The Bold Bread That Pairs Perfectly With Soup

There are all kinds of bread that can be dipped and swirled around your next bowl of soup. While you may just pick up a loaf from the bakery or grocery store, putting more thought into the baked good yields a delicious bread and broth combination. For a loaf that pairs perfectly with soup, go with beer bread.

Though the only bread and beer pairing you may be familiar with is adding the ale to batter for fish and chips, it also elevates bread — literally. Depending on the kind you choose, the yeast from the beer could help the bread rise in the oven. Aside from that, the drink adds a delicious, malted flavor to your loaf. Incorporating beer into the dough doesn't make it taste overwhelmingly like alcohol; instead, there's a subtle, wheat taste that makes the bread cozier.

Whether you dip a slice in soup or use it for croutons, beer bread will enhance the soup. The specific flavor it adds, however, ultimately comes down to the type of beer you use. While a typical Irish beer bread recipe is infused with the rich notes of coffee and barley from Guinness, using a light lager will give your bread a soft, herbaceous taste. Whatever you use, making this addition to your next homemade loaf of bread should be simple, and there are lots of recipe options to choose from.

If you're not sure which beer to choose, opt for a brew that complements the ingredients of your soup. Doing so really makes the soup shine, preventing the risk of ending up with a combination that tastes a little off. In this cheddar beer bread recipe, an American lager gives the loaf a crisp, yet toasted flavor. To complement the balance of coziness and lightness, pair the bread with tomato soup. Not only does the umami cheddar pair nicely with the tomato, but the mix of acidity and sweetness goes well with a lager.

For a soup that's rich and heady like old-fashioned beef stew, pair it with bread made from stout. Not only does the deep brown color mirror the rich stew, but its flavor matches nicely, too. Stout has a slight bitterness to it, with a dark malted taste sweetened by chocolate, coffee, and caramel. Chocolate and beef is an unlikely pairing that brings rich results, with the bitter, earthy notes of dark chocolate balancing out the savory meat.

With something light like rich and creamy lobster bisque, opt for Belgian witbier bread. Lobster is known for its sweet, fresh flavor, so it's best to pick a beer that won't overshadow it. Belgian witbier is citrus-forward with a soft, earthy spiciness that complements these characteristics of lobster bisque.