33 Sides for Soup You’ll Love (+ Easy Recipes)

If thinking up tasty sides for soup have you scratching your head, I have you covered! 

Soup is one of the best comfort foods, but every main course needs an equally-satisfying side dish. 

And don’t worry, you can whip up these sides in a flash, so you have more time to spend on your soup. 

From classics like grilled cheese, garlic bread, and tasty salads, these side dishes run the risk of stealing the spotlight. 

Check out these tasty recipes to take soup night to new heights. 

1. Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Nothing beats a grilled cheese sandwich and a hot bowl of soup.

And it’s not just tomato soup that works best with grilled cheese, as it goes with anything!

While the ingredient list is simple, mastering the art of grilled cheese takes some skill.

You want the outside to be perfectly golden and crispy with a gooey cheese center.

Adding Havarti and Gouda adds so much creamy flavor to this American classic.

2. Marie Callender’s Cornbread 

Not all cornbread recipes are created equal.

Some are sweet, which pairs well with smoky BBQ, while others have a more subtle flavor. 

This recipe from Marie Callender’s is the perfect recipe for savory soups.

This cornbread is mild with a slightly sweet flavor, and it’s so incredibly moist!

It’s the perfect style of cornbread to serve with butter, honey, and a tasty soup.

3. Dinner Rolls

When in doubt, dinner rolls are always a great choice.

Sure, you can grab a bag of store-bought rolls, but nothing beats homemade!

Don’t worry- even if you aren’t a skilled bread maker; these dinner rolls are effortless. 

When they come out of the oven, the tops are golden brown with buttery and flakey insides that are perfect for dunking. 

4. French Dip Sandwich

The French dip sandwich lands high on the list in the sandwich hall of fame.

Serve it with classic au jus, or use a beefy soup as your dip of choice. 

This French dip pairs perfectly tender, melt-in-your-mouth chuck roast in a hearty sandwich bun. 

The choice of bread is key. You want something hearty that won’t disintegrate when dipped in soup or au jus. 

It’s the perfect side dish for a hearty dinner that ensures no one goes to bed hungry. 

5. Mediterranean Pasta Salad

This Mediterranean pasta salad is a perfect companion for soup for lunch or a light dinner.

It’s colorful, explodes with rich flavors, and it’s easy to whip together in a jiffy. 

It pairs tender pasta with leafy greens, Mediterranean herbs, and bright veggies in a light dressing. 

Soup and salad is a classic combo, but this Mediterranean pasta salad is more filling and flavorful than your standard garden salad. 

6. Taco Bell Quesadillas 

Is there ever a wrong time for quesadillas?

This Taco Bell copycat quesadilla is just as cheesy and spicy as the OG and easy to throw together on a hectic weeknight. 

With tender strips of chicken, gooey cheese, and punchy salsa, it’s a simple family favorite. 

It goes excellent with Mexican-inspired soup like chicken tortilla soup.

But it’s a flavorful pairing for any soup on the menu!

7. Ultra Crispy Smashed Potatoes

Carbs are always a great side to soup, whether it’s bread, cornbread, or potatoes.

These ultra-crispy smashed potatoes might steal the spotlight from your soup. 

What makes these smashed potatoes so wonderful is that they earn a crispy skin in the oven while keeping the insides light and flakey. 

Plus, it’s pretty fun smashing those potatoes. Add butter, fresh herbs, and salt, and serve with your favorite soup. 

8. Garlic Bread

Garlic bread is the godfather of the bread family. If a human being turns down a slice of warm, buttery garlic bread- look out!

They might be a robot or a vampire. 

This homemade garlic bread recipe tastes much better than anything you get at the store.

It’s so warm and buttery, with a crispy base that’s hard to resist. 

And garlic bread goes with everything, whether it’s chicken noodle soup, French onion, or a warmed bowl of vegetable stock!

9. Paula Deen’s Squash Casserole 

If savory, homemade comfort food is your goal, Paula Deen has you covered.

This delicious squash casserole is cheesy and buttery with a delightfully crunchy crust. 

The subtle flavors in this simple casserole make the perfect pairing for a light, summery soup.

It goes great with the classics like chicken and noodles or corn chowder and makes enough to ensure it lasts an entire pot of soup. 

10. Breadsticks

This recipe for homemade breadsticks feels like something from a fancy restaurant. 

They boast an excellent nutty crunch and are perfect for dipping (or, in my case, midnight snacking). 

The best part about these breadsticks is that they taste incredible.

They’re a little more tedious than a loaf of bread, but they are well worth the extra effort. 

And because they have a neutral flavor, you can serve them with just about anything. 

11. Stuffed Bell Peppers

Feeling a little down this winter?

Shake those seasonal blues with the most amazing comfort food pairing: stuffed bell peppers and soup!

This recipe for stuffed bell peppers checks all the boxes. They’re cheesy, meaty, and so very savory. 

When baked in the oven, the bell peppers infuse every inch of the meaty rice mixture with peppery flavors that are hard to resist. 

12. Creamy Broccoli Salad

This broccoli salad circles around the food pyramid for a healthy side dish.

And don’t worry, it doesn’t taste like healthy food. 

It pairs crispy broccoli florets with onion, smoky bacon, sunflower seeds, and tart cranberries.

It’s crunchy, salty, and meaty, with just a touch of sweetness from the cranberries. Delicious!

But we’re not done yet. All those flavors sing with a creamy mayo and apple cider vinegar dressing. 

13. Buttered Noodles

If you’re in a pinch for a side dish and used all your fresh ingredients for soup, buttered noodles are coming to the rescue!

Sometimes, it’s the simple dishes that are the most satisfying.

This recipe calls for a few pantry staples, including noodles, butter, and a dash of salt and pepper. That’s it!

It tastes amazing, but you can also jazz it up with garlic salt or fresh herbs from the garden. 

14. Soft Pretzel Bites 

There’s never a wrong time for pretzel bites. Serve them up as an appetizer or a twist in the classic bread and soup combo. 

You don’t have to be a bread-baking wizard to pull off these super easy pretzel bites. 

Once boiled and then baked, they’re golden and delicious with an impossibly chewy center. 

They’re great with all your favorite dipping sauces and even better dunked in soup!

15. Fried Bologna Sandwich

You are missing out if you have never tried a fried bologna sandwich before!

It tastes like a hot dog sandwich. What’s not to love?

The best part of the humble fried bologna sandwich is that it’s a perfect side when you are short on ingredients. 

Bologna crisps up quickly in a skillet and is warm, salty, and a little crispy on the edges. 

Pile your sandwich high with lettuce, cheese, pickles, and potato chips to elevate this childhood classic. 

16. Classic Chicken Salad

It’s creamy, light, and destined for a sandwich.

This classic chicken salad makes the most beautiful sandwich to pair with a steamy bowl of soup. 

It pairs tender shredded chicken with tasty additions like celery, onions, and fresh dill.

Add a creamy mayo and herb sauce, and you’re in business!

The light flavors of this chicken salad make a wonderfully creamy soup and salad combo 12 months out of the year. 

17. Cheesy Breadsticks

Breadsticks are great, but what if we took those breadsticks and made them cheesy? 

This recipe is so ooey and gooey and cheesy that your soup will likely take a backseat. 

Making cheesy breadsticks at home is super simple, and nothing beats the smell of bread baking in the oven!

With a homemade crust, garlic, herbs, butter, and a ton of mozzarella cheese, they’ll be your new favorite side dish. 

18. Texas Roadhouse Rolls 

Sometimes, I go to Texas Roadhouse because I crave their delicious buttery rolls. 

They’re so warm, sweet, and buttery, and this copycat recipe tastes like the real deal.

The best part about this recipe is that it makes a giant batch and keeps them n the freezer for up to 3 months.

So, the next time you crave their rolls, you have them on hand. 

19. Garlic Cheddar Beer Bread

Beer bread is a great soup side because it’s savory, a little sweet, and goes with just about anything. 

This recipe is a perfect place to start if you have never made bread.

It doesn’t require any yeast (thanks to the addition of beer), and you don’t have to let it sit on the counter. 

It’s cheesy and flakey, and you can’t beat that classic savory and hoppy zing from the beer. 

20. Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

If you are anything like me, you always have a bag of baby carrots in your vegetable crisper. 

And if you do, you are halfway there to a delicious side dish that demands a hot bowl of soup. 

The brown sugar glaze oozed into every nook and cranny of these tender, melt-in-your-mouth carrots. 

They’re sweet, salty, and so easy to make with just a few pantry staples. 

21. Ham and Cheese Scones

Scones sound like one of these tedious French dishes, but they’re easier than you think. 

These deliciously salty and cheesy scones are easy to whip up as you wait for your soup to boil. 

The pairing of ham and cheese is a match made in heaven. It’s salty, meaty, and so very cheesy. 

The next time you want bread to serve with a hot bowl of soup, try these deceptively simple scones instead!

22. Italian Chopped Salad

Chopped salads ensure that every forkful delivers a little bit of everything. 

And with this insanely delicious Italian chopped salad, you don’t want to miss out on a single ingredient. 

It pairs crunchy chopped lettuce with chickpeas, cheese, salty pepperoncini, and tomatoes in a rich vinaigrette. 

It’s light, refreshing, and perfect for an easy soup and salad lunch. 

23. Creamy Potato Salad

Creamy potato salad goes with just about anything, including a hot bowl of savory soup. 

This simple creamy potato salad is easy to whip together quickly, and the creamy texture goes excellent with thick, beefy soups or stews. 

The potatoes are delightfully tender and melt in your mouth while it earns a bright crunch from radishes, cucumbers, and celery. 

24. Rotisserie Chicken Salad

It doesn’t get much easier than this rotisserie chicken salad. Let the grocery store roast your chicken for you to save time. 

All you need to do is shred that tender chicken off the bones and pair it with bright veggies, a creamy mayo, and a mustard dressing.

Then, mix and serve, as there’s no oven or stovetop required. 

Serve it alone, or pile it high on a sandwich and pair it with a light bowl of tasty soup. 

25. Homemade Soft Pretzels

Learning to twist soft pretzels into their classic shape is a bit of a challenge. 

However, this recipe is so easy and comes together so quickly that it’s ok if they look a little wonky. 

What’s great about this recipe is that the dough only needs about 10 minutes to rest before it hits the oven. 

It comes together quickly and yields chewy, golden pretzels that accent any soup perfectly. 

26. Taco Salad

This taco salad is rich and flavorful and comes together in a snap.

It’ll surely be a big hit with a bed of crispy lettuce and classic Mexican toppings like sour cream, avocado, and taco meat. 

To keep it healthy, you can swap fat-heavy ingredients for waistline-friendly options.

Opt for lean ground turkey for protein, and fill your salad with nutritious greens. 

27. Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potato fries are always a big hit.

While regular fries are great, the sweetness from sweet potatoes takes the flavors over the top. 

And there’s no need to bust out the deep fryer because these crispy potatoes bake perfectly in the oven. 

For even more flavor, you can season them with garlic, cayenne pepper, or whatever seasoning goes best with your soup of choice. 

28. Buttermilk Biscuits

Skip that can of pre-made biscuits; you won’t need it.

 It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe for homemade biscuits, and the butter flavor is better than anything from a can. 

The dough comes together in an instant and doesn’t require resting.

It comes together in 30 minutes, and the finished product is layered, flaky, light, and tender. 

Who can resist hot biscuits right out of the oven?

29. Baked Potato Skins

You have come to the right place if you want something meaty, filling, and flavorful.

These baked potato skins aren’t your ordinary baked potatoes.

The insides earn a rich, meaty blend of bacon, cheese, and bright green onions. 

While the outsides are nice and crispy, the flavorful insides melt in your mouth. 

30. Homemade Bread Bowls

There are no words to describe how much I love bread bowls.

Soup is great, but eating that soup-soaked bread bowl is magical. 

While I typically leave the bread bowl magic to the professionals (like at Panera), this simple recipe makes it so easy to whip them up at home. 

These bread bowls are a perfect size and earn a chewy outside with soft, melt-in-your-mouth insides. 

31. Roast Beef Sliders

Who can resist a platter of carefully crafted sliders?

For soups, sliders are one of your best sandwich options. They’re small and compact, which is perfect for a light lunch. 

These roast beef sliders pair tender strips of fragrant roast beef with the holy grail of bread: Kings Hawaiian rolls. 

They’re rich and meaty, with a slight sweetness from the rolls.

These sliders go great with light soups like chicken and noodles or potato soup. 

32. Kale Chips

Looking for a healthy side dish? 

Kale chips are a great way to add extra crunch to your soup without undoing your diet. 

What I love most about this kale chip recipe is that it’s so easy. They’re light, salty, and oh-so-crispy. 

33. Crispy Garlic Baked Potato Wedges

These potato wedges are like soft pillowy clouds of potatoes.

They have a crispy, crunchy outside with a mashed-potato consistency inside. 

They’re heavenly. 

The great thing about potato wedges is that they deliver the same French fry feels without the tedious chopping. 

Slice them into large chunks, and bake them to golden perfection in the oven.