Here are all the very best sides for soup! Serve these easy side dish recipes with anything from potato soup to minestrone.
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 delectable 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 potato soup going? 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.
Another favorite side for soup: spinach apple salad! No one will believe it took minutes to put together. Start with a bed of greens and add crisp apple and pear. Our best balsamic dressing covers it in tangy sweet goodness. And the best part? Crunchy maple-glazed walnuts (or glazed pecans)! Just a few minutes in a hot skillet with maple syrup makes the nuts come out shiny and lightly sweet.
A homemade crusty bread is one of the best sides to serve with soup! And this one is a stunner. This one is a no knead bread, where you can mix up a batch and throw it in the refrigerator for a few hours or for up to 2 weeks! Then you shape and bake it the day you want to eat it. This multigrain bread features tasty mix-ins like oatmeal, sunflower seeds, and quinoa. Other bread recipes we love: Easy Cornbread, Best Sourdough Bread or Artisan Dutch Oven Bread.
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.
Here's a fantastic side salad to serve with soup! Here Brussels sprouts are served raw, sliced into feathery shreds that taste mild and sweet! They make the most delightful salad that makes you feel like you're getting healthier with every bite. The spouts are mixed with crisp apple and tart pomegranate seeds, and covered in a tangy vinaigrette.
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.
This cabbage salad features Savoy cabbage, a variety with a mild, sweeter flavor than standard green cabbage. The leaves are crinkled and when thinly sliced, they look beautifully frizzy. Here it's combined with crisp apples and crunchy walnuts, then topped with sliced Parmesan cheese. It's got just the right vibe to go with a cozy soup!
Last up in our sides for soup: kale caesar salad! Topped with a creamy homemade Caesar dressing and crispy cornbread croutons, this kale Caesar salad recipe is one salad you won’t want to stop eating! And the crispy cornbread croutons — well, let’s just say not too many made it onto our salad. Use our Vegan Cornbread or Best Homemade Cornbread: and you can also serve leftovers as a bonus side dish!
Best Homemade Garlic Bread
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
Description
This homemade garlic bread is the best side for soup! It’s crunchy on top, chewy on the inside, and full of flavor.
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).
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Sides for Soup, What to Serve with Potato Soup
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:
- Easy Loaded Potato Soup 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.)
- Easy Pizza Soup Take one bite of this pizza soup, and it tastes like your favorite pie in bowl form!
- Curry Lentil Soup Ultra cozy and healthy! It’s a hearty plant based recipe that’s filling enough for lunch or dinner.
- Best Wild Rice Soup Impossibly creamy, 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: