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Wondering what to serve with soup? Discover these delicious and easy sides for soup, from crusty bread to vibrant salads, guaranteed to complete your comforting meal!

Soups are one of the easiest ways to get dinner on the table. But how to make it into a meal? It can be difficult to find just the right side dishes to compliment the meal and make it healthy yet satisfying. Don’t worry: we’re here to help!
Here’s a list of our top favorite sides for soup. Each side dish is pretty versatile, and works for anything from loaded potato soup to an Italian minestrone. There are lots of crisp green salads full of nutrients, and tasty and filling breads to make for a hearty meal. Ready to get started?
And now…our top sides for soup!
First up in our sides for soup: garlic bread! This side dish is a total treat food that goes perfectly with soup. It’s got just the right savory, garlicky flavor. It’s tender on the inside, and crunchy on top from broiling it with Parmesan cheese. Somehow, it’s only got less butter than most garlic bread recipes, so it’s a lighter spin on the classic. But most of all: it’s damn good.
Another great side to serve with soup: arugula salad! This one is quite possibly the easiest salad you’ll make. You don’t even have to make a salad dressing! In 5 to 10 minutes, you’ve got an elegant salad that goes with literally everything. Dress baby arugula simply with olive oil and lemon juice, then add Parmesan shavings and thinly sliced shallots. Done! Simple, understated, and oh so good.
Got a pot of soup simmering on the stove? Make up a batch of biscuits to go with it! Biscuits are right up there at the top of the cozy comfort food list. And these particular biscuits are the most tender, flaky, comforting homemade biscuits you’ll find. (We think, at least!) And they’re always a huge hit with guests. They're great with loaded potato soup.
We’re always on the hunt for a great salad around here, and this one is simple and stunning. Try this refreshing Romaine Salad! The electric green of the romaine leaves, pastel dressing and delicate pink radishes have a fresh monochrome effect tastes as good as it looks. The Green Goddess Dressing smothers it all in herbaceous creaminess.
One of the best sides for soup? Homemade bread! Make this homemade no knead bread and friends and family will sing your praises. Neighbors following the wafting smell will come flocking. It’s got the best flavor: lightly tangy and robust. The exterior is the perfect crisp crust, and the interior has the perfect moist chewiness.
Want to add sophistication to your soup? Try a crunchy and refreshing frisee salad! Frisée is a leafy green with a frilly texture and subtly bitter flavor, ideal for adding flair and elegance to salads. This one pairs it with the burst of juicy orange, aged Manchego cheese, and crunchy almonds, covering it all in a zingy white wine vinaigrette.
May we present, this incredible chopped salad. It’s classy and tight. There’s our homemade Italian dressing: tangy, savory, and herby. Add to that shallots, tomatoes, cucumber, and a zing from pepperoncini. Parmesan cheese seals the deal. Are you ready to get cooking? Because this chopped salad wants to be part of your kitchen repertoire.
What to serve with soup? Try this Gourmet Grilled Cheese! This spin is every bit as toasty and gooey as the original, with a few tricks to elevate the flavors. It’s smoky, salty and savory sweet, with just the right crunch from the golden bread into the molten cheese. You’ll find yourself sighing in delight after every bite.
Here's the perfect homemade Caesar salad: the ideal side for soup! The savory, creamy Caesar dressing will instantly become a household favorite. And the crunchy garlicky croutons…well, you’ll be eating them off the baking sheet.
Every time we make these, we can’t help but sneak bites off the pan…until they almost disappear before we sit down to a meal. Here’s how to make sweet potato wedges in the oven that are browned, tender and seasoned to perfection! You can serve them as a healthy side dish, or even better: load them with chili for a tasty dinner.
Here’s a simple side for soup: this stunning Apple Salad! If we could eat one salad for the rest of time, this one is it. Crisp tart apple slices pair with pops of pomegranate seeds, creamy goat cheese, and crunchy, cinnamon spiced pecans. Toss them all over fresh greens with a zingy maple and apple cider vinegar dressing, and it’s truly salad perfection.
Another fun side for soup? The quesadilla! This Mexican and Tex Mex recipe is genius in its simplicity, from the golden tortilla outsides to its melty, gooey interior. This easy quesadilla recipe makes a crispy, deliciously seasoned tortilla melt every time: If your soup is not Latin in vibe, change up the vibe: like a quesadilla with cheese, apple slices, and honey!
Another great side for soup? Brussels sprout salad! The raw greens aren’t bitter at all when they're shaved and eaten raw: they’re sweet and feathery, with irresistibly tasty flavor. Combine them with a sweet and tangy Djion mustard dressing, apples, and dried cherries, and they’re pretty darn perfect. Ready to get shredding?
A good cornbread recipe is a necessity for the home cook, and it's ideal for what to serve with soup! Cornbread is easy, goes with just about anything and it always, always satisfies. Here’s a favorite of ours: this Skillet Cornbread recipe! It’s great in a cast iron skillet, though you can use any type of oven-safe skillet that’s on hand. Or, try Mexican Cornbread or Easy Vegan Cornbread.
This tossed salad goes with just about anything, including soup! It features colorful veggies like radishes, cucumber, and carrot, leafy greens, and sunflower seeds for a crunch. Add Homemade Croutons and top with any of our best salad dressings. Pick from Creamy Avocado, Best Balsamic, Homemade Ranch, or Blue Cheese.
The only thing better than homemade cornbread is…homemade Corn Muffins! This corn muffin recipe is our family go-to that’s nostalgic for both of us. Here’s a recipe that takes all that’s great about the box mix…without the box! These muffins are moist and fluffy, with the ideal sweet savory flavor. And, they’re faster to make than cornbread, making them an ideal side dish for soup or just about anything!
Craving green things? Here’s a salad that’s fresh, tasty, and absolutely irresistible: Green Goddess Salad! It features everything green: green cabbage, cucumber, romaine and green onions, all tossed together with that famous herby Green Goddess dressing. This one pairs perfectly with pizza or soup and makes a simple meal!
Here's a great side for soup: popovers! What’s a popover? A popover is kind of like a dinner roll, but on the inside it’s custardy and filled with air! The name comes from literally “popping over” the sides of the pan. And the recipe is easy to memorize: we’ve memorized it so that we can whip them up while we have soup simmering on the stove.
Here’s a workhorse salad that’s fresh, delicious and ultra versatile: this deli-style Quinoa Salad! There are loads of ways to make a salad with this fluffy grain and after experimenting for years, we’ve found the one. This recipe is delightfully refreshing, a jumble of crunchy, colorful veggies, fluffy quinoa grains, and a zingy Dijon mustard vinaigrette. It’s vegetable-packed, making it a great way to add veggies as a dinner side dish or side for soup.
This simple kale salad recipe has the power to transform hearts and minds everywhere. After one bite, you’ll agree that those green leaves smothered in a lemony, garlicky Parmesan dressing can only be one thing: irresistibly delicious! Tender kale gets a vibrant boost from juicy lemon, salty Parmesan, fresh garlic and olive oil.
And some favorite soup recipes
Of course, we couldn’t leave you with only sides for soup! Here are some of our best soup recipes:
- This Easy Loaded Potato Soup is the very best easy potato soup you’ll find! Creamy and comforting, it’s made in minutes with no cream and no need for a blender. (Or try it in the Instant Pot.)
- Take one bite of this Pizza Soup, and it tastes like your favorite pie in bowl form!
- This Easy Lentil Soup or Curry Lentil Soup are ultra cozy and healthy! It’s a hearty plant based recipe that’s filling enough for lunch or dinner.
- Impossibly creamy, this Best Wild Rice Soup is packed with flavor and full of tender veggies and hearty rice. Everyone asks for the recipe—it’s that good. (Or try it in the Instant Pot.)
More sides to go with…
We love helping you find great recipes to pair with main dishes! Here are a few more recipe collections:
- Sides to Serve with Mac and Cheese
- What to Serve with Fajitas
- Sides to Serve with Enchiladas
- What to Serve with Stuffed Peppers
- Sides to Serve with Lasagna
- What to Serve with Crab Cakes
- Sides to Go with Salmon
- Best Sides to Go with Tacos
- Sides to Go with Pizza
- Sides to Go with Chili
20 Cozy Sides for Soup
This homemade garlic bread is the best side for soup! It’s crunchy on top, chewy on the inside, and full of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread (or any medium-sized artisan loaf)
- 4 tablespoons melted salted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced finely
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Slice the entire loaf of bread in half lengthwise (see the photos).
- Mix the butter with the finely chopped parsley and grated garlic, grating it right into the butter (or if you don’t have a microplane or grater, mince the garlic as finely as possible). Then brush the garlic butter onto the cut sides of the bread. Sprinkle the cut sides with a bit of kosher salt.
- Place the cut sides of the bread halves together and wrap the loaf in foil. Place the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until warmed through.
- Remove the foil and place the bread cut side up on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Broil for 2 to 3 minutes until browned and crispy, rotating the pan halfway through so the color is even. Cut the bread into slices and serve immediately (or place it back in foil and keep warm in a 350 degree oven until serving).