Yahoo News What to Serve With Soup to Make It a Meal, from Grilled Cheese to Squash Rings
Soup season is upon us, and while there’s nothing quite as cozy as sitting down to a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle, we’ll admit it can feel…sparse. (There’s a reason why everyone loves a soup-salad-breadsticks deal!) To transform your chowder into a well-rounded meal, here’s what to serve with soup, from classic grilled cheese to an elevated take on chicken nuggets.
105 Fall Dinner Ideas Starring Easy Seasonal Recipes
1. Cherry Cheeseball Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Colin Price/Great Grilled Cheese
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly
Grilled cheese and soup are a no-brainer, but it’s time to upgrade from your basic American-on-white. This pinkies-out sandwich features sour cherry marmalade, pistachios and plenty of Camembert.
2. Chicken Parmesan Bites
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, kid-friendly
Are they glorified chicken nuggets? Yes. Do we love them with our whole heart? Also yes. You’re never too old for these bites, which would be incredible with a bowl of roasted tomato soup.
3. Chickpea Caesar Salad with a Cheater’s Dressing
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, low sugar
Soup and a salad is always a good idea, and even more so if you’re making this twist on the classic Caesar. It features roasted chickpeas for protein and a homemade dressing that’s basically foolproof (thanks to store-bought mayonnaise).
4. Everything Bagel Pigs in a Blanket with Cheater’s Aioli
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, crowd-pleaser, <500 calories
Oh, you thought you couldn’t improve upon this finger food? Try adding a special “pretzel” treatment that gives a gorgeously golden brown crust, and a sprinkle of everything seasoning.
5. Grilled Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Matt Armendariz/Eat What You Want
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, low carb, low sugar, high protein
You could easily whip up a batch of these 20-minute, sticky-spicy lettuce wraps while a batch of Instant Pot carrot ginger soup simmers away in your pressure cooker. Just saying.
6. Grilled Cheese Crostini
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, <500 calories, low sugar
If grilled cheese just won’t cut it, turn dinnertime into appetizer hour with these festive crostini. They’re topped with balsamic strawberries, but a dollop of fig jam would be just as tasty.
7. Pancetta-Wrapped Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Yum Creative/I Heart Cheese
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, high protein, low sugar
Speaking of that iconic sandwich, you could easily jazz it up with a blanket of prosciutto (or any thinly sliced charcuterie meat, for that matter).
8. Smashed Chickpea Salad Sandwich
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, beginner-friendly, no cook, <500 calories
While your soup simmers away in the Dutch oven, make this no-cook, vegetarian chickpea salad and pile it high on a sandwich. It’ll pair with everything from baked feta soup to split pea.
9. Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, high protein, <10 ingredients, dairy free
These tropical tenders are sweet, salty and sure to please adults and kids alike. Serve them alongside a bowl of corn chowder for a late summer meal.
10. Deli Sandwich Dutch Baby
Melina Hammer/A Year at Catbird Cottage
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: low sugar, high protein, one pan
Dutch baby, meet dinnertime. This lofty skillet pancake is topped with deli meats, pungent cheese and plenty of cornichons, making it ultra-savory and soup friendly.
11. Baked Quinoa Chicken Nuggets
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, kid-friendly, high protein, low sugar
We just can’t quit you, nuggets. These little guys are coated in quinoa instead of the usual breadcrumbs, so they’re a little more virtuous than the dinosaur-shaped ones hiding in our freezer.
12. Grilled Peach, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Sandwich
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 15 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, ready in <15 minutes, high protein
If you haven’t tried putting fruit on your sandwiches, you’re in for a treat. The way the sweet, juicy peach slices mingle with the salty prosciutto and mozzarella is *chef’s kiss.*
13. Summer Slice
Ben Dearnley/In Praise of Veg
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: high protein, low sugar, <500 calories
This veggie-packed crowd-pleaser is kinda like a crustless quiche. Pair it with a batch of sheet pan curried butternut squash soup for a protein boost to your meal.
14. Corn Fritters with Elote Dip
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly
Introducing our favorite way to eat corn (besides straight off the cob). These fritters are a little spicy and extremely versatile—they’d be at home among slow cooker green chili and sausage-poblano chowder alike.
15. Delicata Squash Rings with Garlic-Lemon Sauce
Photo: Nico Schinco/Styling: Heath Goldman
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories
They’re like onion rings, but without the onions or the deep fryer. Delicata squash is excellent here, since you don’t need to peel its stripy skin. (You could use any type of winter squash, though.)
16. Brie-Stuffed Pretzel Bites
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
These bites might be snack food on their own, but pair ’em with a pot of soup and suddenly they’re dinner appropriate. We’re thinking slow cooker French onion.
17. Caramelized Kimchi Baked Potatoes
Jenny Huang/Korean American
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, low sugar, <500 calories
Nothing against basic baked potatoes, but they pale in comparison to these, which are topped with bacon and caramelized kimchi for a kick.
18. Tater Tot Nachos
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: sheet pan recipe, kid-friendly, low sugar, high protein
“Chips for dinner” might raise some eyebrows, but surely tater tots won’t (at least that’s what we tell ourself). Give them the nacho treatment with plenty of cheese, avocado, onion and salsa.
19. Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: vegetarian, low sugar, <500 calories
For a more virtuous side dish, you can’t go wrong with this simple kale salad. The chickpeas are seasoned with paprika and lemon, proving you don’t need a ton of toppings to get a ton of flavor.
20. Spicy Glazed Popcorn Chicken
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: high protein, kid-friendly
You had us at “glazed.” The sauce in question is a combination of sweet chile, soy, ketchup, sriracha and rice vinegar—it’s easy enough to make, but you could also try hot honey as a shortcut.
21. Spicy Sweet Potato Tacos
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, vegetarian, <10 ingredients
Soup and a side…taco? Yep, we’re making it a thing. These sweet potato guys are surprisingly filling, but one or two would be light enough to make a vegetarian side dish.
22. Charcuterie-Board Flatbread
Katherine Gillen
Time Commitment: 5 minutes
Why We Love It: no cook, ready in <15 minutes, beginner-friendly
We’re already working on a pot of cheater’s Italian wedding soup to pair with these ingenious flatbreads, which have all the flavors you love in a cheese board. Go wild with the toppings, but aim to check the creamy, crunchy, salty and sweet boxes.
23. Italian Deli Pinwheel Sandwiches
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: ready in <30 minutes, kid-friendly, no cook
You could throw some deli meat between two slices of bread and call it a day. Or you could take ten extra minutes and whirl that sammy into pinwheels that are a bajillion times cuter. (We used kale, salami and provolone, but feel free to swap to your own tastes.)
24. Oven-Baked Hot Honey Chicken Tenders
Elizabeth Van Lierde/Everyday Entertaining
Time Commitment: 50 minutes
Why We Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly
These tenders are crunchy on the outside, succulent on the inside and drizzled off with a hot honey glaze. Even better, they’re baked instead of fried for less mess.
25. Bacon, Apple and Cheddar Waffles
Jennifer Davis/The Southern Baking Cookbook
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Why We Love It: low sugar, high protein, kid-friendly
Once again, we urge you to think outside of the box when it comes to your soup pairings. For example, these waffles are savory enough to be an ideal pair for a pureed bowl, like this curried parsnip and apple number.
26. Baked Mac-and-Cheese Bites
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, vegetarian
They’re crispy on top yet nice and chewy on the inside—what more could you ask for? The recipe calls for a blend of cheddars, but try another melting cheese to switch it up, like Gruyère or fontina.
27. Mozzarella Bites
Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, vegetarian
They’re mozzarella sticks, but mini, so eat your heart out. Instead of marinara sauce, we’re pairing ours with kale minestrone; what about you?
28. Kale Salad with Persimmons, Crispy Chickpeas and Fried Shallots
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Why We Love It: vegetarian, <500 calories
A crisp, fruity salad is the ultimate foil to a heavier soup, like chowder. Use Fuyu persimmons for their sweet-tart taste and firmer texture, or sub in pears if you can’t find them.
29. Easy Pretzel Buns
Photo: Mark Weinberg/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 3 hours, 40 minutes
Why We Love It: kid-friendly, <10 ingredients, vegetarian, low sugar
Every bowl of soup needs a little bread for dipping, no? Go the extra mile and make yours these crusty pretzel buns, which work just as well as dinner rolls as they do as sandwich buns.
30. Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, vegan, gluten-free
An unconventional pairing? Sure—but we’d be hard-pressed to think of a time when we didn’t want to eat sweet potato fries.
What Goes with Chili? 40 Sides to Serve with Your Favorite Cozy Dish
Katherine Gillen is PureWow’s senior food editor. She’s a writer, recipe developer and food stylist with a degree in culinary arts and professional experience in New York City restaurants. She used to sling sugary desserts in a pastry kitchen, but now she’s an avid home cook and fanatic baker.
