What to Serve With French Onion Soup: 20 Best Side Dishes
French onion soup is a classic appetizer that is perfect to serve at any dinner party. There are so many options when it comes to what to serve with french onion soup.
This hearty meal of rich onion soup has been gaining popularity in America since it was first introduced; if you’re hosting a dinner party, consider serving this main dish as part of your menu.
This easy dinner served in a nice soup bowl has become the favorite food of many people because of the wonderful flavors that tingle taste buds.
The best way to turn this delectable soup into a complete meal – even though it could stand alone as a perfect appetizer – is to offer different options of rich foods as great side dishes!
Here are some suggestions for a nice side dish that will be great served with classic french onion soup!
What To Serve With French Onion Soup
1. Baguette
An obvious choice. Serve the baguette alongside the brothy soup so that every person can have their own bread bowl to eat from!
If you’re feeling creative, try dipping the bread into the cheese – many people who enjoy french onion say it’s their favorite part!
Try adding herbs or spices like fresh thyme to your baguette before baking it for an extra special treat.
Cut the chewy french bread nicely into baguette slices or just buy some pull-apart bread for a bite-sized special treat.
2. Greens
A nice salad is the perfect side dish for french onion soup. Serve something simple, like a simple green salad or a more complex beet salad with goat cheese.
The freshness of these dishes will be excellent to cut through all that richness in the soup! Arugula salad and caesar salad would make fine additions to the dinner table.
3. Cheeses
Similar to the bread, simply serve your favorite cheeses alongside french onion soup so that guests can add their own.
No need to get too fancy here – you’re just looking for good accompaniment!
If you’re feeling creative, though, try serving one soft cheese with another hard cheese.
Roquefort pairs fantastically with Havarti or Manchego; if you prefer not-so-salty cheeses, goat cheese is also a good choice.
You can use different types of cheese and even serve them as a melted cheese or cheese sauce.
If you’re in a more artistic mood with your hearty soup, you can incorporate parmesan cheese, gruyere cheese, mozzarella cheese, swiss cheese, or cream cheese into the classic french onion soup! How cool!
4. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
A twist on a classic side. If you want to give the delicious soup a little bit of an American twist, make grilled cheese sandwiches!
These are perfect for dipping into the soup with it’s chewy texture and can be made relatively quickly if you choose to use store-bought bread.
If you want to keep this super good food ALL french, you can opt to serve croque monsieur sandwiches instead.
5. Pasta
A tasty addition that’s also filling enough to stand as a full meal.
While many people think of pasta as their go-to option for vegetarians, this is actually a great dish for those who do not eat meat but still want to participate in your dinner party menu.
Make the pasta in a decently heavy pot because this will be a crowd-favorite. Try adding flavorful ingredients like sausage or bacon alongside your noodles if you wish.
Just keep them separated so vegetarians don’t have to worry about finding meat in their dinner!
6. Garlic Bread
If you love the taste of french onion soup but want to skip out on most of the work, garlic bread is a great option.
Simply buy some baguette and cover it in your favorite butter or cheese mixture (you can also add herbs or spices if you wish) before baking until golden brown.
If you don’t have so much money or time, you can buy a package of King’s Hawaiian Rolls (a pull-apart bread) and spread a mixture of simple ingredients including garlic powder or parmesan garlic over top of the bread.
Finally, bake this great side dish for a short time on low heat or medium heat – whichever you prefer.
7. Scallops
If you’re looking to impress your dinner guests, try scallops. This seafood dish makes for the perfect main course when served with french onion soup.
Many people who enjoy this combo say that the flavors in scallops blend perfectly with the flavor of french onion soup.
8. Clams
Another tasty option, clams are a great pairing for a hot bowl of french onion soup.
If you decide to go with this particular meal, make sure to choose clams that are milder in flavor so they don’t overpower your other dishes!
You’ll want to create a broth or sauce that complements French Onion Soup if you choose clams; lemon juice and white wine both work well.
9. Risotto
Try serving risotto alongside your favorite French onion soup. This Italian dish uses Arborio rice; if you want to make it extra luxurious, add in some truffle oil!
Creme fraiche goes well with the flavor profile of French onion soup and will add a rich, creamy element to your meal.
Add in a rich broth like chicken broth or a good beef stock or beef broth, along with perfect caramelized onions like yellow onions or sweet onions caramelized on a baking sheet for more flavor!
10. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are another popular choice for those who don’t eat meat but still want to enjoy hearty winter dishes.
Serve them alongside french onion soup and they’ll be an excellent pairing because of their savory nature and earthy taste!
Try using fresh mushrooms instead of canned ones – this will give your dish even more depth.
The main ingredient and ingredients are mushrooms and onions that add flavor to many great dishes. Make sure to prepare them first.
Try caramelizing the onions! Use either sweet onions or yellow onions and bake them in brown sugar on a baking sheet.
Good news is people say a wooden spoon works best for this type of cooking in extreme heat.
11. Grilled Fish
If you’re looking for something healthy that won’t weigh down your guests’ stomachs before they move on to the delicious desserts that you have waiting, try serving grilled fish with french onion soup.
Fish will go well with the flavors of the broth, croutons, or bread crumbs without being too filling.
12. Salmon
Salmon is a great fish choice for those who don’t eat meat but still want to enjoy a savory dish with their french onion soup.
Though you can use any type of salmon for this dish, wild-caught Atlantic salmon has the mildest taste and will blend well with the flavors in your soup.
13. Meat/Ground Beef
If you’re serving meat at your dinner party, it’s not necessary to serve another main course – just pair french onion soup with whatever kind of meat you’re serving!
It goes especially well with beef or lamb because both have deep flavors that blend well with the flavor profile of French Onion Soup.
14. Sausage
Sausages are perfect if you want something hearty and filling without doing too much work – just serve them alongside your soup.
Many people love to combine French Onion Soup with bratwurst or Italian sausage, but you can experiment if you want to try something different!
Just make sure the sausage isn’t too salty so it doesn’t overpower serving this item with french onion soup.
15. Chicken
Another simple option for those who would prefer to pair their soup with meat instead of another dish. Offer a chicken pesto panini as a side dish!
Try using a seasoned chicken breast that has been pan-fried to give the dish extra flavor – just be careful not to salt it beforehand!
Make sure that all other seasonings are approved by any vegetarians at your dinner party before you start cooking.
For an extra layer of flavor, coat the chicken in pesto sauce or drizzle in some olive oil in the rich sauce to make it a little thinner.
16. Grilled Vegetables
If you’re looking to leave meat out of your menu, try serving grilled vegetables alongside your french onion soup.
Vegetables like bell peppers, onions, zucchini and squash taste great with French Onion Soup – just be sure that the grill or bottom of the pan is clean so the food doesn’t pick up any off-flavors!
17. Bacon
This breakfast staple can also spice up dinner if added to french onion soup.
Cook it over medium heat until crispy and place on top of each bowl right before serving so it stays crunchy instead of getting soggy in the soup!
People often pair bacon with bratwurst or Italian sausage because both are easy to cook and have bold flavors.
18. Steak
If you’re having a dinner party and want to go all-out with luxurious food, steak is a great option. Though it’s not necessary to serve both meat and french onion soup at the same time.
Some people enjoy doing this because they feel like their palate will be able to handle it after eating lighter dishes for most of the evening.
Though it might be easier on the stomach to serve a steak sandwich instead of a full steak.
19. Desserts
If you want to serve something sweet straight after your appetizer, consider offering up some french macarons.
These light and airy cookies taste wonderful alongside french onion soup!
For an even more indulgent treat, try serving dark chocolate dipped strawberries with your soup – it’s a fantastic combination of flavors and textures!
20. Wine
If you’re serving French Onion Soup as an appetizer, the best wines to use are white wines. A perfect match would be a Pinot Grigio or a dry Riesling.
These wines will go well with the onion flavor and won’t overpower anything else on your menu. Other nice pairings with classic french onion soup are a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or dry sherry.
Just in case, pinot noir is likely the best thing to pair with your homemade french onion soup in terms of red wine.
French Onion Soup is delicious all on its own. If you want to make it even more enjoyable for your guests try pairing it with one of these options!
Classic French Soup
French onion soup tastes best when left overnight to soak in flavor before serving, so be sure you make yours ahead of time!
Some people say it has next level flavor on day 2 – once the beef broth or chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, and other simple ingredients have had time to really mix together and get cozy with each other.
Store the nutritious dish in the refrigerator in an airtight container or tightly wrapped dutch oven for two to three days.
Next time you open the refrigerator, you’ll find the best classic french onion soup you’ve ever had!
It’s best if not eaten right away. After it sits for a while, the soup gets even more flavorful as the onions absorb all of the delicious flavors!
You can store it in your fridge for up to 3 days, but don’t freeze this dish because that will ruin the texture of the cheese.
Final Thoughts
A great way to make your french onion soup recipe even better is by using quality ingredients.
That means using real French onion broth instead of bouillon or base for your dish, as well as fresh onions and high-quality cheeses.
Your guests will notice the difference in flavor from these simple changes!
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