People often confuse savory dishes for something that is nearly impossible to pair with. But in reality, a savory main dish can be the centerpiece while many fresh greens or spicy sides can back up the main show. For the classic chicken pot pie, it can be hard to think of the perfect side dish.
When you’re pairing food with chicken pot pie, try and think of fresh, sweet, and spicy alternatives to a carb loaded dish. Some options include applesauce, different types of salad, and even summer cucumber. Read on for more ideas!
Why a salad?
When you’re looking for a side dish for a savory centerpiece, you should always look at salads as an option. It is an extremely versatile way of eating that allows for the person making it to control the portions and ingredients that would allow them to complement the flavor of how they make their food.
For examples, we can look at the different ways that people make their chicken pot pie. Some may prefer for the chicken pot pie to be saltier or to have more vegetables than protein. You can offset this nutritional y and taste wise by customizing the salad to complement this. If you prefer more salt, you can make a lemony fresh salad to make the overall flavor of the meal much deeper.
Using the salad examples below, you can create a fine meal for the whole family to enjoy.
Which Salad Should I Use?
The easiest way to determine which salad you should use is flavor balancing and personal preference. For some people, the addition of goat cheese or blue cheese on a salad with a salty centerpiece is unheard of. For some, the familiarity of flavor is what creates a comprehensive dinner.
But, if you want to practice flavor balancing, here are some perfect options that you can use for a complement to a salty salad.
Strawberry and Lemon Salad
The use of strawberries and lemon will perfectly balance out the savory flavor of the chicken pot pie, as well as the ability to balance the roasted vegetables with the leafy arugula and kale that the salad possesses. This, along with a vinaigrette, makes for an easy and light addition to the heavy meal.
This is also perfect to pair with both types of wine. Many people enjoy this with a deep red wine that you may see served with cheese and crackers, showing how versatile this dish really is.
Orange and Goat Cheese/Feta Cheese
One of the less explored but delicious options is a salad with orange, a light vinaigrette mixed with leafy kale and arugula can add a perfect and deep flavor as a side. This salad has the salty addition of goat cheese (this can be substituted for feta cheese if needed) as well as some pomegranate seeds for an extra kick of acidity.
This strange but wonderful salad can also support the addition of chickpeas as a protein, so if you like to load your chicken pot pie up with a lot of vegetables, you still have some protein in order to balance out the meal nutritionally. Another benefit of this salad is you’re not stuck with the same roasted vegetable medley that you would use in the chicken pot pie.
What are Other, Easier Options for Sides?
Applesauce
One of the surprising sides that go well with chicken pot pie is applesauce.
Put into a tiny bowl beside the chicken pot pie, cinnamon applesauce provides the perfect addition to the bigger dish of chicken pot pie. Considered a winter classic in terms of pairing, it will create a very comforting feel of Christmas at home.
Summer Cucumber
For a small snack, some parents decide to make mini chicken pot pies for hot days at the lake and for playing long hours outside. This is very helpful for the kids because of the heavy carb and greens content, giving them plenty of energy for playing.
But a surprisingly healthy and yummy addition to the savory chicken pot pie is the summer cucumber. A Korean dish, the cucumber marinated in a sweet and spicy sauce will create the perfect fresh complement to the high salt content of the chicken pot pie, giving your kids some refreshing greens in the hot weather.
With minimal prep, this is easy to store for longer periods of time and will soon become a summer staple for years to come.
Related Questions
What Should I Not Pair with Chicken Pot Pie?
Try to stay away from overly rich traditional food with high proteins and carbs. It will be very heavy on the stomach and can actually make you sick if you’re not careful.
What Vegetables Should I put in Chicken Pot Pie?
It is traditional to use carrots, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, and peas!
