If you’re wondering what to serve with your muffuletta, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I list 12 of the most popular side dishes for muffuletta.
In a rush? Here’s the short answer.
The best side dishes for muffuletta include potato chips, onion rings, coleslaw, potato salad with green beans, giardiniera (vegetable pickles), and Italian roasted peppers. Zucchini ribbon salad and caprese macaroni salad are some more good salad options. And grilled peaches make a great dessert.
Ready? Let’s jump right in.
Kettle potato chips
Potato chips may seem like a basic side for your tasty Muffuletta, but they mean none of the focus is diverted from the sandwich.
The chips provide some crunch and a hint of background flavor (what kind depends on the seasonings you use!).
Head over to Kathys recipe for some better-than-store-bought potato chips.
It’s an easy-to-follow recipe with different seasonings options like sea salt, chipotle powder, pepper, and chili and lime.
No mayo coleslaw
Once you’ve tried this Greek yogurt coleslaw you won’t want to eat another mayo based one again!
You get the same creamy coleslaw but with more of a tang to it.
A bite of this coleslaw after tucking into your Muffuletta will be super refreshing.
Oven-baked fries
Some people like potato chips, and some like fries. Which team are you?
If you’re team fries, check out this easy-oven baked recipe from tastes of Lizzy t.
They’re simple but effective.
Crispy on the outside with some heat from the Cajun seasoning. And a tender, fluffy inside.
Psst… serve them with your favorite dipping sauce, mine’s a garlic aioli.
Zucchini ribbon salad with pine nuts
Zucchini has a subtle taste, meaning it makes a great side salad for an already boldly flavored muffuletta.
I recommend this zucchini ribbon salad with rocket, feta & hazelnuts – it’s perfect for a light lunch.
And it looks amazing!
The salad is nice and refreshing, which balances out the salty sandwich. And the nuts add some crunch.
Giardiniera
The muffuletta sandwich comes from New Orleans, and it’s full of Italian flair with olives, cheese, and cold cuts.
So it makes sense to serve it with another famous Italian side – giardiniera (recipe here).
Giardiniera translates to vegetable pickles.
You don’t need a lot of it to pack a punch, and the acidic flavor will cut through all the richness of the sandwich nicely.
Roasted tomato and basil soup
Serving the sandwich on a cold winter’s day?
How about some soup alongside it to warm you up?
I love a classic, so I’d go for this tomato-basil soup recipe from little broken.
They use roast tomatoes, which elevates the soup and gives it more depth of flavor.
Dip your sandwich into the soup and prepare for a bite of heaven!
Italian potato salad with green beans
For a filling but easy side, I recommend a summery potato salad.
Italian potato salads skip the mayo, but they still have a surprisingly creamy texture as the dressing blends with the starch in the potato.
Add some green beans and tomato (like in this recipe), and you have a colorful, healthy side dish.
Italian roasted peppers
Grilled peppers are one of my favorite Italian antipasti.
And their inherent sweetness works so wonderfully with the salty, tangy muffuletta.
They’ll work if you want to serve them alongside the sandwich, or as a quick starter beforehand, but you’ll need to plan ahead.
Because these roasted peppers from an Italian in my kitchen taste better once all the flavors have had a chance to mingle.
On the plus side, you can make a big batch and store them in the fridge for up to a month.
Onion rings
Take your muffuletta sandwich up a notch by making some onion rings to go with it.
They may not be the healthiest side, but everyone needs to indulge sometimes.
And these fried onion rings have a panko crumb coating that is so crunchy you won’t be able to stop yourself from reaching for more.
Caprese macaroni salad
Enjoy more Italian-American fusion with this caprese macaroni salad.
It only takes 20 minutes to throw together and it’s a definite crowd pleaser!
And if you don’t fancy a caprese macaroni salad, taste of home has loads of variations including a barbecue macaroni salad and a chicken caesar macaroni salad.
Sounds great right?
Sun-dried tomato tapenade
When you think of tapenade, you might think of olives, and then think – why would I want more olives with my muffuletta?
But not all tapenades are made of olives!
Try this tangy sun-dried tomato-based tapenade instead.
It’s full of umami from the anchovies and Worcestershire sauce, plus it’s got loads of garlic.
I recommend using less salty cold cuts for your sandwich if you use this dip – it’s already quite salty itself.
Grilled peaches with mascarpone
You might not have come here looking for a dessert, but I know you want one now!
Grilled peaches are easy to make and a treat for the eyes.
The warm juicy peaches filled with creamy mascarpone will help cleanse your palate of all the heavy flavors from the muffuletta.
Add some ice-cold beer or a mug of root beer for an authentic Italian meal.
Buon appetite!
The best side dishes for muffuletta
- Kettle potato chips
- No mayo coleslaw
- Oven-baked fries
- Zucchini ribbon salad with pine nuts
- Giardiniera
- Roasted tomato and basil soup
- Italian potato salad with green beans
- Italian roasted peppers
- Onion rings
- Caprese macaroni salad
- Sun-dried tomato tapenade
- Grilled peaches with mascarpone
What To Serve With Muffuletta
Ingredients
- 1 portion muffuletta
Instructions
- Prepare your muffuletta according to your favorite recipe.
- In the meantime, choose one of the following sides to serve alongside it.
- Side dishes include: kettle potato chips, no mayo coleslaw, oven-baked fries, zucchini ribbon salad with pine nuts, giardiniera, roasted tomato and basil soup, Italian potato salad with green beans, Italian roasted peppers, onion rings, caprese macaroni salad, sun-dried tomato tapenade, and grilled peaches with mascarpone.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!