What Can You Serve with Moussaka? (Delicious side dishes)

People usually serve it as a main dish because of its richness and flavorful taste. However, to make moussaka a well-rounded and complete meal, you can present it with some side dishes to balance all the flavors. You might wonder what can you serve with moussaka.

Typically, to complement a heavy meal like moussaka, serve it with some lighter and acidic side dishes. Loaves of crusty bread and butter, Greek salad, cooked brown rice, marinated vegetables, or garlic knots are some of the best choices to complement moussaka as a well-round dish. 

Let’s transform your moussaka into a Moussaka fest by simply adding some side dishes to the menu. Do you want to know how? Well, no worries if you don’t. This article will help you in this regard. 

What Can You Serve with Moussaka?

Moussaka is an Arabic dish, and the name means moistened. It is packed with soothing ingredients like beef, eggplants, tomato sauce, and veggies. 

Since it’s a traditional food, it is popularly paired with a chunky tomato, cucumber, parsley, mint salad, and crusty bread.

As it’s a heavy dish, it’s good to round out the dinner plates with a side dish. This way you can complete the meal more appropriately. 

Best 15 Side Dishes to Serve with Moussaka

From good-garlic loaves of bread to sizzling salads, you can add so many things to your menu while serving moussaka. Here are some best side dishes that complement moussaka:

#1 Greek Salad

Moussaka is a traditional dish for Greeks also. So, Greek salad is the most popular side dish to complement it.

Greek salad or horiatiki is made with onions, cucumbers, feta cheese, tomatoes, and olives. It’s refreshing and adds so many delicious flavors to the dish.

#2 Crusty Bread and Butter

If you want to keep the side dish simple, a piece of French baguette or a classic slice of white bread will work just fine.

To make it more flavorful, slather some butter over the bread. Dip your crusty bread into the moussaka and enjoy your meal.

#3 Marinated Vegetables

Marinated vegetables are another complementary side dish to serve with moussaka. It contains tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce leaves, red bell pepper, jicamas, and mayonnaise.

Though it will not add any extra flavor to vegetable moussaka, in beef or lamb moussaka, marinated vegetables are good to go with it.

#4 Cooked Rice

Rice items are the best kind of side dishes that goes with everything. You can serve herbed rice, garlic butter rice, garlicky rice, or plain white rice with moussaka. It also doesn’t take long to prepare.

If you like rice and don’t have much time to prepare any extra meal, this side dish can be your savior while serving moussaka.

#5 Garlic Knots

Garlic knots are similar to bread as they are also made of flour. If you have any pizza dough in the freezer or refrigerator, you can easily prepare this item within a few minutes. 

And the best part is baking garlic knots will fill your house with an Italian smell. It will enhance the flavor of your food a million times better.

#6 Grilled Eggplant

Though eggplant is one of the moussaka ingredients, you can serve it as a side dish if it contains potatoes instead of eggplants.

Grilled eggplant is crispy around its edges, and in the middle, it has a creamy texture. It also complements vegetable moussaka perfectly. Make sure to bring it properly while making a grilled eggplant.

#7 Instant Pot Ratatouille

It’s a French dish, and it may seem a complex dish to make, but it is not. You can make it within a short time and present it with your moussaka. 

It’s packed with fresh tomatoes, zucchini, bell pepper, and yellow squash. It’s a vegetarian dish, and you can serve it with both vegetable moussaka and non-veg moussaka.

#8 Fresh Tomato and Feta

This side dish needs no special preparations. The combination of tomato and feta makes moussaka more delicious and flavorful. It takes a few minutes to be prepared. 

Cut some fresh cherry tomatoes into equal slices, mix them with some feta cheese cubes. Then serve it with your moussaka. You can add some onion rings to make it more presentable. 

#9 Prosciutto Bread

It is one kind of Italian bread and very soft, aromatic, and tender. While baking it, your house will be overwhelmed by its aromas. It will make the taste of your meal even better.

It is also available in markets. You can grab it from there as well. And if you are baking it at home, don’t forget to add some ice cubes to the tray to make it soft and tender.

 #10 Raw Veggies

Raw veggies like carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and cauliflower with a vinaigrette make the easiest yet classic side dish for moussaka. 

Raw veggies are also another kind of salad. But it’s good to serve as a side dish. It goes perfectly with a beef or lamb moussaka.

#11 Buttery Garlic Bread

Nothing can complement better than buttery garlic bread as a side dish. The rich fragrance and crispiness will leave you speechless while eating.

All you need to do is gently brush the Italian or French bread with butter and fresh crushed garlic and bake it for some time. It takes a short time to make.

#12 Roasted Garlic Lemon Soup

If you are looking for a dairy-free, rich-tasting dish, then roasted creamy lemon garlic soup makes the perfect choice for you.

As this soup is vegan, it is perfect for serving with vegetable or beef moussaka. For its unique taste and creamy flavor, it makes a delightful side dish to serve.

#13 Zucchini Chips

Baked Zucchini chips are delicious and fun to have as a side dish. It’s readily available and adds a unique flavor to moussaka.

When you present it as a side dish, your friends may request to have some more of it. So, you can be cool and playful with your menu by selecting this side dish.

#14 Mushrooms

Sauteed mushrooms are a delicious side dish. The garlic, buttery, grilled flavor adds a savory taste to the moussaka. It is healthy and tasty.

You can serve it with vegetarian moussaka and beef or lamb moussaka as well. Mushrooms are the key to making any rich and healthy dish.

#15 Breadsticks

Last but not least, breadsticks are also great to serve with moussaka. They are also known as grissini or grissino. 

They are easy to make. You need to have bread flour, water, dry yeast, and a little olive oil to make breadsticks. They are available in markets too. It is presentable to both vegan and non-vegan moussakas. 

What Is The Best Side Dish For Moussaka? 

The traditional Greek salad is my pick for the best side dish for moussaka. You can also add some crusty bread just to up the dynamic of your meal. 

You see, moussaka is quite a heavy meal. Full of oils, fats, spices. The best way to counter that is with a plate of fresh salad. And the crusty bread is excellent for soaking up the sauce and adding to the overall fullness of the meal. Bread or rice is especially great when your moussaka has meat in it. 

Can You Eat Moussaka With Rice? 

Yes, you can eat moussaka with rice. Especially if your moussaka contains meat, it is a blast when paired with rice. 

Moussaka is traditionally crunchy. But it has a sauce that goes well with rice. When it comes to the meaty variant of moussaka it can have a very curry-like runny sauce that can easily be mixed with rice for a more flavorful experience.