If you’re looking for the right side dish to serve with your soup, it’s time to break out of the salad rut.
How many times have you looked at your soup, and thought to yourself, “This is great, but it would be even better if I had some sort of side dish to serve with it.”
We’ve all been there.
But sometimes, that side dish can be hard to find.
What if you’re not interested in serving a boring old salad?
Or what if you’re just tired of salads and want something a little more interesting?
Well, look no further!
We’ve got just the thing for you!
See Also: 50 Best Soups with Turnips
What to Serve with Soup Besides Salad (21 Easy Sides)
You know the drill: you’re hungry, and you want to eat soup.
But what to serve with soup besides salad?
Well, we’ve got a few ideas for you—and they won’t leave you feeling like a rabbit caught in headlights.
Check them out below:
1. Garlic Bread
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/163114817751231368/Garlic bread is a classic for a reason: it’s buttery, garlicky, and warm—and it’ll make your kitchen smell like an Italian restaurant.
Store-bought garlic bread is fine, but homemade garlic bread?
Rookie mistake.
Garlic bread only takes 15 minutes to make, and it’ll taste infinitely better—especially if you use fresh herbs instead of dried ones.
2. Fresh Fruit
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/101471797844591592/This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning anyway: fruit is great with soup!
It’s light, refreshing, and sweet (but not too sweet).
Our recommendation?
Diced melon or grapes for cream-based soups, sliced oranges for vegetable soups, and berries for anything else.
3. Salsa
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/211174974443004/No, not the kind you dip chips in—we’re talking about tomato salsa.
Slice up some fresh tomatoes and toss them into a pot with some cilantro, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Let the mixture simmer on low for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend together, then pour over your piping hot bowl of soup and enjoy!
4. Rice
Rice might seem like a weird choice to pair with your soup, but what if we told you it’s actually a classic?
Soup and rice are often served together in countries like China and Japan, where rice is served at every meal to represent wealth and good luck.
The next time you’re feeling lucky (and hungry), consider a side of rice with your soup!
5. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/75576099988877101/Who doesn’t love grilled cheese sandwiches?
They’re delicious on their own, but pairing them with soup makes them even better.
If you’re in a pinch and need something super quick, just slice up some store-bought baguettes (or get them from the deli), lather some butter on the sides of each slice (a little bit goes a long way), and toast in a pan until golden brown on both sides.
6. Crackers
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/207024914118029230/Crackers are another bread-adjacent food, but they’re usually lighter in texture and flavor than regular bread, which makes them a great complement to a heartier soup like French onion or lentil (which is often vegan!).
Just be sure not to eat too many, since that can lead to indigestion for some people.
7. Cornbread
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/860539441308906420/Everyone loves cornbread—and if you don’t love cornbread yet, here’s your chance to get on board!
Cornbread is savory, slightly sweet, and pairs great with any kind of soup you want to eat.
Plus, it’s easy to make ahead of time and store in the fridge until the night you’re ready to cook up some soup.
8. Sweet Potato Fries
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/582653270549508927/These are an awesome alternative to regular fries because they’re healthy and delicious.
Plus, they’re super easy to make!
Just toss your sweet potatoes in some olive oil and spices and bake them at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.
That’s it!
9. Roasted broccoli
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/106538347426605834/Roasted broccoli is super easy to make: just cut up some broccoli into florets, drizzle them with olive oil and salt, and bake them until they’re crispy.
Serve it alongside your favorite soup and watch your guests’ eyes light up when they see what’s on their plates!
10. Roasted potatoes
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/68117013104532434/Potatoes are always delicious no matter how you make them—but roasted potatoes are particularly great because they’re crispy on the outside but soft on the inside.
They’ll pair perfectly with any kind of soup!
11. Tortilla chips and salsa
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/121386152448197629/Tortilla chips are a classic addition to Mexican-style soups, but they’re also delicious with other types of soups—especially those that have a lot of flavor already.
Plus, tortilla chips are easy to make at home!
If you’re not feeling like making your own chips, try some homemade baked ones instead.
They’re just as good (if not better!) than the store-bought kind.
12. Biscuits
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/1407443622382111/A warm, flaky biscuit is the perfect side dish for any kind of soup, as long as it’s not too creamy or spicy.
If your soup does veer towards creamy, go for a simple breadstick instead.
And if it’s on the spicy side, consider adding some chopped fresh herbs to your biscuits (or breadsticks) so that you can get a little extra bite on the side.
13. Melba Toast
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/448248969161729790/Yes, really!
Melba toast is the perfect crunchy pairing for creamy soups and stews, especially if you’re looking for something that can help soak up some of that delicious broth or creaminess without falling apart when it gets wet.
It’s also incredibly low-calorie and high in fiber—which means you’ll feel fuller than if you’d just snacked on chips or pretzels while you were waiting for your soup to heat up.
14. Sourdough Bread Bowls
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/5840674507105638/When it comes to soup and bread, there’s no better combo than a hearty sourdough bread bowl.
The best part is that if you don’t have time to make your own bread dough from scratch, there are plenty of great pre-made options that are just as tasty.
We recommend mixing up your soups by trying oyster stew in half a loaf of sourdough and French onion in the other half.
That way, you can get two great meals out of one!
15. Sweet potato hash
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/336292297179548334/If you love the sweet taste of sweet potatoes and the filling crunch of kale, this is a great dish to accompany your soup.
It’s made by chopping up sweet potatoes and sauteing them with onion, garlic, and kale until they’re golden brown.
16. Roasted root vegetables
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/56295064083405179/If you want to stick with a more traditional side dish but don’t want to settle for a salad, try roasting some root vegetables!
The flavors deepen as they roast, so they go perfectly with soup!
17. Croutons
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/219057969367311525/These can be store-bought or homemade (depending on the time you have available).
Either way, these little nuggets of bread are an awesome stand-in for rolls or breadsticks when served with soup.
Just soak them in olive oil and dried herbs before cooking, and they’ll be a hit!
18. Popcorn
This is a great option if you like your soup spicy!
The popcorn will help to cut through the heat, so it’s especially good when served with chili or other spicy soups.
19. Cucumber Slices
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/338825571969551766/This is an oft-overlooked side dish that’s easy to prepare and leaves you feeling refreshed.
Serve with a little lemon juice and maybe some salt for a zesty bite that will leave you ready for anything.
20. Crusty Ciabatta Bread
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/443675000801878857/This is a close relative of the bread bowl, but it has its own unique qualities.
For example, ciabatta is an Italian word that means “slipper”—so if you want to get weird with it, you could say that you’re serving “slipper soup.”
That might make for some interesting dinner conversation!
21. Roasted beets with lemon
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/6614730694748058/Roasted beets are an unexpected side dish that’s perfect with your favorite creamy soup.
They’re easy to make: just toss them in the oven (or on the grill) until they’re tender and juicy, then drizzle them with lemon juice (you can do this while they roast).
They’re also pretty cheap, which is a major plus if you’re trying to save money on food costs!
Related:
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What to Serve with Lentil Soup (28 Best Side Dishes)
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What to Serve with Tomato Soup Besides Grilled Cheese
What Dessert Goes With Soup? 10 Easy Desserts
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What to Serve with Soup Besides Salad (21 Easy Sides)
Ingredients
- Garlic Bread
- Fresh Fruit
- Salsa
- Rice
- Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
- Crackers
- Cornbread
- Sweet Potato Fries
- Roasted broccoli
- Roasted potatoes
- Tortilla chips and salsa
- Biscuits
- Melba Toast
- Sourdough Bread Bowls
- Sweet potato hash
- Roasted root vegetables
- Croutons
- Popcorn
- Cucumber Slices
- Crusty Ciabatta Bread
- Roasted beets with lemon
Instructions
- Pick any of the sides from this list to serve with your tasty soup.
- Prepare the ingredients according to the recipe.
- Be ready to enjoy your meal in no time!
Hi, I'm Benjamin. I love cooking, long walks, and my girlfriend! Here you’ll find simple and delicious recipes that you can make in 30 minutes or less.