The Ultimate Guide on What to Serve with Pizza: Delicious Sides & Pairings

Pizza night is a beloved tradition in many households. Whether it’s a casual Friday night dinner or a weekend gathering with friends, pizza is always a crowd-pleaser. But what are the best side dishes to serve with pizza to create a complete and satisfying meal? While pizza is fantastic on its own, adding complementary sides can elevate your pizza experience to a whole new level. In this guide, we’ll explore a variety of delicious and easy-to-prepare sides that perfectly complement pizza, ensuring a balanced and flavorful meal.

Why Side Dishes Matter for Pizza Night

Pizza, while delicious, is often heavy and rich. Serving side dishes helps to:

Balance Flavors: Sides can introduce contrasting flavors like acidity, freshness, and bitterness, cutting through the richness of pizza.
Add Nutritional Value: Including salads or vegetable-based sides adds essential vitamins and fiber to your meal.
Enhance Texture: Sides can offer textural variety, from crisp salads to creamy dips, making the meal more interesting.
Create a Complete Meal: Side dishes transform pizza night from just pizza to a well-rounded and satisfying dining experience.

Top Side Dishes to Serve with Pizza

When choosing What To Serve With Pizza, consider flavors and textures that complement, rather than compete with, your pizza. Here are some fantastic options, categorized for easy browsing:

Fresh and Vibrant Salads

A salad is a classic and refreshing side for pizza. The coolness and crispness of a salad provide a welcome contrast to the warm, cheesy pizza.

Pizza Night Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette: This salad is specifically designed to be the perfect pizza companion! It’s packed with fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing that cuts through the richness of pizza.

This vibrant salad features a mix of finely chopped romaine lettuce and radicchio for a slightly bitter note, balanced by the sweetness of cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes. Cucumber and red onion add a crisp bite, while chickpeas provide a hearty element. Olives and pepperoncini contribute briny and slightly spicy flavors that enhance the overall taste profile. The star of this salad is the homemade red wine vinaigrette.

Classic Caesar Salad: A creamy Caesar salad is another excellent choice. The richness of the dressing and the salty Parmesan cheese work well with many pizza styles. For a vegan option, try a vegan Caesar dressing or the vegan caesar salad variation mentioned in the original article, using kale and brussel sprouts.
Caprese Salad: For a lighter option, a Caprese salad with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil is simple and elegant. The fresh, bright flavors are a delightful counterpoint to pizza.
Greek Salad: A Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, and a lemon vinaigrette offers a Mediterranean twist and pairs wonderfully with pizzas that have Mediterranean-inspired toppings.

Roasted Vegetables: Warm and Hearty Sides

Roasted vegetables offer a warm and satisfying side dish option, especially during cooler months. They bring a touch of sweetness and earthy flavors to the pizza meal.

Roasted Garlic Breadsticks: Elevate your garlic bread game by roasting garlic cloves and incorporating them into homemade breadsticks. The roasted garlic flavor is less pungent and sweeter, complementing pizza beautifully.
Roasted Asparagus or Broccoli: Simple roasted asparagus or broccoli, seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper, provides a healthy and flavorful green side. A squeeze of lemon juice after roasting adds brightness.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts: Crispy roasted Brussels sprouts, perhaps with a balsamic glaze or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, can be a surprisingly delicious side for pizza.
Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions: Roasting bell peppers and onions brings out their natural sweetness. These can be served as a side or even used as pizza toppings for leftovers.

Other Delicious Side Dish Ideas

Beyond salads and roasted vegetables, there are many other fantastic side dishes to consider:

Garlic Knots: Soft, doughy garlic knots are always a hit. Serve them warm with marinara sauce for dipping.
Bruschetta: Toasted bread topped with fresh tomatoes, basil, and garlic is a light and flavorful appetizer or side.
Soup: A light soup, like minestrone or tomato soup, can be a comforting side, especially in colder weather.
Coleslaw: A creamy or vinegar-based coleslaw offers a cool and crunchy contrast to pizza.
Hummus and Pita Bread: Serve hummus with warm pita bread and vegetable sticks for a Mediterranean-inspired side.
Chicken Wings or Drumsticks: For a more indulgent meal, chicken wings or drumsticks, whether baked, fried, or grilled, are a classic pairing with pizza, especially for game day or casual gatherings.

Featured Recipe: Pizza Night Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

Let’s dive deeper into the star side dish: the Pizza Night Salad. This recipe is not only easy to make but also specifically designed to enhance your pizza experience.

The Key to the Salad: The Red Wine Vinaigrette

The red wine vinaigrette is what makes this salad truly special. It’s a vibrant and flavorful dressing that brings together acidity, sweetness, and herbaceous notes.

Ingredients for the Red Wine Vinegar & Thyme Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, minced (or 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme)
1 tablespoon pepperoncini pepper brine (adds a salty and spicy kick)
1 tablespoon vegan mayonnaise (for creaminess and body, regular mayo works too)
2-3 teaspoons agave nectar, fine sugar, or honey (for a touch of sweetness)
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (for emulsification and tang)
½ teaspoon Tamari soy sauce (for depth of flavor, soy sauce or Worcestershire sauce can be substituted)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
Sea salt and ground black pepper to taste
7 tablespoons olive oil (use a milder olive oil for the dressing)

Ingredients for the Salad:

1 cup cooked chickpeas (adds protein and heartiness)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
½ medium red onion, finely diced
½ English cucumber, finely diced
½ cup pepperoncini peppers, stems removed and chopped fine
½ cup pitted olives, chopped fine (Cerignola olives recommended, but any pitted olives will work)
2 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, minced
2 romaine hearts, finely shredded
1 small head radicchio, finely shredded (or substitute with another romaine heart if you prefer less bitterness)
Vegan parmesan cheese (optional, for serving)

Instructions:

Make the Dressing: In a sealable jar, combine all dressing ingredients except olive oil. Shake well. Add olive oil, seal, and shake again until emulsified.
Prepare the Salad Components: In a medium bowl, combine chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, pepperoncini peppers, olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and toss with 3 tablespoons of the dressing.
Assemble the Salad: In a large serving bowl, combine romaine and radicchio. Add remaining dressing and toss. Season with salt and pepper.
Combine: Add half of the chickpea and vegetable mixture to the greens and toss. Top with the remaining chickpea mixture and vegan parmesan (if using). Serve immediately.

Tips for the Best Pizza Side Dishes:

Consider Your Pizza Toppings: If you’re having a rich, meaty pizza, a lighter salad or vegetable side is ideal. For a lighter vegetarian pizza, you can opt for slightly heartier sides.
Prepare Ahead: Many side dishes, like salads and roasted vegetables, can be prepped in advance, making pizza night stress-free. The red wine vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Don’t Overdo It: Choose 1-2 side dishes to complement your pizza. Too many sides can be overwhelming.
Embrace Variety: Mix and match different types of sides to keep your pizza nights interesting and cater to everyone’s preferences.

Conclusion: Elevate Your Pizza Night

Knowing what to serve with pizza can transform a simple meal into a delightful culinary experience. From fresh salads to warm roasted vegetables and other delicious options, the right side dishes can balance flavors, add nutrition, and create a more satisfying meal. The Pizza Night Salad with its vibrant red wine vinaigrette is a standout choice, offering a perfect blend of freshness and flavor to complement any pizza. So, next time you’re planning pizza night, remember these side dish ideas and take your pizza experience to the next level!