70+ Best Side Dishes For Taco Soup And Tortilla Soup

Last Updated on May 16, 2024 by Sabrina Currie

Taco soup has a rich and flavorful broth brimming with hearty ingredients and is always a family favorite. If it's taco soup night in your home, here are the 60+ best side dishes for taco soup and tortilla soup. From appetizers, dips, condiments, and salads to veggies, sandwiches, bread, and more, you'll find just what you're looking for to complete your tasty dinner.

Collage of four Tex Mex style dishes including colorful corn salad, fish tacos, taco soup topped with tortillas, and tortilla wedges with melted cheese. The title of the post, 70+ best sides for taco soup', is on a white banner in the middle of the collage.

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Dress Up Your Taco Soup With Garnishes
Dips + Salsa
Appetizers
Salads
Sandwiches
Tacos
Veggie Sides
Rice + Beans
Breads
More Great Soups + Sides
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Dress Up Your Taco Soup With Garnishes

Garnishes are the easiest things to add to taco and tortilla soup and they bring lots of extra flavor and texture. Small bowls of these favorite toppings are the perfect way for guests to customize their own bowl of taco soup at the dinner table. (Here is my favorite taco soup recipe with it's own homemade taco seasoning.)

Crispy tortilla strips add a satisfying crunch to your meal and are perfect for sprinkling on top of your soup for added texture and a dollop of cool and tangy sour cream is the perfect complement to the spicy kick of taco soup.

Shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Mexican blend)
A dollop of sour cream
Avocado slices or guacamole
Sliced jalapeños or green chilis
Sliced black olives
Chopped green onions or scallions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Crushed tortilla chips or strips
Salsa (mild, medium, or hot depending on preference)
Lime wedges for squeezing over the soup
Sliced radishes for added crunch
Hot sauce or chili flakes for extra heat
Diced tomatoes
Sliced or diced red onions
Crumbled bacon bits
Corn kernels
Diced bell peppers (red, green, or yellow)
Pickled red onions or jalapeños
Queso fresco or cotija cheese crumbles
Saltine crackers

Spicy Pickled Onions

These spicy pickled onions are easy to make and add heat and crunch to your favorite tacos and sandwiches. Or to anything and everything!

Spicy Pickled Onions

Pickled Red Cabbage

Crispy and tangy, pickled cabbage is a great option for topping hearty soup.

Pickled Red Cabbage

White and red cabbage sauerkraut with simple airlock lids

Easy Curtido Recipe

My Easy Curtido Recipe is a great way of adding colorful veggies to any dish. These crisp, slightly sour vegetables combine cabbage, carrot, chili and onion, and can be prepared in 15 minutes.

Easy Curtido

Dips + Salsa

Pico de gallo adds a burst of color and freshness to your meal with its combination of diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeños. Or choose a bright corn salsa or go fruity with mango salsa. Want something creamy? Guacamole is a natural. Serve these on your bowl of soup, beside with crispy corn chips or with your favorite bread.

Street corn style dip on a long platter has a creamy sauce topped with chopped red onion, cilantro and corn kernels.

Easy Creamy Avocado Dip Recipe

This easy creamy avocado dip is terrific for parties and get together's, afternoon snacks, or a healthy nibble while watching the big game. Use it as a

Creamy Avocado Dip

Mexican Street Corn Dip

Elote, the popular Mexican street snack, gets a healthy makeover! This Lightened Up Elote Corn Dip takes all of the flavors of elote and puts them into one fast and flavorful dip. Tortilla chips and mini bell peppers are perfect for scooping it up!

Mexican Street Corn Dip

Coctel De Camaron (Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

The delicious, savory shrimp cocktail from the Baja. Scoop it up with crispy tortilla chips and wash it down with a margarita!

Mexican Shrimp Cocktail

Diced shrimp (camaron), red peppers, cucumber and red onion in a black bowl with a tostada shell stuck in the back of the bowl to scoop with. Background is dark blue black.

Pico de Gallo

This Pico de Gallo is simple but delicious! Great as a topping on any Mexican inspired meal, or great on its own with some tortilla chips.

Pico de Gallo

Easy Cilantro Lime Corn Salsa

Cilantro Lime Corn Salsa is a quick and easy summer grilled corn recipe. Put it into tacos, burritos and so much more

Cilantro Lime Corn Salsa

Easy Corn Salsa (or Salad)

This super-easy Corn Salsa recipe is so delicious and so versatile! Use raw corn or grilled ... and serve it as a salsa dip or as a side salad. You can even make it ahead, too!

Corn Salsa Salad

Fresh & Flavorful Cowboy Caviar

This easy, savory salsa comes together in about 15 minutes. It makes for a tasty dip, side dish, or salad, or you can even add it to your favorite grilled protein. Great for summer potlucks & BBQs too!

Cowboy Caviar

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

This is THE most delicious Tomatillo Salsa Verde recipe out there! Serve as an appetizer or eat as an afternoon snack.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Mango Pico de Gallo

Try this Mango Pico de Gallo - Fresh Mango Salsa recipe if you are looking for a quick, tasty, and colorful appetizer.

Mango Salsa

Appetizers

Everyone loves a good appetizer and these ones are full of bold flavor.

Black cast iron pan of nachos topped with slivered steak, red peppers, tomatoes and sour cream.

Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups

These easy and creamy Jalapeno popper wonton cups are perfect for any party or dinner. The cream cheese jalapeño cup wontons will be a hit!

Jalapeno Popper Wonton Cups

Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Stuffed jalapeno poppers are a game day snack worth craving! Our stuffed jalapeno recipe uses cream cheese and cheddar to mellow the heat.

Stuffed Jalapeno Poppers

Steak Nachos Appetizer

Loaded with steak, cheese and peppers, steak nachos are tasty and satisfying. Easily swap out crumble fried ground beef for the steak if you prefer.

Steak Nachos

Salads

Soup and salad is a classic combo and this is no exception. A crisp and flavorful taco salad keeps with the theme or serve a contrasting salad like Mexican slaw or street corn salad. A simple salad of mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumbers dressed with olive oil and lime juice is another simple way to add freshness and crunch to your favorite easy taco soup recipe.

Bowl of corn garnished with grated white cheese, cilantro and chopped red pepper.

Mexican Taco Salad

This Mexican Taco Salad is easy, hearty, and such a crowd-pleaser! It's always a hit at gatherings, with its robust flavors.

Taco Salad

Jalapeno Coleslaw Recipe

Jalapeno Coleslaw Recipe is the perfect spicy slaw that you can easily make and add to rice bowls, tacos, salads, sandwiches and wraps.

Jalapeno Coleslaw

Apple Kale Slaw

A great slaw with sweet and savory flavors and lots of crunch. This apple kale slaw is quick and easy to make and great for potlucks too.

Apple Kale Slaw

Close up front view of colorful kale and apple salad showing the cashews and purple onion slices.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

This Mexican Street Corn Salad turns a classic Mexican street food item into a delicious, incredibly flavorful side dish ready for any dish that's easy to make and ready super fast!

Mexican Street Corn Salad

Grey plate of green spinach and arugula with slivered red onions, shaved white fennel, halved red radishes and assorted green and black olives.

Easy Arugula Spinach Salad With Quick Pickled Onions

Crisp and fresh, this is a great side with lots of nutritious and flavorful colors and textures.

Arugula Spinach Salad With Pickled Onions

Mexican Salad Recipe

This Mexican salad is a blend of mixed greens, black beans, tomatoes, corn, avocado and cotija cheese all tossed in a tangy lime dressing.

Mexican Salad

Easy Green Salad + 5 Dressing Recipes

This Easy Green Salad is perfect for family dinners, everything from lasagna to roast chicken and can be customized for the seasons.

Easy Green Salad

Tex Mex Cucumber and Corn Salad

A twist on classic elote, this simple and refreshing TexMex Cucumber Corn Salad is so easy to prepare and packed with flavor!

Tex Mex Cucumber Corn Salad

Sandwiches

Soup and sandwiches are another classic combo. A make-ahead muffuletta or kid-friendly sloppy joes pair up with taco soup for a hearty, complete meal.

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes. Smoky with a bit of kick, slightly sweet, and fully savory. Perfect for weekend gatherings or weeknight dinners. Easy and delish.

Tex Mex Sloppy Joes

$Tex Mex Sloppy Joes$

Muffuletta-An Easy Picnic Sandwich Recipe

Make it a hearty meal with this tasty, big, make-ahead sandwich. A muffuletta is full of tasty meat, cheese and olives or tapenade and tastes great made a day or two ahead!

Muffuletta

Tacos

Make it an epic taco night with taco soup as a starter and tacos as the main. A bit of work but the flavorful soup can be made ahead (and make enough for leftovers so you don't have to cook tomorrow night!)

30-Minute Blackened Fish Tacos

These easy tacos take just 30 minutes to make. Pop the seasoned fish filets in the oven while you toss together a simple slaw and 3-ingredient crema. Fish tacos made easy and so delicious!

Easy Blackened Tilapia Tacos

Three yellow corn tortillas folded in half and stuffed with orange fish, green avocado, purple cabbage and creamy sauce on a grey plate set on a grey countertop.

Carne Asada Tacos Recipe

These carne asada tacos are a taco lover's dream. The beef is irresistibly tender and the flavors are scrumptious. This carne asada beef tacos recipe will make you almost famous.

Carne Asada Tacos

Tacos De Trompo (Tacos Al Pastor)

Homemade Tacos Al Pastor Recipe- is a mouthwatering Mexican dish featuring thinly sliced marinated pork grilled with pineapple & onion. YUM!

Tacos Al Pastor

Weeknight Taco Pockets

Weeknight Taco Pockets will have your family begging for more! They're everything you love about tacos, in a melty hot pocket. An easy, delicious twist!

Taco Pockets

Veggie Sides

Mexican style corn ribs, elotes, hatch casserole, tostones, and more make satisfying side dish that pairs perfectly with the rich flavors of taco soup.

Long wedges of corn on the cob drizzled with white sauce has a bowl of bright orange sauce beside and chopped red peppers scattered over.

Corn Ribs Air Fryer

This Air fryer Corn Ribs TikTok recipe is a fun twist on Mexican street corn. Corn ribs air fryer are an easy and flavorful appetizer or side. Use the air fryer or just bake them up in a regular oven.

Corn Ribs

Corn Fries (Mexican Street Corn Style)

Savory with a hint of spice, these corn fries made Mexican street corn-style are just about the best thing to ever grace this blog! Gluten-free, vegetarian.

Corn Fries

Baked Mexican Corn

This simple Mexican corn is baked directly on the oven rack and then smothered in a mix of cotija cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, and lime.

Baked Mexican Corn

Perfectly Crispy Corn Fritters (GF - Not Deep Fried)

With the best ingredients and the secret technique, you'll be well on your way to creating the most deliciously crispy corn fritters you've ever had. The perfect blend of sweet, savory, crispy, and satisfying-it's a fritter experience like no other.

Crispy Corn Fritters

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts

This gorgeous Oven Roasted Butternut Squash & Brussels Sprouts recipe is an exciting, yummy, and healthy new side dish for your holiday turkey!

Roasted Squash & Brussels Sprouts

Green Chile Hashbrown Casserole

Using frozen hash browns, bacon and pantry ingredients this Green Chile Hashbrown casserole is packed with flavor!

Green Chile Hashbrown Casserole

Roasted Sweet Potatoes (super easy)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes are a quick and easy healthy side dish the whole family will love and they're great as a taco bowl base too.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Air Fryer Tostones

Air Fryer Tostones are the healthiest way to serve up the classic twice-fried green plantains! Crispy and made without oil in 15 minutes!

Tostones

Mexican Pickled Carrots

This Mexican Pickled Carrots recipe will give you Mexican restaurant quality right at home. They've got the sweet and spice to make everything nice.

Mexican Pickled Carrots

Collage of four Tex Mex style dishes including corn ribs with dip, mini tortilla cups, refried beans and street corn dip.

Rice + Beans

A staple of Mexican cuisine, Mexican rice is the perfect side dish to serve alongside your taco soup. Serve up beans in your rice or beans alongside or as a garnish in tortilla soup. Refried beans are another classic side dish that pairs perfectly with the rich flavors of taco soup and adds a creamy element to your meal.

Bowl of bright orange rice flecked with green chopped herbs.

Authentic Mexican Rice

This Mexican rice tastes exactly like it does at Mexican restaurants! The recipe is from a friend who grew up in Mexico, and it's perfect for pairing with Mexican food of all kinds. Authentic Mexican

Authentic Mexican Rice

Mexican Cilantro Rice (Green Rice)

Aromatic rice dishes don't get much tastier than this Mexican cilantro rice. Bursting with herbal taste and aroma, it's a delightful addition to any Mexican-inspired feast.

Mexican Cilantro Rice

Yellow Rice Recipe (Arroz Amarillo)

This yellow rice recipe is seasoned with golden Latin seasonings for wonderful flavor, a great side dish, or perfect with fish, shrimp, chicken, or pork.

Yellow Rice

Healthy Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans

Healthy Vegetarian Mexican Rice & Bean Casserole is easy to make and filled with cheesy goodness, along with brown rice and lots of veggies. This is an easy gluten free & vegetarian casserole for a weeknight dinner or your next party!

Mexican Casserole with Rice & Beans

Mexican Fiesta Rice Cups

~ Sumptuous Recipes for a Healthy Life ~

Mexican Fiesta Rice Cups

Instant Pot Refried Beans

Instant Pot refried beans are an easy side dish that you can make to go along with almost any meal. Your family will love this easy recipe.

Refried Beans

Breads

Mexican Cornbread: Sweet and savory, Mexican cornbread is the perfect accompaniment to taco soup, with its rich flavor and moist texture.

Garlic Bread: Warm, buttery garlic bread is the ultimate comfort food and pairs perfectly with the hearty flavors of taco soup.

Cast iron pan of yellow cornbread studded with green sliced jalapenos.

Mexican Cornbread Recipe

This Mexican Cornbread keeps all the moist and buttery sweetness of classic cornbread but adds two types of gooey melted shredded cheese and diced jalapeños for a spicy flavor kick. Super easy to make and perfect with soup, stew, and chili!

Mexican Cornbread

Hatch Pepper Skillet Cornbread Recipe

One of the best hatch chile recipes, my Hatch Pepper Skillet Cornbread recipe makes cheesy cornbread w/fresh corn & cheddar for yummy green chile cornbread.

Hatch Pepper Skillet Cornbread

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Honey Cornbread

Gluten-Free Jalapeño Cheddar Honey Cornbread has a soft inside with perfectly crisped edges. The ideal mix of sweet honey, savory cheddar & spicy jalepeño!

Gluten-Free Cornbread

Jalapeno & Green Chile Spoon Bread

Upgrade your regular cornbread routine with Jalapeno & Green Chile Spoon Bread. This moist, flavorful bread is loaded with pickled jalapenos, green chiles, corn, and cheese - it's the perfect accompaniment to a big bowl of chili!

Jalapeno & Green Chile Spoon Bread

Wedges of cheese topped tortillas on a plate with red salsa dipping sauce.

Tortilla Garlic Bread

Air fryer garlic tortilla bread combines the goodness of traditional garlic bread with the convenience and crunchiness of tortillas. Bake it up in an air fryer or regular oven.

Tortilla Garlic Bread

Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

Super easy and cheesy, your family will rave about homemade Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits! Only 5 ingredients are needed for this flavorful biscuit dish.

Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuits

How to Make Venezuelan Arepas

Gluten free Venezuelan arepas recipe for delicious corn flavored bread that are perfect for sandwiches or alone anytime of the day. A three ingredient recipe that goes together in about 30 minutes.

Venezuelan Arepas

Homemade Garlic Bread Recipe

Buttery, garlicky, and crispy garlic bread goes great with everything. This homemade garlic bread recipe will be the only one you'll ever need.

Garlic Bread

Dutch Oven Bread Recipe with Jalapeno and Cheddar

This Dutch oven bread is loaded with spicy jalapeno, cheddar cheese and seasonings with a thick crust and soft interior, easy to make and ready to bake!

Jalapeno Cheddar Dutch Oven Bread

Dutch Oven Bread Recipe with Jalapeno and Cheddar

More Great Soups + Sides

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Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina