’ve rounded up 30 of the absolute best sides to make your next chowder a complete success!

What to Eat with Clam Chowder

The best sides for clam chowder enhance its cozy, savory flavor without overpowering it. You’ll want something to soak up the creamy broth, a crisp, fresh element to cut through the richness, and a few savory bites to round out the meal. 

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You know I love a good layered salad! We’ve been making various “cake pan” salads for years, and this Chili Cornbread Salad is a family favorite. Think of it as a salad turned casserole, if you will–a lovely Cornbread Salad Casserole with a zippy dressing!

If you want to serve a hot casserole with similar ingredients, give our Cowboy Cornbread Casserole a try!

What is Chili Cornbread Salad?

Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, baked, cooled, and then crumbled and added to the salad. We use a cornbread mix, with green chilis, which turns out perfect. Then start the layering process with the beans, veggies, creamy dressing, chunks of cornbread, and topped with bacon and cheese. The last touch is to add fresh chunks of avocado and black olives!

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You can’t go wrong with a bowlful of freshly made cabbage salsa. It’s crunchy, spicy, and loaded with flavor. I make my famous Mexican Slaw Dip with fresh ingredients, and I’m certain once you’ve tried it this way, it’ll be your new favorite! We’ve been making this recipe for years (it’s been on our blog since May 2018) and it’s such a delish taco garnish, with a fresh squeeze of lime.

What is the cabbage salsa at Mexican restaurants?

Mexican cabbage salsa is a pico de gallo mixed with fresh chopped green cabbage, fresh or pickled jalapeno, with a delicious mildly-spicy dressing that pairs with tortilla chips, quesadillas, tacos, and more! It’s often served as a side dish, or for dipping chips in. It’s super popular when eating out, but it’s an easy homemade cabbage salsa to make at home!

This Mexican dip is a great recipe to bring to a potluck. Below we are sharing our “how to plan a Mexican potluck” tips. We love to encourage people eating together, so between this recipe and my tips–you should be well on your way to inviting, cooking some great recipes, and enjoying eating together with family and friends.

What is the secret ingredient to making Mexican Cabbage Salsa?

The secret ingredient to this Mexican dip is a squeeze of fresh lime! Once the dip is made, squeeze fresh lime over the top and it just adds a pop. Of course the dressing (cumin!) really adds to the fresh ingredients as well.

Ingredients for Cabbage Salsa recipe

• Veggies: Green cabbage, tomatoes (we use Roma), green onion, white onion, cilantro, red onion, jalapenos (make sure they are drained if using canned, or you can use candied for a sweeter taste or fresh jalapeno).
• Pantry: Olive oil, rice vinegar
• Spice: Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, cumin
• Citrus: Fresh lime (fresh is the secret ingredient!)

How do you make Mexican Cabbage Salsa?

1. Finely chop and toss all vegetables; mix together in a large bowl. Add the canned jalapenos.
2. Make the dressing: Whisk together the oil, rice vinegar, and seasoning; pour over the cabbage mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
3. Let stand 30 minutes and enjoy with tortilla chips, on top of an entree, or as a side salad. (Or, enjoy withing 4-5 hours of making it).

How do you serve Mexican Cabbage Salsa?

• We love this salsa served on steak, chicken, or fish. Or, try it with this Baja Shrimp Tacos recipe or any tacos!
• Make it ahead and keep it fresh in the fridge (best withing 2 hours), and then enjoy with your favorite Mexican dish.
• Serve it in a Mexican-style dish, or any dish, on a big board with chips, or as a side salad.

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Green cabbage is the best. But you can also use Napa cabbage for a lighter texture. Also optional to add in a little red cabbage for color.
• How to cute the cabbage: Chop or shred (then chop) the cabbage. You want small bite size pieces. Take a whole cabbage and slice it into slabs, then stacka nd cut again (first vertically and then horizontally). You’ll end up with small square cabbage pieces.
• No lime? The lime really adds a zip – but if you don’t have it, you can use lemon.
• Add more “kick” to the salad: In place of jalapenos peppers, you can use serano peppers.
• Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cabbage will get soggier with the dressing on, but it’s still very tasty on tacos, etc.

How to plan a Mexican potluck and serve cabbage dip!

• Set a theme. Mexican. Mexican is always a safe, easy, healthy, and delicous menu (and theme) to plan.
• Have guests commit to a course. Delegate. When it’s your potluck party, write out the menu, then assign the dishes to your friends. That way you won’t end up with 3 pans of enchiladas, or 4 7-layered bean dips! Once the responses have come in, ask several friends to each bring a main course, salad, appetizer, or dessert. Someone will always change it up at the last minute, but having some idea of what to expect makes an actual meal with courses more likely.
• Have backup dishes ready. Be prepared. As the host, I find it easier to pull together the main course and have an extra pan of enchiladas ready, which helps bridge any gap in courses, or cover not having enough food at the last minute. I also like to prepare a dish, by doubling the recipe, that can be served as a dip or a side salad, so we always DOUBLE this dip recipe.

What to serve cabbage salsa with?

You can serve this dip with anything Mexican Inspired! We love it served on a big board, especially for Taco Tuesday, with chips for happy hour! Or, double the recipe and serve on an epic taco board for Cinco de Mayo.

• Easy Taco Recipe Dinner Board [MOST POPULAR]
• Taco Tuesday Epic Fish Taco Board
• Easy Pork Carnitas Taco Board
• Crunchy Breaded Fish Sticks Taco Board
• Vegan Pita Tacos Board
• Chicken Taco Bowl Board

Print

Mexican Cabbage Salsa

This salsa will get better overnight as flavors meld, delicious for a dip or side salad, or served on top of an entree. Makes enough for a big party, 14-16 servings.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 14

Calories 37kcal

Author Sandy Coughlin

Ingredients

• 1 head green cabbage shredded
• 4 ripe tomatoes I used grape, coarsely chopped
• 2 green onion finely chopped
• 1 small white onion coarsely chopped
• 1 small red onion coarsely chopped
• 2 bunches cilantro coarsely chopped
• 2 4 oz. cans jalapenos chopped, do not drain (or use 1 fresh chopped)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• Kosher salt
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. cumin
• Limes

Instructions

• Finely chop and toss all vegetables together in a large bowl. Add the canned jalapenos; toss.
• Make the dressing: Whisk together the oil, rice vinegar, and seasoning; pour over the cabbage mixture. Salt and pepper to taste.
• Add 1 fresh lime squeezed (juice). Toss all together.
• Let stand 30 minutes and enjoy with tortilla chips, on top of an entree, or as a side salad. (Or, enjoy withing 4-5 hours of making it).

Notes

Reposted from May 2018

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 56mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 414IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 1mg

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Butter lettuce, as its name suggests, is so tender that it melts in your mouth like butter. It’s so tender! This simple salad is composed of tender butter lettuce leaves, radicchio, and fresh sliced veggies. It’s a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds. This lettuce is also popular in chicken lettuce wraps!

For Easter, serve this Butter Leaf Lettuce Salad recipe with Honey Dijon Dressing recipe with your other favorite side dishes, like mashed potatoes, green beans, and fruit salad! Make our easy Perfect Soft Boiled Egg Recipe. I love a soft-boiled egg for this salad, rather than hard-cooked eggs! They can be dry and bland, where these eggs are soft and tender. Also, you could easily add chicken, salmon, or steak to this salad for a main dish!

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If you want to take deviled eggs to the next level, try our creamy mayo (with pickles) dressing poured over elbow macaroni with hard boiled eggs, and an addition of crunchy bits of celery, onion, and bacon. You’ll want to add this side dish to your Easter menu, as it pairs so well with chicken, lamb, or ham. But also for spring and summer, it’s our go-to salad recipe for picnics and large group gatherings!

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One thing I love about Easter is pulling out traditional recipes, like this Easter Fruit Salad. I also love setting up a buffet, and inviting a group over for brunch or dinner [tips below]. Whether we’re serving breakfast or a ham dinner, this easy Easter Fruit Salad is a unqiue side dish that is not only beautiful, it’s fresh and delightful.

We started making this Fruit Salad with mint and lime years ago, and it’s become a family favorite. Also, who would have thought that by adding a tiny bit of vanilla to the dressing (or glaze), would really add to the fruit. It completely changes up the flavor–making it so light and fresh. And note–there is NO pudding in this recipe. Plus, it’s much fresher than an Easter Fruit Fluff Salad (usually with marshmallows).

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There is nothing better than a classic, homemade caesar salad dressing. This creamy caesar dressing without anchovies is thickened with an egg yolk and freshly grated Parmesan cheese (no mayo here!) Using an immersion blender, emulsify it to a savory, cheesy and a little peppery salad dressing!

Caesar Salad Dressing without Mayo

And yes, I love a good Caesar salad dressing with NO mayo, made up and stored in my fridge in a canning jar! My family has been making grilled romaine salads for many years, and when you have a homemade caesar dressing drizzled on top, with melty Parmesan cheese and fresh garden tomatoes–it truly is the best all-time salad.

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Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish made with carbonara sauce, typically of eggs, black pepper, percorino Romano (or Parmesan), and pancetta. My version of Cold Carbonara Pasta Salad is similar, but remade into a “chilled” wonderful anytime salad with spaghetti, pancetta, ham, peas, eggs, and red onion. And then of course, it’s tossed with in a dreamy, cheesy dressing.

It’s great for any season, because it feeds a crowd, and everyone loves it. Serve it in the summer with Bang Bang Chicken, a house salad, and Jalapeno Biscuits for a savory, wonderful meal. It’s a beautiful presentation when you serve it in one of our epic salad bowls.

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Rich and delicious, you may have already tried our popular Best Clam Chowder that is full of sweet tender clams and potatoes, and super delicious with bacon. We adapted the recipe today for a quicker version–rich and creamy Clam Chowder Bowls! It’s perfect for lunch or dinner.

For a different style of serving clam chowder, you can also set it out in a big pot on an epic clam chowder dinner board. This is really great for the holidays or a dinner party with bread on the side. Such a lovely presentation!

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This easy leek, ham and potato soup is a simple, indulgent and comforting meal, on the table in no time. We love it served with our cheesy potato bread and a crunchy side salad! This is a great recipe for using up leftover holiday ham, but if you don’t have ham, don’t worry. You can skip the ham altogether, because the flavors of the onions, leeks and garlic really come through.

It’s funny – this soup is hearty (with ham and potatoes) but also light (with peas and leeks), which makes it my favorite springtime soup to serve. What a fun presentation for St. Patrick’s Day or Easter holidays! You can just make it leek and potato, without the ham. You can also make it without the peas.

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