Many people always have navy bean soup for dinner, especially on cold nights, because it tastes hearty and comforting. Whether you’re making this traditional dish for a cozy family dinner or to impress guests, you may be wondering, “what to serve with navy bean soup?” Finding the right side dish to go with its rich flavors can make this soup a hit with everyone.
You can choose from a lot of different foods, such as bread, salads, potatoes, vegetables, and even main courses. I’ve put together a list of the 36 tastiest side dishes that go well with Navy Bean Soup.
These crunchy, flavorful crackers go great with your favorite soups. Each bite gives you a satisfying crunch and a burst of savory goodness. There are also only five simple steps to make them, and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand.
A hot bowl of Navy Bean Soup goes well with a piece of crusty bread more than most other foods. Warm soup and freshly baked bread go together like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, dinner rolls, sourdough bread, breadsticks, garlic bread, or focaccia. Adding a little olive oil or butter to these breads makes your meal more comforting and makes each spoonful of soup taste even better.
This quick and easy buttermilk cornbread recipe is great as a side dish. It’s a little sweet and very moist.
Homemade Cornbread Muffins are the best side dish for almost any dinner. They are rich and buttery, and the texture of the cornmeal is just right. They’re also great with soups, stews, and chili.
Bean soup is a hearty, comforting dish that’s perfect for chilly winter nights. With its mix of protein-packed beans aromatic vegetables and savory seasonings, bean soup definitely satisfies. But what should you serve alongside this satisfying soup? The right side dishes can take your bean soup meal from ho-hum to extraordinary!
In this article, we’ll explore 26 delicious ideas for sides that pair perfectly with bean soup. From crusty breads to fresh salads, flavorful sandwiches to crispy snacks, there’s something here to appeal to every palate. Read on to find inspiration for your next bean soup dinner!
Go-To Favorites for Bean Soup
Bread
It’s hard to beat warm crusty bread alongside a bowl of bean soup. The bread helps soak up the rich flavorful broth while providing a pleasant textural contrast to the soft beans and veggies. Favorites like sourdough, French bread, focaccia, and rolls are perfect pairings. Or try baking up homemade bread or rolls to serve alongside your soup. Dip that fresh bread right into your bowl for maximum flavor!
Salad
A light salad is another classic pairing with hearty bean soups. The fresh flavors and crunchy textures of salad ingredients like greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, and peppers balance out the soup beautifully. Try a simple green salad, Greek salad, or spinach salad. You could also make pasta salad, potato salad, or coleslaw for a change of pace.
Tater Tots
For some fun comfort food appeal, try serving crunchy, golden tater tots alongside your piping hot bean soup. The crispy outside and fluffy interior of the tater tots provide an irresistible texture contrast. Kids and adults alike will love this pairing! Season the tots with salt, pepper, garlic powder, or other spices to add extra flavor.
Sandwiches
Build a sandwich for dipping into that bean soup broth or eat it on the side. Grilled cheese, BLTs, Reubens, French dip sandwiches, and sloppy Joes are all excellent choices. The interplay of flavors between the soup and sandwich makes for a very satisfying meal.
More Unique and Creative Pairings
Once you’ve tried the classics, get adventurous with these unique side dish ideas for bean soups!
Quesadillas
Warm up some flour tortillas filled with melted cheese, plus any other fillings you enjoy like chicken, peppers, or black beans. The melted cheese and toasty tortilla match up deliciously with the flavors of the soup. Feel free to add salsa, guacamole or sour cream for even more taste and texture excitement.
Jalapeño Poppers
Spice up your soup meal with crunchy breaded jalapeño halves filled with creamy cheese. The combination of creaminess and heat pairs nicely with the savory soup. Make them ahead of time for easy entertaining. They’re sure to get gobbled up!
Onion Rings
Crispy onion rings offer great crunch and savory onion flavor to contrast the silkiness of bean soup. Bread and fry up thick slices of sweet onion, serve with ketchup or ranch dressing for dipping, and enjoy this tasty pairing.
Soft Pretzels
With their unique flavor and chewy yet brittle texture, soft pretzels are an intriguing match for bean soup. The pretzels’ subtle sweetness and saltiness balance the soup beautifully. Offer a selection of mustard, cheese sauce, and other dipping options to take this side over the top.
Crispy Potato Wedges
For an extra dose of comforting carbs and flavors, try oven-baked potato wedges alongside your bean soup. Season them boldly with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper or go sweeter with a drizzle of honey. However you season them, these crispy spuds hit the spot.
Fresh Fruit
Cleanse your palate between spoonfuls of hearty soup with fresh fruit like pineapple chunks, grapes, orange slices, or apple wedges. The fruit’s bright sweetness, juiciness and crunch make it the perfect light complement.
Corn on the Cob
Buttery corn on the cob just screams summer, making it an ideal match for a chilled bean soup. The sweet corn flavor stands up nicely to the soup. Serve the corn with flavored butters for extra appeal.
Pigs in a Blanket
For fun finger food appeal, bake up some pigs in a blanket, a.k.a. mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough or puff pastry. The combination of kid-friendly hot dogs and crispy baked dough makes these perfect for dunking in your bean soup! Adults will love them too.
Mozzarella Sticks
You really can’t go wrong pairing piping hot mozzarella sticks with bean soup! The oozy, melted cheese interior and crispy breaded exterior play perfectly against the soup’s textures. Marinara sauce for dipping adds nice tanginess.
Deviled Eggs
Hard boiled eggs stuffed with a creamy, seasoned yolk filling make a nice light protein pairing for bean soup. The richness of the filling contrasts the lighter soup in a pleasant way. Sprinkle the eggs with paprika for extra flavor and color.
Cornbread
Few foods say comfort food more than moist, golden cornbread. Each tender, sweet crumb soaks up the soup beautifully. Try traditional buttermilk cornbread, jalapeño cornbread, or corn muffins.
Dinner Rolls
Fresh from the oven, pillowy dinner rolls are pretty irresistible. Their mild flavor and soft, absorbent texture make them ideal for dipping in bean soup. Butter or brush them with olive oil or garlic butter for extra richness.
Crispy Okra
For a down-home Southern twist, fry up some crispy breaded okra fingers. You’ll love the interplay of crunchy exterior and tender okra interior with the soup flavors. The okra also adds more vegetables to your meal.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Tart green tomatoes dipped in spicy cornmeal batter and fried to crispy perfection make an awesome match for bean soup. The tanginess cuts through the soup’s richness nicely. Ranch dressing pairs well for dipping.
Skillet Cornbread
Cast iron skillet cornbread brings a wonderful crusty edge and dense, corny interior to complement your soup. For fun variations, add cheese, jalapeños, or kernels of fresh corn to the batter before baking.
Garlic Knots
These little flavor bombs of garlicky, buttery bread are amazing soup companions. Twist up a loaf of pizza dough into knots, bake, and then brush with butter and garlic. Dunk away!
Chips and Salsa
Crunchy tortilla chips and zesty tomato salsa bring fun Tex-Mex flavors to pair with your soup. Serve up restaurant-style chips and salsa or bake your own spiced tortilla chips for a homemade touch.
Pita Chips and Hummus
Nutty, garlicky hummus paired with toasty triangles of pita bread can transform your soup meal into a Mediterranean feast. The combination of rich hummus and fresh flavors is perfect with bean soups.
Crackers and Cheese
Keep it classic simple with crackers – saltines, Ritz, Wheat Thins, whatever you love – and sliced cheese on the side. The crackers contribute crunch while the cheese offers creamy richness and saltiness to balance the soup.
Focaccia
Focaccia is like the gourmet cousin of plain bread. This Italian flatbread is seasoned with olive oil, herbs, onions, and other savory ingredients. The flavors make it a natural partner for hearty bean soup.
So there you have it – 26 delicious options for sides to serve with bean soup! From crispy snacks to fresh salads and beyond, you’re sure to discover a new favorite pairing. Here’s to many happy bean soup meals accompanied by these sensational sides. Give some a try tonight!
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30 Minute Dinner Rolls
photo credit Spend With Pennies
30 minute dinner rolls recipe. Homemade rolls are the perfect and easy addition to any dinner menu!
Old Fashioned Creamy Cucumber and Onion Salad
photo credit Whiskful Cooking
Crunchy, cool, and oh-so-refreshing – that’s how I would describe this Old Fashioned Creamy Cucumber and Onion Salad. It reminds me of snacking in Grandma’s kitchen, where we would munch on the fresh cucumbers from the garden. The creaminess of the sour cream pairs so well with dill, covering the crispy cucumbers and onions to bring out the best flavors and texture. This salad is a true comfort side dish, bringing back memories of picnics and family gatherings. A perfect compliment to any dinner.
photo credit The Mediterranean Dish
Greek salad, or Horiatiki, with feta, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, oil and vinegar in this traditional recipe.
photo credit Natashas Kitchen
Caesar Salad with crisp homemade croutons, parmesan cheese, and a light caesar dressing. This Classic Ceasar Salad Recipe will impress your dinner guests!.
photo credit Feel Good Foodie
To make this Massaged Kale Salad, you need to rub the dressing into the leaves until they soften and turn dark. This turns the bitterness into something tasty.
photo credit Well Plated
Simple, perfect arugula salad with lemon balsamic dressing and Parmesan. Easy and healthy! This salad goes with any meal and is ready FAST.
Simple 15 Bean Soup | Easy Soup recipe for dinner or lunch | Recipe idea | Vegetarian recipes
FAQ
What is good to serve with bean soup?
What to eat with bean soup?
Melty cheese, crispy bacon, and mild green onions give potatoes a boost that will leave your family drooling. Shrimp adds a fun presentation to any meal. Coconut shrimp is just the flavor you need to highlight your loaded bean soup. Combining shrimp with 15-bean soup is an easy way to add variety and excitement to your dinner table.
What is the best way to eat beans?
The best way to eat beans is to first cook them in a large pot of water, about 4 cups of water to every 1 cup of beans. Adding lemon grass or other herbs to the water can improve the flavor. Once beans are cooked the best thing to do is combine them with cooked rice, this is because beans are low in methionine and rice is low in lysine, so combining them makes a more complete protein.
What goes with 15-bean soup?
Cucumber salad is a classic side to go with 15-bean soup and all its warm, comforting flavors. The salad is composed of cucumbers, onions, and dill, adding a bright and crunchy contrast to the soup’s hearty ingredients. Next time you serve up 15-bean soup, why not throw together a cucumber salad on the menu alongside?
What is a good green bean soup?
Cilantro and tomatillos enhance that bright green color. A simple bean broth might be one of the best bean soups around: Just make sure to doctor it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, tasting as you go. This chili recipe calls for a combination of black beans and chickpeas, but you can use any type of legumes you like.