18 Best Side Dishes to Serve With Beef Stew

Is there anything more satisfying than a bowl of luscious, fall-apart beef stew? Yes, just one thing: serving it with a complimentary side dish!

If you’ve ever wondered what the best beef stew sides are – stay tuned.

So, what goes with beef stew? Sides like crisp salad, warm veggie mash, or thickly sliced bread come to mind. These delicious classics will turn your simple dinner into a banquet-style one with just a little extra effort.

If you’ve been wondering, “Hmm… What do I serve with beef stew?” — you need to read this!

1. Homemade French Baguette

When you finish your beef stew, there’s a coating of sauce left on the plate. It’s just begging to be soaked up by a hunk of baguette.

Baguettes are an ideal stew side because they’re cheap and approachable. You can even make them at home with a bit of practice. All you’ll need is flour, water, yeast, salt, and a free weekend.

Most of us will opt for a quick store-bought baguette, but if you want to go the extra mile, give a simple baguette recipe a go. Taking that first bite of crispy, pillowy bread will make the effort worthwhile!

2. Cucumber Yogurt Salad

When it comes to food, opposites attract. Rich, meaty stew pairs perfectly with cool, zingy cucumber yogurt salad.

You wouldn’t immediately think of cucumber salad as a side dish to beef stew. It’s a summer dish, right? Well, when you combine the two very different things – that’s when the magic happens!

The crunchy cucumber cuts through the sweet, soft flavor of the meat, making for a nice contrast. Even better, the salad’s bold signature helps bring out the stew’s character, setting the stage for a true explosion of flavors.

3. Brown Rice

Rice often gets a bad rap, but we’re going to overlook that today. Brown rice, in particular, has more nutritional value than white rice, and as such is a healthier grain to serve alongside your beef stew.

Rice, meat, and sauce are a traditional and foolproof combination! I use brown rice as a side when I don’t want anything too fussy — just as a way to bulk up the meal.

The grain absorbs sauce and functions as a great “bed” for the stew to lie on. It’s easy to cook and there’s nothing finicky about it. Just cook, scoop, and go!

4. Texas Roadhouse Rolls

If you dine at Texas Roadhouse, order the Texas Roadhouse Rolls. These personable treats are slathered in butter, cinnamon, and honey and walk the line between bread and pastry.

The best sweet and savory flavors combine in these cute, little butter rolls. For a true taste sensation, dip them into your beef stew! They’ll absorb the sauces, just the way you want.

I don’t have a Texas Roadhouse near me, so I make these rolls at home. They’re really easy to create from scratch and are ready in just a little under two hours.

These buns come out smelling truly amazing, and the sticky-sweet coating is to die for!

5. Green Salad

Get something green on your plate! We’ve all been told to do it because it’s good for us; now, it’s our turn to encourage it as well.

Contrast fresh and crunchy salad with hot beef stew. Just be sure not to mix the two as the greens will get soggy and soft. We don’t want that!

The best thing about green salad is that it’s really easy to prepare. There’s no need to wait hours for something hearty and healthy!

You could even do a salad bar for a special occasion. Chop up ingredients like lettuce, cabbage, kale, spinach, onions, olives, bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, avocado, cucumber… and so on.

Let everyone customize their salad — they’ll be more inclined to eat it, believe me!

6. Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes and beef stew — a traditional combination and a match made in heaven. Lean into the “comfort” aspect of comfort food by piling pillowy potato mash onto your plate.

For extra decadence, don’t be shy with the butter, milk, and cream cheese!

I prefer to keep the skins on my potatoes, but you can peel them as you wish. Some like it smooth, while others prefer a bit of bite.

Whatever you decide to do, make sure the potatoes are hot when you serve them. Creamy potato mash and rich beef stew — yes, please!

7. Garlic Bread

If you’re a garlic lover, then you’ll likely make your beef stew with plenty of it. Add to the symposium by serving garlic bread on the side!

Garlic bread has all the benefits of the baguette — just with that delicious, extra aroma. Make sure to serve the bread warm so the butter melts; the result is an oh-so-good treat that you’ll keep munching on!

All its character makes garlic bread a perfect side to your beef stew. If anything, it’ll add even more richness to your already rich and flavorful dish!

8. Buttery Mashed Cauliflower

If you’re bored of mashed potatoes, try this buttery mashed cauliflower instead. It has all the flavor and fullness of mashed potatoes, but it won’t put you into a carb coma.

Cauliflower is white and similarly textured to a potato, making for an easy switch!

In my eyes, cauliflower is a seriously underrated vegetable. Sure, we toss it in stir-fries and bake it in cauliflower cheese — but it has so much more potential than that!

For this mash, all you need to do is steam or boil the head, then blend it with dairy, garlic, and seasoning. What you’ll end up with is a creamy, flavorful creation that’ll exceed your regular mashed potatoes.

Cauliflower mash pairs perfectly with beef stew; While hot, creamy mash is simply a foolproof side, why not branch out to vegetables beyond the humble potato?!

9. Grilled Vegetables

Beef stew generally already has vegetables contained within: carrots, onions, potatoes, and peas, just to name a few. To bulk up the vegetable content in your meal even more, why not serve grilled veggies as a side?

Personally, I like preparing grilled onions to complement the onions already in the main dish. But you don’t have to stick to just one vegetable — be as creative as you like!

Some of my favorite options are grilled corn, eggplant, asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms (great for extra protein), and strips of zucchini.

Let your creativity soar! The benefits you’ll gain are more than just added flavors, but a more nutritious meal as well.

10. Creamy Polenta

Have you heard of polenta? If you haven’t yet, think of it as the great potato alternative.

Polenta is fine cornmeal from Italy that, when cooked with liquid, becomes a creamy, savory porridge. Don’t underestimate polenta’s no-nonsense appearance as it’s perfect as a mild yet hearty partner to a variety of dishes!

Creamy polenta porridge is practically begging to be topped with a ladleful of beef stew. It’s an excellent side dish, being a starch, a carb, and a vegetable all rolled into one.

Who knows — give it a go, and polenta might become part of your weekly rotation!

11. Roasted Asparagus Risotto

There are a few rules to follow when it comes to making a great risotto — use the right type of rice (Arborio!) and exercise patience.

Risotto is simple but luxurious, especially with asparagus placed on top. You slowly add stock to the rice until it’s tender, and if cooked correctly the end result is a creamy, velvety dish!

Typically, risotto is served as an entree, but here we’ll hijack that notion and serve it as a side instead.

It’s your beef stew and your risotto on the side — do what you like for a spectacularly enjoyable meal!

12. Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

When I go to Red Lobster, I can’t leave without having at least one Cheddar Bay Biscuit. It just feels wrong not to indulge in such a delicacy.

Warm, buttery, cheesy, flaky, golden bites of biscuit goodness — I decided to try making them at home one day. My life hasn’t been the same since!

With a few pantry staple ingredients and some good quality cheddar cheese, you can have biscuits on your table in just half an hour.

Serve them up alongside beef stew for a divine winter dinner. These biscuits are stellar on their own, but when dipped into stew sauce… I’ll leave that to you to experience!

13. Cornbread Muffins

Cornbread muffins are a Southern staple using basic pantry and refrigerator ingredients. If I’ve forgotten to organize a side for dinner, I often go for this one because it’s so quick and easy to make!

A cornbread muffin is ideal for dipping in a beef stew. If you haven’t strayed beyond traditional white flour bread, you have to give cornbread a chance.

Experiment and play with the sweetness and savoriness of your cornbread muffins. Some people prefer them light, sweet, and cake-like, while others go for savory treats through and through.

Just remember to warm up your muffins before dinner and pop them on a tray for easy grabbing!

14. Roasted Red Potatoes

If you’re roasting anything, it had better be a red potato. They’re one of the best root veggies for roasting because they hold their shape and don’t have an overpowering flavor.

You also don’t need to peel the skins, which is a real lifesaver if you’ve chosen baby-sized potatoes.

If you buy the pre-washed ones, all you have to do is roll them right onto an oven tray. Add cheese, herbs, and seasonings if you’re feeling particularly daring.

Red potatoes and beef stew just make sense together. It’s a fact that nobody can dispute!

15. Couscous

Couscous is an amazing alternative to your boring old rice or potatoes. This quirky treat is made up of tiny granules of durum wheat, also known as semolina.

You can cook it in a pot with water and serve it hot or cold. Cold couscous salad is extraordinarily popular in the Mediterranean and around the world!

However, being a Mediterranean dish, it’s a little unconventional as a side to beef stew. Nevertheless, I think it could be a winner – whether you want it hot or cold.

The great thing about couscous is the fact that it doesn’t take much to prepare! Simply boil some water, pour your couscous, and remove the pot from the heat.

Beef stew is almost like a ragout, and couscous is classified as pasta. It just makes sense to put them together!

16. Swiss Cheese Hard Apple Ale Bread

We all know that bread goes with beef stew like bread goes with butter. But instead of using plain white bread, try making an artisan loaf next time!

There are two special ingredients in this recipe: Swiss cheese and Hard Apple Ale. Cheese and ale together is never a bad idea when it comes to dinner!

Conveniently enough, there’s also no yeast required as the ale already provides it. The resulting loaf is crusty and yellow-toned due to the melted butter applied on top before baking.

Once the bread is ready, break off a nice piece and dip it into the flavorful stew. Yum!

17. Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes)

Colcannon is an Irish dish starring mashed potatoes and sauteed greens. Vegetables like kale, spinach, green onions, and cabbage are mixed into extra buttery mashed potatoes for something that’s healthy and delicious at the same time!

This dish goes perfectly with beef stew, especially on a cold winter night. It’s a perfect example of Irish cuisine, being warm, hearty, and affordable.

Colcannon is a gorgeous, filling meal ideally suited for a crowd — whether that’s your family or a group of rowdy friends!

18. Greek Salad

Greek salad hails from Greece, if the name didn’t make that clear enough! This particular salad is made of tomato, cucumber, feta, red onions, and olives — all dressed in tangy salt and vinaigrette.

The fatty feta cheese pairs extremely well with fresh, crunchy vegetables and the acidic vinegar. For some, a handful of mint leaves on top is a welcome addition.

It’s probably not your first instinct to grab Greek salad when making beef stew. But just try it – you’ll thank me later for this idea!

You’ll discover that the stew’s savory taste blends really well with the fresh, garden flavors that the salad brings. It’s a perfect contrast with every bite!