What To Have With Sandwiches

So there you are, standing in front of your sandwich like it's an orphaned puppy at a shelter — wondering what to pair it with. A sandwich alone is like a joke without a punchline; technically fine, but something's missing. Let's fix that, shall we?

Chips: The Classic Wingman

Chips (or crisps, if you're feeling fancy) are the undisputed champion of sandwich sides. That salty crunch against soft bread is basically a standing ovation for your taste buds. A study — okay, a really ordinary survey of really ordinary people — found that potato chips are paired with sandwiches more often than anything else, which is either comforting or deeply unimpressive.

And if you think you're too old for chips with a sandwich, you're not. Aristotle probably had a sandwich and chips. The man knew.

This Drink's a Big Dill

Milk, cold lemonade, or iced tea — pick your fighter. But here's a surprising one: pickles are technically a drinkable side in some cultures when you get a big, briny, crunchy dill pickle beside your meal. The tangy vinegar cuts through the richness like a hot knife through butter, and if that isn't satisfying, I don't know what is.

Fun fact: Americans throw away 3 million pounds of pickles every single year. That's a tragedy no cucumber deserves.

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Salad: For the Disguised Indulgers

A crisp side salad is the polite way of saying, "I'm trying to be healthy but still have bread, cheese, and mayo." It's a beautiful act of deception, and nobody's calling you out on it. Lightly dressed greens with a zingy vinaigrette can turn a boring sandwich lunch into something that feels almost grown-up.

Just don't pretend you're ordering the salad for yourself when we both know that sandwich is the main event.

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Soup: The Power Couple

Ever dipped a sandwich into a hot bowl of tomato soup? Congratulations — you've experienced what I call the great unifier. Surprisingly, this stretch to the wood-fired oven technique reveals that bread crusts actually absorb flavour better than the softer crumb, meaning that sandwich end dipped into soup is the most flavour-packed thing you'll ever put in your mouth.

Onion soup? Bacon sandwich. The soup-and-sandwich combo isn't just a meal; it's a religious experience disguised as lunch.

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Something Sweet: Because You've Earned It

After all that crunch and savour, your palate craves a little dessert, and a small apple, a cookie, or even a piece of fruit rounds things off perfectly. The contrast between something salty-savory and something sweet creates a little fireworks show in your mouth that costs a fraction of what actual fireworks price-tag does. Plus, nobody remembers the spinach in the salad — but everyone remembers the cookie.

The Real Answer?

Now here's the truly surprising revelation: the best pairing for your sandwich isn't any single item — it's the occasion. Eating on a park bench, shoving it down between meetings, or sharing it with someone who also loves sandwiches? That's the secret ingredient you can't buy.

So grab whatever sides make you happy, sit down somewhere comfortable, and enjoy your sandwich like it deserves to be enjoyed — with good company and even better snacks.