18 Perfect Side Dishes for Soup That Make It a Meal

Ham and Bean Soup and Cornbread — The Spruce / Zorica Lakonic

Warming soups make the perfect dish for chilly days. But when a bowl of soup isn't satisfying enough for your hunger, a flavorful side dish can make it a filling meal. Browse our recipe collection of side dishes to find the perfect pair of soup and side. Whether you are craving plenty of carbs, going for a meatless preparation, trying to boost your veggie intake, catering to kids, or seeking a more elegant combo, you'll find what you need to make your humble soup into the perfect lunch or dinner.

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Grilled Cheese Sandwich

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

There's no better match for tomato soup than a perfectly gooey, melty, delicious grilled cheese sandwich. You only need three ingredients to make this foolproof grilled cheese, which can be tweaked to taste with tons of flavor variations included in the recipe such as bacon, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto, or mayo and mustard.

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02 of 18

Potato and Green Bean Salad

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Lean into the homeyness of chicken and rice soup by pairing it with a rustic potato and green bean salad. With loads of texture from tender potatoes, crunchy green beans, and sliced celery and featuring the most dilly, creamy dressing, this salad is a comforting, nostalgic option for soup-and-salad lunches. Pair this hearty salad with a simple and light zucchini soup.

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03 of 18

Pear Salad With Walnuts and Gorgonzola

Thomas Barwick / Photodisc / Getty Images

Assemble this elegant green salad with ripe seasonal pears, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese while a pot of French onion soup simmers away on your stovetop. When your soup is ready, you can sit down for a bistro-style lunch or light dinner that is perfect for cold weather days. Add crusty bread for an unforgettable meal.

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04 of 18

Fried Paneer Cheese Pakora

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Delectably battered, fried paneer cheese cubes are an inspired pairing for curried chicken soup. With their crispy, golden-brown outsides and melting soft and chewy insides, these Indian pakora-style cheese tots can be served on the side or dropped right into soup bowls as a hearty addition. Because of their vegetarian quality, these bites are also a great side to a vegetarian carrot soup.

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05 of 18

Wilted Spinach Salad With Bacon

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

Complement the hearty indulgence of New England clam chowder with this warm spinach salad. Bacon—often featured in clam chowder recipes—and tangy red onion bits add crunch and flavor to tender, wilted spinach leaves. Hold off on dressing the greens until just before serving to keep the spinach with a slight crunch.

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06 of 18

Baked Stuffed Potatoes

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Make a batch of these baked stuffed potatoes for your freezer and pop them into the oven whenever you need a winning side. They are a great way to round out weekday lunches around a bowl of soup, such as kid-friendly broccoli cheddar. They also make a great game-day snack, or a side dish to go with baked chicken breasts or wings.

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07 of 18

Baked Cheese and Veggie Quesadillas

The Spruce / Emily Hawkes

With lots of warm, melty cheese and crunchy, colorful bell pepper strips, these oven-baked quesadillas are a great lunch for kids because they're easy-to-eat and plain delicious. A great recipe for busy parents, this dish is easy to whip up as a quick after-school snack. Cut them into triangles and serve with tortilla soup, along with salsa, sour cream, or creamy guacamole, and make them part of a special Mexican-inspired night.

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08 of 18

Shrimp Avocado Salad

The Spruce / Jennifer Perillo

Citrus, avocado, and plump pink shrimp are a match made in flavor heaven. You need minimal prep time to assemble this bright-tasting, healthy seafood salad at any time of year. Serve it with a tomato vegetable soup for an elegant weekday lunch, or nutritious light dinner.

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09 of 18

The Ultimate Smoked Salmon Bagel

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

For a delicatessen-style feast, serve this unbelievably tasty open-faced salmon bagel sandwich with a bowl of chicken matzo ball soup on the side. Pickled red onions and salty capers add a nice vinegary bite that balances the smokiness of the salmon, all brought together by the creamy addition of decadent cream cheese.

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10 of 18

Baked Vegan Sweet Potato Fries

The Spruce / Eric Kleinberg

Serve these vegan sweet potato fries with a bowl of creamy vegetable soup for a meat-free meal. Healthier and tastier than bagged frozen fries, these crunchy and decadent fries are also gluten-free. For a heartier combination, add the perfect crunch of these bites to a chunky and creamy chicken soup.

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11 of 18

Oven-Fried Zucchini

The Spruce

Easy oven-fried zucchini rounds with a crunchy Parmesan-breadcrumb coating are a delicious way to enjoy this nutritious vegetable. Serve them with chicken noodle soup for a kid-pleasing weekday lunch or with a colorful and hearty albóndigas Mexican Soup, a chunky and filling meatball preparation.

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12 of 18

Everyday Cornbread

The Spruce / Diana Rattray

This easy recipe for soft cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to ham and bean soup, rib-sticking chilis, and baked beans. You'll notice that this Southern-style cornbread recipe is made with very little sugar, but you can easily adjust the amount of sugar to suit your taste.

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13 of 18

Grilled Apple and Brie Flatbread

Sabrina S. Baksh / Regarding BBQ Inc.

Grill up this quick and easy flatbread featuring the fabulous fall flavor combo of Brie cheese and apples. Topped with chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey, it looks pretty on the table and is a great way to complement the earthy flavor of mushroom soup.

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14 of 18

Classic Eggplant Parmesan

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Up the ante on minestrone soup with layers of breaded and fried eggplant smothered with Italian cheeses and a herbed tomato sauce. Easily frozen, this is a great dish for weekly meal-prepping afternoons. Simply assemble the casserole unbaked, cover tightly with foil, thaw overnight in the fridge before baking through, and serve with your favorite soup.

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15 of 18

Buttermilk Biscuits

The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Few things are more satisfying on a cold-weather day than mopping up a hot bowlful of soup with fresh-from-the-oven biscuits. These fluffy, soft, buttery biscuits are absolutely made for dunking into hearty winter stews. Make a dozen biscuits with this recipe. Double the amounts and place the leftover baked biscuits in the freezer for quick reheating when needed.

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16 of 18

Yellow Squash Casserole

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Turn a bowl of baked potato soup into a complete, nutritious dinner by serving it with this yellow squash casserole topped with the most delicious buttery breadcrumb crust ever. It's easy to make with yellow squash, cheddar cheese, and a few other common pantry ingredients like eggs, sugar, and butter. Scale up the recipe easily for a potluck dish or family holiday dinner.

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17 of 18

Snow Peas With Butter and Lemon

The Spruce / Julia Estrada

Satisfy your need to add veggies to family meals and win the weeknight dinner battle with these stir-fried snow peas. They make a nice side to a humble beef and barley soup and are easy to prepare. With a butter taste and tang from lemon juice, these snow peas also feature toasted slivered almonds for extra crunch and nutrition.

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18 of 18

Cheesy Garlic Bread

The Spruce / Kristina Vanni

Transform a healthy bowl of butternut squash soup into a filling fall or winter lunch by pairing it with cheesy, garlicky toasted bread. With two kinds of cheese, green onions, and Italian seasonings, plus butter and mayonnaise, this garlic cheesy bread is over-the-top delicious, decadent, unctuous, and filling.

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