Last Updated on February 20, 2024

When the weather gets cold, and I want a warm and tasty meal, lasagna soup is both soothing and deliciously addictive. The mixture of beef, tomato base, cheese, and seasoning satisfies like few other soups can. However, soup alone is not a meal—I always need some side dishes.

Fortunately, if you’re wondering what to eat with lasagna soup, here are ten options that are almost as delicious as the main course itself. While I tend to focus on one or two sides, feel free to sample as many of these as you like.

Table of Contents

Garlic Bread

When asking the question, “what goes with lasagna soup,” my instinct is always garlic bread. To be fair, that’s my instinct regardless of what dish I’m making, as garlic bread has an absolute choke hold on my taste preferences. If I could, I would eat garlic bread with every meal (including breakfast) and still never tire of it.

The great thing about making garlic bread for lasagna soup is that you can dip it into your bowl and let the delicious flavors mix as the soup soaks into the bread. Plus, if you can wrap some melted mozzarella cheese around the whole thing, it’s heaven in every bite.

This particular recipe is perfect because the bread is expertly toasted on the bottom yet soft and spongy on the top. While I like all forms of garlic bread, I appreciate a piece that holds its shape yet is super absorbent. After all, this side dish is made for pasta sauces, so it has a job to do on the plate.

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Caesar Salad

Although bread, meat, and cheese are my primary food groups, I also don’t like feeling too heavy or bloated after a meal. So, I like to add some leafy greens whenever possible to balance out my plate and feel like I’m doing my part to be healthy.

The secret to any delicious Caesar salad is the dressing, and this recipe has you make your own. This dressing is so good that you’ll probably want to make extra so you can dip your garlic bread into it directly. This Caesar is also traditional, as it uses a raw egg (although you can swap it out easily if you prefer).

Yes, the whole thing isn’t technically “healthy,” especially when compared to lighter salads with a vinaigrette dressing. But when it comes to lasagna soup, satisfaction is more important than reducing my calorie intake.

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Focaccia Bread

Fresh bread is almost a requirement of lasagna soup, but I recognize that not everyone shares the same affinity for garlic bread as I do. Fortunately, there’s a suitably Italian alternative that is still easy to make and just as delicious. Plus, this bread is extra spongy, so you can absorb as much of your soup as you like to enhance each bite.

Focaccia is a bit denser than other types of bread, so you have to be careful when baking it. However, once you master this recipe, you’ll start making batches of Focaccia regularly. Because of the thickness, it makes a great snack or side for virtually every meal.

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Roasted Vegetables

Raw vegetables are fine if you’re trying to lose weight, but if you’re adding them as a side dish to something as hearty as lasagna soup, they need to be roasted. This particular recipe is a medley of seasonal vegetables, so feel free to grab whatever you want from the farmer’s market and toss it into the mix.

However, if you’re trying to follow the recipe exactly, you’ll notice that the ingredients are available during the summer. That said, swapping one veggie for another isn’t a problem as they all will taste delicious when mixed with oil, salt, and a tomato paste.

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Caprese Salad

If you’re an Italian cuisine connoisseur, you should be familiar with burrata cheese. This cheese is mozzarella encased in more mozzarella with cheese juice inside. It’s like a ravioli made of pure cheese, and it’s fantastic.

While you could make a caprese salad with regular mozzarella, burrata enhances the flavor and makes the entire dish so much more enjoyable. However, this cheese may be something of an acquired taste for some people, so don’t feel bad if you prefer mozzarella instead. Also, not all stores carry burrata, so it could be hard to find.

Also, make sure to use thick and tasty tomatoes for the salad. The fresher and more full-bodied they are, the better the flavor profile (especially when eaten with lasagna soup).

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Crispy Italian Breadsticks

Personally, I’m more of a fan of soft and spongy breadsticks, but this recipe is perfect for lasagna soup. Since the soup itself is so rich, having something crunchy instead of soft makes sense to balance out the meal. Plus, you can soak the bread for longer to soften it up, and it tastes incredible.

This recipe is a bit time-consuming because you’re baking dough from scratch. So, I recommend making a big batch so you can snack on the breadsticks whenever you like. If you’re just making a handful to go with a single meal, it may seem like too much work.

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Arugula Salad

When I’m not starving, I like to keep things light and breezy. Arugula salad is the perfect side dish when you want something crunchy and flavorful that won’t weigh you down. Since lasagna soup is already pretty heavy, this recipe allows you to get full without wanting to lay on the couch for several hours after your meal.

This particular recipe also enhances the salad with sliced almonds and dried cranberries. The combination of flavors and textures make this salad far more enjoyable and memorable, especially if you’re serving it to guests.

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Steamed Asparagus

Some people love asparagus, while others could do without it. I appreciate the bold flavors of this vegetable, but I have to cook it just right for me to enjoy it as a side dish. If the stalks are too crunchy, it can detract from the meal. If they’re too soft, it feels like I’m eating wet noodles.

Fortunately, this recipe helps you steam the asparagus to perfection, and it uses copious amounts of butter to add just the right amount of decadence and flavor.

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Antipasto Platter

The French call this Charcuterie, but the Italians call it Antipasto. The great thing about this side dish is that it’s endlessly customizable. However, if you want it to be authentic for your lasagna soup, I recommend using salami, pepperoni, provolone, pecorino, and Parmesan as your foundation. Then, you can add other meats, cheeses, and breads as you see fit.

Plus, you can add your crunchy breadsticks or Focaccia bread to the platter to make it even more robust and filling. Technically, an Antipasto platter is best for serving guests, but it also works when eating alone or with your family.

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Sautéed Spinach

I never used to like spinach until I had it freshly cooked. This recipe is simple and elegant and allows you to get all the flavor of the greens without overpowering the rest of your meal.

Just make sure to use enough spinach to make servings for everyone. If you’ve ever cooked raw spinach before, you know it practically disappears as you cook it.

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