A Reuben sandwich isn’t what it is without its classic elements: rye bread, corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and a dressing, either Russian or Thousand Island. It also doesn’t peak with just those ingredients. Instead, it’s the most scrumptious when paired with an easy and tasty side dish, salad, or soup!
Thus, this article offers a selection of foods that would be perfect with your Reuben sandwich. They all seem easy and simple, yet they make a world of difference to your humble affair. So check out this article when you need some ideas for what to serve with reuben sandwiches.
1. Baked Sweet Potato Chips
A basket of potato chips beside a fresh Reuben sandwich is so classic even the sight of it may trigger nostalgia for some. But while it’s excellent and safe to stick with tradition, there’s fun when you deviate even by just a bit. Thus, make these baked sweet potato chips instead of the usual potatoes! They’re also thin and crunchy but taste sweeter and are much healthier than the OGs.
2. Baked Potato Wedges
Like chips, French fries and potato wedges are a frequent tandem with Reuben sandwiches. But unlike the other two, wedges offer fluffier textures and more tender flesh. They’re usually seasoned more heavily, too, so each wedge is more flavorful than any chip or fry. For this particular recipe, flavorings include onion, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, and parmesan. The flavors are impeccable.
3. Fried Cabbage with Bacon and Onions
If you want a healthy and unique snack with your Reuben sandwich, follow this recipe for fried cabbage. Cabbage strips are fried or sauteed in bacon grease and spices, then flavored with apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. The bacon bits are added right before the cooking process. Other recipes actually combine cabbage and corned beef, so the sandwich and this side’s profiles match in some ways.
4. Dill Pickles
Dill pickles or pickle spears are highly recommended with all sorts of sandwiches, including Reuben. It contributes a brightening freshness and tanginess that takes a plain sandwich to the next level. The catch, though, is if you make pickles at home, you’ll have to prepare this at least a day before you make your sandwich. The cucumber slices have to marinate overnight to take on that distinct pickled flavor and texture.
5. Dill Pickle Slaw
Coleslaw, like pickles, is a side dish frequently suggested with Reuben sandwiches. Thus, if you make this dill pickle slaw, you hit two birds with one stone. Moreover, combining slaw and pickles creates a side dish with elevated freshness and tanginess. These qualities are intertwined with coleslaw’s classic creaminess and crisp textures, so expect many flavors and textures to come together on your tongue.
6. Tomato Soup
Reuben joins the long list of sandwiches that are perfect with tomato soup. Dipping a Reuben sandwich into your soup softens it for the bite, incorporates tangy and herby flavors, and envelopes it in creamy and thick textures. All these and its heartwarming quality make tomato soup a favorite way to turn sandwiches into satisfying, warm meals. Plus, this easy recipe takes only 45 minutes to complete!
7. Potato Leek Soup
Swap your tomatoes for this potato leek soup if you’re not fond of tangy tastes. It offers a comforting feel and shares similar textures with tomato soup. However, the taste profile is entirely different because no acidity dominates the dish. Instead, you get a savory complex of buttery, earthy, herby, and creamy flavors. This soup does take more time to prepare – more than an hour — but it’s worth it.
8. Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Cauliflower is as versatile as potatoes but is severely underrated. You can mash it, turn it into low-carb rice, grill it, or turn it into soup, like in this recipe! It comes out incredibly creamy and thick, and the taste is incredible, especially for a vegetable with very subtle flavors. That’s because roasting the cauliflower before pureeing draws out its nutty taste and caramelizes its sugars.
9. Butternut Squash Soup
Before you’ve tasted this butternut squash soup, its bright yellow color would have already captured your eyes. Then, when you dip your Reuben sandwich in for a taste, you won’t be disappointed. It’s the perfect blend of caramelized sweetness, earthiness, and creaminess. The aroma is enchanting, courtesy of cinnamon. Surprisingly, it’s creamy and thick even without dairy, so the textures are all from the pureed butternut squash.
10. Easy Pasta Salad
Soups are best for cold, rainy days, so what’s the alternative for the warm summer season? Salads! One of the best salads to pair with Reuben sandwiches is pasta salad, which has everything you need. It has chewy pasta pieces, fresh ingredients, bright flavors, and a creative medley of colors and textures. This particular recipe uses rotini and combines it with mozzarella, veggies, Italian dressing, and spices.
11. Potato Salad
Although potato salads are often associated with BBQ, you can also make them for your Reuben sandwich. Their refreshing flavors, creamy textures, and tender potato chunks are great additions to your sandwich. Although you can make them in less than an hour, it’s good to prepare one in advance to refrigerate for a cool feel. Also, you can customize the recipe by adding other ingredients like bacon, herbs, or pickles.
12. Wedge Salad
Wedge salad also promises refreshing flavors, but the textures are more crisp than tender. That’s because a whole wedge of iceberg lettuce is served, hence the name. Then, it’s drizzled with a blue cheese dressing and topped with bacon, tomatoes, onions, blue cheese, nuts, and other ingredients. Admittedly, it looks bizarre, but all the flavors and textures work surprisingly well once you dig into it.
