If you’re wondering what to serve with your ham and bean soup, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 39 of the most popular side dishes for ham and bean soup.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes to serve with ham and bean soup are Southern cornbread, pumpkin dinner rolls, and sauteed collard greens. You can also serve a side of cheese toast, sweet potato mash, or fried chicken. For more veggie options, try grilled avocado or an arugula side salad.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Homemade crostini
Everyone’s favorite part of bread is the crunchy crust, so why not just serve crunchy crusts!
These homemade crostini are so handy because you can use whatever bread you have lying around the kitchen.
And you can play around by trying different toppings like cheese or guacamole.
Why we love the recipe: you can have it on the table in less than 15 minutes.
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Homemade crostini
Make it different
Soft pretzel sticks
Make a classic
Garlic bread
Arugula salad
If you want something bright, and crisp – go for an arugula salad.
The simple lemon dressing adds some acidity, which will cut right through the creamy ham and bean soup.
And you can customize this recipe too.
Add apple slices for a sweeter version, or go with sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts for a fun Mediterranean spin.
Why we love the recipe: you only need 5 ingredients and 5 minutes.
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Arugula with shaved parmesan
Add fruit
Apple pecan arugula salad
Make it a classic
Caesar salad
Cheese toast
Load up your French or sourdough bread with three types of cheeses and voila!
You’ll have a cheesy toast that complements any saucy meal, especially hot ham and bean soup.
Dip it to your heart’s contents!
Why we love the recipe: it’s a no-fail cozy side and snack.
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Cheese toast
Make it low-carb
Cauliflower toast
Make it fancy
Gourmet grilled cheese
Sweet potato mash
Sweet potato mash is a lovely alternative if you’re sick of traditional mashed potatoes.
And this recipe uses savory ingredients like parsley and green onions to balance out the natural sweetness of the potatoes.
Spoon a generous serving of your soup over this mash for a filling, comforting meal.
Why we love the recipe: it turns a simple ingredient into something delicious.
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Sweet potato mash
Make it cheesy
Cheesy mashed sweet potato cakes
Make it low-carb
Mashed cauliflower
Southern cornbread
This Southern-style cornbread is an easy side for soup.
With its moist and crumbly texture, it will work as a soup topping or for wiping the bowl clean at the end.
Psst… for a spicy twist, add pickled or fresh jalapenos.
Why we love the recipe: it’s an easy option for beginner bakers.
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Southern cornbread
Make it sweet
Sweet cornbread
Make it crunchy
Cornbread croutons
Braised collard greens
Stick with the Southern theme with some collard greens.
Braising means the greens are cooked low and slow, allowing the fibrous texture of the greens to soften.
And fair warning… this side may look healthy, but there’s a lot of bacon grease involved!
Psst… don’t have any bacon grease? The next best thing is chicken fat.
Why we love this recipe: you can easily sub out the collard greens for kale, or even cabbage.
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Braised collard greens
Make it simple
Skillet green beans
Make it quick
Quick collard greens
Garlic butter rice
Make your ham and bean soup even more hearty with some garlic butter rice.
It’s soft and fluffy with a good amount of rich butter and garlic for flavor.
You can mix it into your soup, or just serve it on the side. Either way it will be delicious!
Pro tip: take a brighter approach by swapping the chicken broth for fresh lemon juice.
Why we love the recipe: it’s a garlicky twist on an everyday staple.
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Garlic butter rice
Make it easy
Brown rice pilaf
Make it different
Greek lemon rice
Corn fritters
Keep things interesting by serving your soup with some corn fritters for dipping.
They have a nice sweet taste from the corn, which contrasts your savoury soup.
But there’s one small caveat – you may become addicted!
Psst… don’t forget the dollop of sour cream.
Why we love this recipe: it’s easy to make and full of flavor.
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Corn fritters
Use a different veggie
Zucchini fritters
Keep it simple
Corn salad
Tomato cucumber lettuce salad
Keep things light and healthy with a simple side salad.
This salad is packed with all your favorite things (tomatoes and cucumber), and has a secret ingredient that sets it apart from the rest – toasted sesame oil!
Psst… for extra crunch, add a few croutons or toasted nuts.
Why we love the recipe: it’s a quick 15-minute salad meant for any occasion.
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Tomato cucumber lettuce salad
Make it creamy
Cucumber tomato salad
Make it hearty
Roasted chickpea Greek salad
Pumpkin dinner rolls
Thanks to the pumpkin puree in these rolls, they’re flaky and buttery with the slightest hint of sweetness.
To make things easier, you can use canned puree for these rolls – just don’t accidentally use pumpkin pie mix!
Why we love this recipe: these gorgeous-colored rolls instantly make a plate more appetizing.
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Pumpkin dinner rolls
Make them quick
Irish soda bread muffins
Make it cheesy
Cheesy garlic and chive rolls
Buttermilk fried chicken
Red beans with fried chicken is a classic.
So why not ham and bean soup and fried chicken?
The key to perfecting fried chicken is to pre-soak the chicken in a full-fat buttermilk marinade for at least 24 hours.
And let the floured chicken dry out for at least 10 minutes before frying it to get an extra crispy outside.
Why we love this recipe: it’s almost as good as KFC (nothing can beat them!)
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Buttermilk fried chicken
Stick with seafood
Fried catfish
Go veggie
Fried onion rings
BLT sandwich
A BLT is nothing short of miraculous.
It’s a medley of flavors that go so well together. You’ve got salty bacon, juicy tomatoes, crisp lettuce, and a smoky garlic mayonnaise.
It’s great alongside a serving of tasty soup.
Why we love the recipe: it’s the ultimate summer sandwich.
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BLT sandwich
Make it a salad
BLT salad
Make it simple
Egg salad sandwich
Grilled avocado
Take some inspiration from Mexican cuisine and top your soup with avocados!
And not just any avocados… but grilled avocados.
Grilling the avocado adds a subtle yet addicting smoky flavor to creamy fruit.
Pro tip: you’ll need a slightly under ripe avocado for this, if the avocado is too ripe it will turn mushy.
Why we love this recipe: it’s a unique way to enjoy a popular side.
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Grilled avocado
Make it fresh
Pico de gallo
Keep it simple
Homemade tortilla chips
The best side dishes to serve with ham and bean soup
- Homemade crostini
- Arugula salad
- Cheese toast
- Sweet potato mash
- Southern cornbread
- Braised collard greens
- Garlic butter rice
- Corn fritters
- Tomato cucumber lettuce salad
- Pumpkin dinner rolls
- Buttermilk fried chicken
- BLT sandwich
- Grilled avocado
What To Serve With Ham And Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 portion ham and bean soup
Instructions
- Prepare your ham and bean soup according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: homemade crostini, arugula salad, cheese toast, sweet potato mash, southern cornbread, braised collard greens, garlic butter rice, corn fritters, tomato cucumber lettuce salad, pumpkin dinner rolls, buttermilk fried chicken, blt sandwich, and grilled avocado.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!