What to Serve with Beef Stew and Dumplings? 10 BEST Side Dishes

A beef stew is a hearty dish that warms the soul. Add some dumplings and it tastes even better.

You can enjoy the dish when you crave comfort food or even serve it on a special occasion.

Beef stew and dumplings can stand on their own, but the dish is compatible with several other foods too.

Caramelized onions, smothered cabbage, Southern coleslaw and spicy roasted cauliflower are some dishes that pair with beef stew and dumplings.

There are also some other dishes, so you may want to cook them when thinking about what to serve with beef stew and dumplings.

Check out below to know what they are.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes with Beef Stew and Dumplings?

When eating a hearty meal like beef stew and dumplings, it’s easy to get lost in the food and you may consume a considerable quantity.

That’s impractical and it can overwhelm you.

Light side dishes will balance the meal, keep your palate fresh and you can enjoy variety.

It’s also not much fun having only a single dish even though it may be delightful.

It will look quite odd to serve only beef stew and dumplings at an event you’re hosting because everyone expects to enjoy loads of food at any party big or small.

What to Serve with Beef Stew and Dumplings? 10 BEST Side Dishes

There are so many items to enjoy with beef stew and dumplings and the following are considered the best.

1 – Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

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If you want to add low-carb food to your menu, cauliflower seems to be a great choice.

It’s a flavorful and versatile veggie that tastes both raw and cooked.

Spicy roasted makes a lovely pairing with beef stew and dumplings.

It’s not only a tasty dish but fast and easy to make.

The cauliflower dish contains multiple spices but you can tone down the spiciness by omitting some varieties.

The veggie is naturally delicious so the dish will still taste superb.

However, you must use hot and sweet paprika, cayenne and turmeric for taste and color.

You may add more or less depending on your preference.

2 – Balsamic Tomato Basil Salad

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A warm and comforting dish like stew and dumplings can make you full and satisfied but overload you.

A simple tomato and basil salad can tone down the heaviness and cleanse your palate.

Salads taste good with almost everything so it’s nice to include them in your menu.

You can quickly whip up a basic tomato salad with balsamic vinegar as all the required ingredients are readily available at the stores.

You can use any variety of tomatoes for the salad, but it must be perfect.

It’s also best to use fresh tomatoes.

When shopping for tomatoes, choose that with deep, consistent coloring because those with green or yellow patches indicate they were plucked too early from the vines.

3 – Pan Fried Green Bean Almandine

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Since stew and dumplings are hearty and rich, you can add as many veggie dishes as possible to balance the flavors.

The main dish combines nicely with veggies cooked in different ways, so feel free to include variety.

A simple pan-fried green bean almandine or almondine is excellent to pair with stew and dumplings.

It’s delightful but light so it’ll balance the stew nicely and won’t overpower it.

It’s called a simple dish because green beans cook quickly and you don’t need a lot of ingredients.

You’ll need beans, butter for sautéing, salt, pepper and garlic for seasoning and toasted almonds for topping.

Use Haricots Verts as they’re smaller, more tender and quicker to cook.

4 – Caramelized Mushrooms

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Mushrooms are incredible without being heavy, so it’s good to serve them with hearty dishes like stew and dumplings.

Having them together maintains the flavors and doesn’t overwhelm your tastebuds.

Mushrooms taste good any way you cook them, but caramelized ones are extraordinary, and they complement the stew too.

The dish looks elegant and you may think it’s challenging to make, but it’s easy.

Button and baby bella mushrooms are the typical choices for making the dish.

Choose either or both, but remember that the baby bella is more flavorful than button mushrooms and offers a more intense flavor.

5 – Irish Mashed Potatoes

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You must have a dish with spuds when serving beef stew and dumplings because they’re a match created in the kitchen.

Irish mashed potatoes are perfect to go with stew and dumplings because it’s filling without being too heavy.

However, it’s the less popular champ mash and not colcannon we’re talking about.

Champ has potatoes, green onion, butter and milk, salt and pepper.

Russets and Katahdin are best for mashing but they’re mild-flavored.

If the taste is important, make the mash with equal numbers of Russets and Yukon Golds.

You can also use Maris Piper or King Edward spuds if you can’t get hold of the other three.

6 – Mixed Fruit Salad

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Beef stew and dumplings also taste great with a fruit salad.

On the one hand, you have warm and hearty food while you have a sweet, sour, crunchy and fresh item on the other so there is a lovely balance.

Fruits are naturally delicious, so you’ll have an ideal combo when you serve the salad with stew and dumplings.

The choice of fruits is unlimited so you can work with various fruits.

You can make the salad with strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.

Grapes, kiwi fruit, pineapple and oranges are other fruits you can add along with a simple honey and lemon dressing.

7 – Southern Coleslaw

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If the mashed potato is here, how can you leave out coleslaw? The cabbage salad is a typical side dish because it pairs well with almost everything.

It particularly matches beef stew and dumplings.

But we added Southern coleslaw to this list to add a little twist.

It’s creamy, crunchy, sweet and tangy all at once.

The slaw has the usual ingredients but uses a creamy dressing with mayo, sour cream, vinegar, salt, pepper and lemon.

You can get a coleslaw mix from the store or make it from scratch.

You can buy fresh cabbage with leaves that are crisp rather than soft.

The leaves must be wrapped tightly and cabbage must feel dense and firm with a glossy appearance.

8 – Italian Arugula Salad

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You can have as many salads as possible with stew and dumplings and they’ll all taste great.

Arugula salad in Italian style is a variety that offers flavor and nutrients and keeps your palate fresh.

The salad only has fresh arugula along with salt, pepper, parmesan cheese, pine nuts and simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing.

But it tastes refreshing and you’ll enjoy it with stew and dumplings.

Arugula has a highly distinctive and peppery crunch so if you worry about its taste, you can make the dish with baby arugula leaves as they’re milder in flavor.

9 – Smothered Cabbage

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It’s one more cabbage dish but no one’s complaining because smothered cabbage is delightful and complements beef stew and dumplings.

It’s a common side dish in the Southern US and so it’s also called Southern smothered cabbage.

The dish is delicious, but you may be surprised to know that it doesn’t have too many ingredients.

Cabbage, smoky bacon, shallots, chicken or veggie stock, garlic salt or cajun seasoning are the only ingredients you’ll need.

Cabbage cooks fast and it can get soggy when overcooked.

So be sure to follow the timing of whichever recipe you use.

It won’t be more than 25 minutes.

10 – Air Fryer Potatoes

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We’ll complete the list with one more spud dish but it’s different than mash so you won’t feel bored.

Air fryer potatoes are crunchy, tasty and they make a great pairing with beef stew and dumplings.

Roasting potatoes in an air fryer is also simple as you don’t need to undergo multiple steps.

Besides, you don’t have to use many ingredients for the dish.

Baby potatoes work best for this dish, so try to get these.

Some olive oil, garlic powder, black pepper, cajun seasoning and mixed herbs make up the remaining ingredients.

Add some lemon juice and parsley before serving.

Conclusion

The ten dishes mentioned above will come in handy whenever you have a hearty dish like beef stew and dumplings.

So, you don’t have to look for side dishes elsewhere.

If you host a big event, make 5-6 dishes and serve them with the stew and dumplings and you can go with fewer if it’s a small gathering.

But whether you make more or a few items, you have to see they’re not repeated on the next occasion.

Always use a dish after two or three functions following the first one where you use it.