What do you like most about French onion soup? Is it the soup’s rich flavor? Or is it its heartiness and warmth? Or do you love all of it?
Us too! Since you’ve come across this article, we’re guessing since you’re French onion soup fans too!
While French onion soup is already perfect in itself, we can’t deny that the right pairing can make it even better.
With that said, what to serve with French Onion soup? Read on to find out our amazing ideas!
What to Serve with French Onion Soup? Check Out These Sides!
Surprise: there are plenty of dishes you can serve with French onion soup, and we’re sharing some of the best pairings we’ve tried. Here they are:
1. Baked Potatoes
Who doesn’t like baked potatoes, right? Aside from being the ultimate comfort food, the potatoes would help balance the soup’s richness.
We love to top the baked potatoes with sour cream to add creaminess to the entire meal. We also top it off with herbs for a savory twist!
Pro Tip: If you have time to spare, go for the twice-baked potatoes. It’s like eating mashed potatoes in its little potato boat—fancier and more delicious!
2. Sandwiches
Did you know that soup and sandwiches have been a popular combo in the US since the 1920s? (*) We’ve got plenty of sandwich ideas that can go well with a French onion soup. Here are our top two bets:
Croque Monsieur
Since we’re already on the French side, we might as well pair it with something equally French. Croque Monsieur is a hot sandwich with ham and cheese and is a popular meal in French bars and cafes.
Croque Monsieur is a French term that translates to crunchy mister, which is why we love it with a French onion soup. The wonderfully crunchy crust of the sandwich adds a texture to the soup, making it more well-rounded.
Grilled Cheese
What to serve with French Onion Soup? A cheesy answer to this would be grilled cheese sandwich. One thing we want in our sandwiches would be cheese, and there have to be lots of it!
Like Croque Monsieur, grilled cheese sandwiches have a crunchy texture that works well with French onion soups. But that’s not all. In between the crispy breads, there’s an oozing ooeey gooey cheese that adds a creamy touch to the entire meal.
2. Cheese Platter
Since we’re already on the topic of cheeses, we might talk about another favorite side of ours—more cheese!
This is a definite must-have if you love cheese as much as we do. Some of our best recommendations are Gruyere, swiss cheese, gouda, parmesan, mozzarella, and provolone.
Since you only need to slice and arrange different cheeses, it’s a pretty easy pairing to prepare.
Pro Tip: You can upgrade your cheese plate into a full-blown charcuterie board complete with crackers, cold cuts, and other accouterments. (*)
3. Breads
If you wish to simply let the flavors of French onion soup shine through your meal, the best supporting actor would be bread. It’s bland, so you can fully enjoy the rich flavors of your soup, and it’s crispy so that you can add more texture and depth to your meal.
For French onion soup, the best option would be crusty breads like a French baguette, focaccia, sourdough bread, and many more.
Pro Tip: Try spreading garlic butter on your bread as its garlic flavor would work well with the richness of your soup.
4. Salads
Do you wish to get your daily dose of fiber too? (*) If so, salads are the healthiest answers to the question, what to serve with French Onion soup. The good news is your salad dish need not be boring!
We’ve already tried almost all types of salads, and these are the best types that we’ve come across:
Arugula Salad
For a light and citrusy twist, go for arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette and parmesan shavings. On the other hand, prepare an arugula salad with steak and strawberries if you want something more filling.
Caesar Salad
If you wish to keep it simple, go for the classic Caesar salad. The lettuce will add a touch of freshness, while the croutons will provide your meal with a crunchy touch.
Pro Tip: For a vegan option, skip the anchovy sauce and drizzle the salad with olive oil and minced garlic instead.
Green Salad
For the simplest type of salad, go for a green salad. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the other types of salad, but you can make it extra filling by topping nuts and drizzling a refreshing lemon vinaigrette on top of a bed of greens.
5. Buttered Noodles
For a different type of carbohydrate-rich dish, try the classic buttered Fettucine. This simple pasta dish features the richness of butter, the chewiness of pasta noodles, the savory flavor of garlic, and the earthy twist of parsley.
Pro Tip: Make sure to prepare the noodles at least an hour before mealtime to prevent them from becoming too soggy.
6. Roasted Vegetables
Do you find salads to be a bit bland? If so, you may want to try out a more flavorful vegetable dish, and roasted vegetables are the way to go!
Roasting gives the vegetables a charred and slightly crunchy texture that complements French onion soup. Some of the best vegetables for roasting are cauliflower, carrots, brussels sprouts, potatoes, and many more.
Pro Tip: For a unique vegetable dish, try serving French onion soup with roasted broccoli drizzled with cheese sauce and garnished with Italian herbs.
7. Steak
French onion soup is good, but it lacks one thing—a protein! If you’re craving one, go for the best source, a steak.
The charred surface and the tender and juicy bite of a steak work well with a French onion soup. When choosing a steak to eat with French Onion soup, make sure to go for the tender cuts like Tbone, New York Strip Steak, and Filet Mignon.
8. Baked Salmon
For a healthier protein source, go for baked salmon. The fish itself is light, flaky, and has a mild flavor, but you can add flavor by topping it off with a dressing made of butter, garlic, lemon juice, dill, and parsley.
Pro Tip: If you want your salmon to have a crunchy crust, you can top it off with breadcrumbs and parmesan.
9. Scallops
Another light side dish to serve with French onion soup would be scallops. The best thing about scallops is they already taste amazing by themselves, so you don’t have to cook them in a special way or add lots of ingredients. Instead, you just need to pan-sear it, and it’s good to go!
Pro Tip: If you’re feeling a bit fancy, you can serve it with a delicious saffron sauce that will deliver a savory and sweet flavor to your meal.
10. Shrimp
Do you want to experiment with a seafood dish? If yes, shrimp is the best type of seafood for you.
The best way to cook shrimp is to stir and fry it in a mixture of butter and garlic. The saltiness of the butter and the savory flavor of the garlic complements the mild sweetness of shrimp.
You may also want to try other shrimp dishes: Shrimp Thermidor, Grilled shrimp, Cajun Shrimp, Shrimp Alfredo, and many more.
Wines
The full-bodied flavor of the wine would match the rich texture of French Onion soup.
We recommend going for white wine because its sweet taste can cut through and balance the salty and savory taste of the soup.
But if you prefer red wine, we suggest looking for something fruity so it can balance out the soup’s beefiness.
Desserts
How about a sweet ending to your filling and delicious meal? If so, desserts are truly in order.
We recommend going for something chocolatey like a souffle or a chocolate crème brulèe. And since the soup also matches the creaminess of the cheese, you can also try cheesecake like Ricotta cake.
Last but not least, you can go for something as simple as fruit salad so you can end your meal in the most refreshing way possible!
Wrapping It Up
Fact: French onion soup is one of the best soups out there. Okay, okay. That would be our opinion, but we know it’s yours too! And with the right pairing, you can make it even better!
So what to serve with French onion soup? We’ve provided you with some of the best sides with a French onion soup. So now, go and choose the one you like the most and prepare the best French onion soup of your life.
Let us know what you think of our recommendations in the comments section. And if you have more suggestions, you can share them below too!
