70 Festive Summer Sides For The Perfect Fourth Of July Celebration

We all love a classic mayo-based potato salad, but sometimes we want to try something with a little more…je ne sais quoi. In this recipe, tender, creamy potatoes are tossed with a garlicky mustard dressing and showered with plenty of fresh chopped herbs.

Get the French Potato Salad recipe.

In this elotes recipe, grilled corn is covered in a creamy mayo and sour cream mixture before being topped with chili powder, cotija cheese, and plenty of lime juice. The result is an easy, flavor-packed side dish that we just can't get enough of.

Get the Mexican Street Corn (Elote) recipe.

A summer salad should be simple with minimal effort, allowing the seasonal produce to really shine. This easy salad—loaded with couscous and colorful vegetables—just might become your new favorite side dish.

Get the Summer Couscous Salad recipe.

When it comes to summer cookouts, coleslaw is a must. This recipe is about as classic as it gets. The real kicker is the dressing, which is light and punchy, thanks to a generous amount of apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.

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Baked beans are equal parts sweet and savory. Not to mention, they’re a one-pot wonder! Serve them alongside hot dogs and cornbread for an all-American feast.

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If Caesar salad took a vacation to the Midwest, she would become this side dish. This broccoli Caesar pasta salad features crisp-tender broccoli tossed with cavatappi, shredded Parm, and crispy croutons in a homemade Caesar dressing.

Get the Broccoli Caesar Pasta Salad recipe.

This tried-and-tested cornbread recipe checks all the boxes. Whether you’re serving it plain or with honey butter, you’ll return to it again and again.

Get the Homemade Cornbread recipe.

Skewered and grilled zucchini planks are topped with herby whipped ricotta and crunchy toasted walnuts in this easy, healthy side dish for July 4th. The ribboning also creates plenty of nooks and crannies for the creamy ricotta and walnuts to settle.

Get the Grilled Zucchini With Ricotta & Walnuts recipe.

We took inspiration from two summer salad staples—Caprese salad and watermelon feta salad—to create this best-of-both-worlds side dish. In it, fresh strawberries are combined with juicy watermelon, tangy feta, and fresh basil for a sweet summer bite.

Get the Watermelon Strawberry Caprese Salad recipe.

A panzanella salad might seem simple to make—and it is! Our recipe features generous golden-brown croutons, chunks of juicy tomato, shallots, and torn basil in a bright vinaigrette.

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If you’ve found yourself making the same macaroni salad over and over again, this is the recipe for you. This Peruvian-inspired shrimp pasta salad is bright and zingy with perfectly cooked shrimp, red bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.

Get the Shrimp Pasta Salad recipe.

News flash: Strawberries aren’t just for dessert. Their sweet and slightly tart flavor lends itself perfectly to savory dishes. We added in some spiral pasta, creamy goat cheese, crunchy toasted almonds, delicate shallots, and fresh herbs to make it a real party.

Get the Strawberry Balsamic Pasta Salad recipe.

Though we'll always love a classic, tomato-based gazpacho, the addition of watermelon gives the soup a delicious subtle sweetness we can't get enough of. Full of bright fruits and veggies, this no-cook soup is equal parts satisfying and refreshing.

Get the Watermelon Gazpacho recipe.

Upgrade your salad game with this ramen noodle side dish, which pairs crunchy ramen noodles with sweet mandarin oranges, creamy avocado, edamame, carrots, and cabbage.

Get the Ramen Noodle Salad recipe.

Plums are by far the most underrated stone fruit and it’s time they get the attention and treatment they truly deserve. Grilled plums are tossed with crispy pancetta, tangy goat cheese, fresh cherry tomatoes, and grilled sourdough bread, then drizzled with a maple-Dijon dressing.

Get the Grilled Plum & Pancetta Panzanella Salad recipe.

Think of burrata salad as caprese salad's fancy cousin. In this recipe, peak-summer tomatoes are topped with this luscious cheese and garnished with peppery basil leaves and savory chives.

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This watermelon Caprese combines slices of juicy, sweet watermelon, mozzarella, fresh basil, and a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic glaze. The result is a simple side that's ready in just about 15 minutes.

Get the Watermelon Caprese recipe.

For summer cookouts, macaroni salad is a non-negotiable. It's one of our favorite things to pair with pulled pork or ribs. This recipe features crunchy celery, umami-packed tomatoes, and briny Kalamata olives.

Get the Classic Macaroni Salad recipe.

Slathered with garlic oil and showered with mozzarella and Parmesan, these showstopping zucchini steaks will take center stage at your July 4th cookout.

Get the Cheesy Garlic Zucchini Steaks recipe.

This time around, pasta salad gets a Mediterranean twist. To make it, gemelli pasta is tossed with chickpeas, bell pepper, cucumber, scallions, feta, olives, herbs, and tomatoes, then tossed in harissa mayo.

Get the Mediterranean Pasta Salad recipe.