Sourdough bread comes with a range of health benefits, from fiber that nourishes healthy bacteria in your gut to high levels of nutrients like folate and iron. If you have a starter culture, you can keep making bread indefinitely, which may lead you to wonder what to eat with sourdough bread. We have a host of suggestions for you to keep your meals exciting!
We’ve got breakfast, lunch, supper, and quick snack options for you to try. Sourdough bread is so versatile that you can eat it anytime, but being picky with your pairings can elevate the combination to satisfy your taste buds.
Soups & Stews
Our number one recommendation for what to eat with sourdough bread is one-pot meals such as nourishing soups and stews. These mean little in the way of washing dishes and are especially welcome in the colder months.
Sourdough bread makes the perfect side to dunk in soup, but you can also cut the top of a round loaf and scoop out the inside to make a bread bowl – serve the soup inside the hollowed-out bread, and devour the bowl afterward! Let’s look at some veggie-based dishes first:
- Roasted butternut soup makes for a creamy, delectable, vivid orange soup, ideal for fall.
- Broccoli and cheese soup make a lighter soup suitable for eating year-round.
- Harira is a classic Moroccan soup featuring chickpeas, lentils, and tomatoes, for a burst of flavor and protein.
- Pasta e fagioli (Italian pasta & bean soup) will go down well with veggie lovers.
- Potato and leek soup is a silky, satisfying vegetarian delight.
- Roasted bell pepper soup has an intensity of color and flavor that is unmatched and provides plenty of vitamin C.
- Silky garlic soup is another light, summery soup that goes great with sourdough soldiers for dipping.
- Borscht is an earthy, brilliant, reddish-purple Eastern European classic that gives you loads of nutrients. We particularly like it topped with a swirl of sour cream.
- Aloo Gobi is not a soup, but it is vegetarian. This dry, spicy potato and cauliflower dish is easy to make, and like the Punjabi people who invented it, you may come to think of it as a real comfort food. Toasted sourdough makes a great contrast in textures.
If you prefer meaty dishes, we’ve got options for you too:
- Beef and veggie stews are classics from Mongolia to Argentina and go well with sourdough. Try zharkoye (Ukrainian beef and potato stew) for a variation.
- Other stews we recommend with sourdough are jeongol (Korean hotpot), Spanish pork stew, and Irish stew (try it with some Guinness).
- For a lighter summer dish, Vietnamese beef pho is fantastic with sourdough.
- If you prefer spicier options, try Thai red curry or lamb biryani.
- Chicken noodle soup is a cosmopolitan favorite we recommend.
- If you like seafood, we recommend baking crab bisque inside a sourdough bread bowl or dunking the bread into clam chowder.
- Lastly, we have to mention a magnificent classic: French onion soup. This mouthwatering combination of onions, white wine, beef stock, croutons, and gruyere cheese melted over the top is the perfect time to use toasted sourdough bread.
Simple Classics
Some meals are straightforward yet beloved worldwide. If you wonder what to eat with sourdough bread, try one of these winning options:
- Steak and green salad, minimally seasoned. The sheer simplicity of this combination is its strength, and sourdough rounds it out neatly.
- Roast chicken is another classic found on countless tables.
- If you want something to go with the chicken, or you don’t eat meat, try baking some mixed veg.
- A charcuterie board makes a great alternative to dessert. Serve different dry meats and cheeses with complementary fruits, fruit jellies, and sourdough.
Go Mediterranean
The countries with a Mediterranean coastline are all unique, but their food has quite a lot in common. If you don’t know what to eat with sourdough bread, try one of these flavorful combinations:
- Bruschetta consists of nothing more than tomato and basil with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt. You can step this up to Caprese by adding mozzarella.
- Go Greek with a mix of feta, basil pesto, and pine nuts, or top the bread with a feta/tomato/cucumber/olive Greek salad.
- For a south of France vibe, put the Pissaladière mix on the bread: anchovies, caramelized onions, thyme, and black olives.
- Bring a touch of the Middle East with eggplant-based Baba Ganoush, or smear hummus on your bread.
- Keep it simple with a lightly-dressed shaved fennel salad, which makes an ideal accompaniment for sourdough.
- The combo of bell pepper, onion, eggplant, zucchini, tomato, garlic, and herbs forms the basis for ratatouille and shakshuka, although the latter always includes eggs.
Sandwiches
An obvious use of bread is sandwiches, and there’s no limit on the combinations you can put together. If you wonder what to eat with sourdough bread and need food on the go, here are a host of suggested fillings/toppings for sourdough sandwiches.
- Lox doesn’t have to be put on a bagel. Try this classic Jewish combo of smoked salmon, cream cheese, red onions, and capers on sourdough.
- Sauteed mushrooms and caramelized onions make an elegant and simple sandwich. Or try fried shiitake mushrooms with garlic.
- BLT (bacon-lettuce-tomato) is a timeless favorite. Sub mushroom for the bacon if you’re vegetarian.
- Grilled steak pairs well with garlic butter and arugula. Alternatively, keep it simple with steak and mustard.
- Smoked salmon also works well with cress.
- Pork and cheese is a perennial favorite pairing. Try grilled ham with cheese and apple; ham with pepper jack; grilled cheddar and pepperoni; or a Croque madame (cooked ham, cheese, thyme, and egg).
- Pulled pork and refried beans give you a taste of Mexico.
- Poultry works excellently in various combos. Try turkey with dill pickles and barbecue sauce, chicken Florentine (with provolone, spinach, and red onion), or chicken and blue cheese.
- Curried egg and curried potato make sumptuous sandwich fillings.
- Try slices of sweet potato, beet, and feta for something different.
- The Reuben is a New York classic that shines with sourdough. It uses pastrami, American mustard, sauerkraut, dill pickles, and Emmenthal cheese.
- The Cuban sandwich (Cubano) is Florida’sanswer to the Reuben, using pork instead of beef and featuring more spice.
- If you have baked a baguette loaf with your last batch of sourdough, try making a hero sandwich, also known as a sub or hoagie, depending on where you come from. Or make banh mi, which is the delicious Vietnamese equivalent.
Appetizing Avocado
Rich and full of flavor, avos go great with bread. Keep it simple with salt-and-pepper sprinkled smashed avo on toasted sourdough, or go Mexican with guacamole (mash up avo, lime juice, salt, chili, cilantro, and garlic). You can even try guacamole with Caprese!
Breakfast Dishes with Egg
If you want to make any of these dishes when it isn’t morning, we won’t argue. They’re as good at any other time.
Bake a sourdough loaf in a baguette shape, slice it in half lengthwise, and hollow it out to make a boat. Then turn it into a baked egg boat by baking an egg and cheese mixture inside to make a quiche. You can add whatever other ingredients you like.
Eggs Benedict and its variant, eggs Florentine, work particularly well with sourdough. If you prefer a sweet breakfast, try making French toast – we especially like it with berries.
Make an egg and lettuce salad and sprinkle it with sourdough croutons for a healthy option.
Finally, we come to a delicacy that has a plethora of names. Whether you call it Toad in the Hole, One-Eyed Egyptian, Egg in a Basket, or something else, an egg fried inside a hole in the middle of a slice of sourdough is a fantastic way to start your day.
Simple Toppings
Sometimes, the best thing to do with sourdough is to keep things simple. Try it with nothing but salty farm butter or homemade peach, plum, or berry jam. Lather it in tupelo honey or apple butter. These toppings let the bread shine.
Conclusion
If you have wondered what to eat with sourdough bread, now you have loads of options for every meal of the day. No matter the season or the occasion, there’s an appropriate dish for it that will pair fantastically with sourdough bread!
