What To Serve With Soup For Dinner - From French Onion To Pea Soup!

Last Updated on 22nd June 2023 by

You’ve been thinking of the perfect soup all week and buying your ingredients early so that you can put it together at the right time. Then, when you are stuck at home for a rainy day, you start whipping up your soup. It’s the perfect remedy for a soggy afternoon or evening meal, and you are looking forward to its comforting warmth and the flavourful scent of seasonings.

Then, it hits you- what are you going to have with your soup? It could be a meal on its own, but that may not be very fulfilling. Your stomach could still have some space after a bowl of soup, and rather than go for a second bowl, you want a complementary side dish.

If you are wondering what to serve with soup for dinner, we have just the sides for you. Here are some great soups we all love and the side dishes that pair well with them.

Table of Contents

What to Serve with Potato Soup for Dinner

Potato soup can be thick and creamy with plenty of cheese and a dash of green for some colour, or it can be thin and watery, with a variety of other veggies to go with the potatoes. There are a few different ways to make potato soup, depending on your preferences and the ingredients that you have on hand.

For thick, creamy potato soup, a salad makes for a great side dish. Creamy potato soup tends to be light on veggies, so having a salad balances out your meal and doesn’t just give you more of the same. A good side dish is different from the main course but compliments it well.

For veggie potato soup that is thin rather than creamy, Italian bread or garlic bread are great options. These help absorb some of the liquid from the soup and provide a great counterbalance to the thin broth and the taste of vegetables. The rich carbs of the bread will be a welcome change in texture and taste that pairs perfectly with any kind of thin, vegetable soup.

What to Serve with Chicken Noodle Soup for Dinner

This comfort soup that is a great choice for cold weather or when you aren’t feeling very well, you may want to pair it with another comfort food. Cheesy breadsticks, roasted potatoes, burger sliders, and quesadilla wraps are all good choices.

Of course, if you are eating chicken noodle soup because you are not well, you want a healthy side dish instead of something greasy and full of fat. Salad might seem like the logical choice, but when faced with a cold or flu, your sinuses may get blocked up and your senses of smell and taste may suffer. A salad can be kind of bland and may be unpleasant to eat with the soup. A healthy alternative would be saltines or any kind of cracker or crispy bread (like bruschetta). You should still be able to taste the salt or butter these offer.

What to Serve with French Onion Soup for Dinner

French onion soup is usually very light, so it isn’t likely to fill you up. You will probably go right through a bowl of this soup without it having much of an impact on your appetite, so you want something heavy to counter it. That’s why one of the most popular sides for French onion soup is a hearty BLT sandwich. We can’t knock that choice since we love that hearty sandwich. It is a good source of veggies but also indulges our love of bacon.

If you’re not a bacon lover or just not in the mood for too many veggies, then you can opt for a lemon crusted salmon or a strip steak instead. Meat tends to be one of the most popular kinds of sides for people looking for what to serve with French onion soup for dinner.

Print Recipe

No ratings yet

Pot French Onion Soup Recipe

Author: Pauline Loughlin

Ingredients

4 Onions
3 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic
1 Bayleaf
¾ cup Redwine
4 cups Beef Stock
Baguette
Worcestershire sauce
Gruyere cheese
Black Pepper
Salt to taste
Brown sugar
2 Sprigs thyme
½ cup Brandy

Instructions

Saute
The first step is to saute the onions. But for this, you have to first add three tablespoons butter and one tablespoon oil to an instant pot and saute for a few seconds. The butter will melt after sauteing. Then add four sliced onions and two tablespoons of brown sugar to the pot. Next, you need to stir the onion slices until they turn brown. It requires a maximum of 10 to 15 minutes to turn onions into brown color.
You should always caramelize the onions when you are preparing a French onion soup recipe. Caramelized is a process in which the onion slices will turn brown. This process increases the taste of your soup.
Add Garlic And Bayleaf
Now add two cloves of garlic and one bay leaf in the instant pot and saute all together for two minutes.
Add RedWine, Beef Broth, And Brandy
Now it’s time to add half a cup of brandy, three fourth cups of red wine, and four cups of warm beef broth to your instant pot. Stir them for one minute.
The beef broth is the main ingredient in French soup. It would be best if you never compromised on the quality of the beef broth. If you are using packaged beef broth, please check its quality before adding it to your soup. It would be best if you remembered that the quality of soup depends on the stock you use in soup.
Time To PressureCook
Add Worcestershire sauce, two sprigs of thyme, salt to taste, and half a teaspoon of black pepper. Then close the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Allow the instant pot to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then you can quickly release the pressure from the pot.
Open The Lid
Now open the lid of your instant pot. Then pour the soup with the help of a spoon in a soup bowl. On top of the soup, you can add gruyere cheese and one slice of baguette. It will increase the taste of your soup. If you are serving kids, then try to grate more cheese and add to the soup. Kids love to eat cheese along with the soup.
Place Soup Bowl In Oven
Now place the soup bowl in the oven for five minutes to broil. Once it broils, the cheese will melt and will turn golden brown.
Ready To Serve
Your soup is now ready to serve. Enjoy the fabulous instant pot French onion soup.

What to Serve with Tortilla Soup for Dinner

Tortilla soup is a Mexican standard, and we love how hearty this dish is. It pairs well with lots of Mexican and Southwestern dishes like tortilla chips, quesadillas, wraps, and fajitas. If you want to keep the meal from being too overly Southwestern, though, we suggest a dinner bread, like rolls, biscuits, Italian bread, or garlic toast.

What to Serve with Miso Soup for Dinner

Since miso soup is a Japanese dish, we are going to suggest a few different Japanese sides to have it with. You could go for some egg fried rice, cream cheese wontons, sweet and sour fish, or sesame chicken. It also pairs well with a salad, though, and the greens make a nice companion to your miso soup, especially when topped with a light dressing like a vinaigrette.

What to Serve with Split Pea Soup for Dinner

Something tangy and crunchy is a good fit for split pea soup. Bruschetta bread and goat cheese makes for a good pairing, or any kind of cracker and sharp cheese. Split pea soup is already quite a robust with most recipes you will find, so you don’t need to add a lot of hearty, filling sides to go with it and fill out your meal. You can just choose a simple cracker or bread and perhaps a cheese or cheese paste to accompany the carbs.

What to Serve with Pumpkin Soup for Dinner

As you are considering what will go well with your soup, don’t forget to consider the garnishes you might add on your soup. Pumpkin soup benefits from parsley, shredded cheese, bacon bits and other classic soup garnishes. When wondering what to serve with soup for dinner, think about what will work well with the garnishes. Crackers are a good choice to go with all of that, and a buttery, thick cracker makes for tasty dipping with your soup.

If you want something more filling, try sauteed mushrooms and veggies, a chicken salad, a grilled cheese sandwich, or a loaded baked potato.

What to Serve with Tomato Soup for Dinner

Classic tomato soup is another comfort dish, and it is one that can be as simple or as complex as you like. Whether you are just heating it straight out of the can or putting together a gourmet tomato soup for yourself, you want a side dish that counters the acidity of the soup.

A grilled cheese sandwich is the obvious go-to choice for a side, but it pairs well with any kind of cracker, garlic bread, or a salad with thick dressing. Light dressings can be acidic, so topping your salad with some Thousand Island or ranch dressing. Add on some croutons and shredded cheese to make your salad a wonderful companion to the tomato soup.

No matter what kind of soup you’re having for dinner, there is a side dish that goes with it perfectly, and we hope our choices have inspired you to find a partner for yours and to fill out your dinner.

FAQs

What are some traditional side dishes to serve with French Onion soup?

French Onion soup is quite rich, so it pairs well with lighter, crispy side dishes. A classic choice would be a French baguette, which can be served either plain, toasted, or with a bit of melted cheese. If you prefer a salad, a simple green salad with vinaigrette can balance the soup’s savory flavor.

What types of bread pair well with various kinds of soup?

The right bread can truly elevate a soup dish. For creamy soups like clam chowder or potato leek, a crusty sourdough would be great. With lighter, brothy soups such as chicken noodle or minestrone, a soft baguette or a hearty whole grain bread can be wonderful. Cornbread is a traditional pairing for chili and stews.

Can you suggest some vegetarian or vegan options to serve with soup for dinner?

Yes, there are plenty of options. Roasted vegetables or a vegetable stir-fry could be a great side dish for most soups. For a grain option, consider a wild rice salad or quinoa pilaf. You could also serve a chickpea salad or a tofu scramble for some added protein. If you’re looking for breads, there are many vegan options available like sourdough, rye, or pita.

What type of salad would you recommend pairing with a hearty Pea Soup?

For a hearty pea soup, you’d want a salad that can hold its own. A spinach salad with hard-boiled eggs and vinaigrette could work well. You could also try a fresh arugula salad with cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and a balsamic glaze. If you want to keep things simple, a classic Caesar salad can also pair nicely.

Can you provide some creative, non-traditional side dish ideas for a soup-based dinner?

Definitely! Why not try pairing soup with a savory tart or quiche? Another fun idea is serving soup with a variety of dips, like hummus, guacamole, or baba ghanoush, with an array of fresh vegetables and bread for dipping. For a healthier spin, you could serve soup with lettuce wraps or a grain bowl. Lastly, don’t forget about skewers – they can be a fun and interactive side dish; grilled shrimp, veggie, or tofu skewers could be a great accompaniment to soup.

Rate this post

Pauline Loughlin

Website | + posts

I'm Pauline, a retired patisserie chef, mother of four and now a full time food blogger! When i'm not cooking i love long walks, reading thriller novels and spending time with my grandkids. Head to my about me page to learn more about the woman behind the food! You can find my Facebook here