What To Serve With French Onion Soup? 16 Sides

What I love about french onion soup is that, although you can have it straight up by itself, you can totally serve it as a side dish. If you’re looking for ideas on what to serve with French onion soup, I’ve got you covered.

15 best dishes to serve with french onion soup 

French onion soup has always had that air of a little something fancy. In reality it’s just a pretty wholesome and comforting dish. I love the sweetness from the onions and the way the tacky onion bits get brought into the lovely broth. 

And then you get that cheesy garlicky piece of bread floating on top. I mean, really now, what could be more perfect? If you’re trying to figure out what to serve with French onion soup, go ahead and check out my list of ideas below. 

1. Pan-fried steak with green beans and mashed potatoes

Pan-fry a really great quality piece of steak in a cast-iron pan or a non-stick pan. Get a really good crust or char on your piece of meat if you can, and this will go beautifully with the soup. 

Serve a portion of creamy mash with it and some blanched green beans to cut through the richness of it all.

Make sure you pay attention to getting some great flavors into your pan sauce like garlic, fresh herbs and even a squeeze of lemon to balance it all out.

2. Grilled Salmon and asparagus

Grill a perky piece of salmon with some butter and brown sugar on top. Serve this alongside some steamed asparagus and a side of your best French onion soup for a heck of a combination. Make sure you keep your salmon a little pink in its center. It should be flaky on the outside with just a hint of pink in the middle.

3. Grilled mushrooms

Find yourself a couple of seriously good mushrooms. Foraged or from a market. Cook them in a black cast iron pan with some lovely garlic and fresh thyme. 

Squeeze over a little lemon juice and add in some finely chopped chili pepper. Get a really good char on the mushrooms.

I think you’re going to be in love with this side to French onion soup. It’s my personal favorite. You can also achieve this with regular big brown mushrooms.

4. Baked potato with fresh chives, feta cheese, and sour cream

I often pop a lovely potato in the oven, wrapped in foil, and let it bake for an hour or until it’s soft and buckles when squeezed. 

Take your potato out of the oven when it’s ready and unwrap it. Cut a cross along the top and squeeze it a little at the base. 

You’ll need to use a cloth or protective oven gloves to avoid burning yourself. Drop in some crumbled feta cheese, a little sour cream, and then top the whole lot with some freshly chopped chives.

5. Caesar salad

This classic salad of crunchy greens, croutons, parmesan and that classic creamy sauce pairs so beautifully with French onion soup. 

While the classic recipe for the dressing includes lemon juice, egg yolk, garlic, anchovies, pepper, parmesan cheese and mustard, you can totally make this dressing without the anchovies and egg if you like.

6. Wine

Serve your steaming bowl of French onion soup with a lovely medium-bodied wine that is a little acidic. 

Pinot Noir is my go-to to serve with a French onion soup. 

In terms of choosing a white wine, a lovely Chardonnay is the perfect sidekick to your French onion soup.

7. Cauliflower with cheese sauce and a green salad

I absolutely adore cauliflower cheese. It makes me so happy! Like mac and cheese kind of happy. 

Steam some fresh cauliflower florets so that they still have a bite. Make a tasty cheese sauce and toss the cauliflower through it. 

Top it with a little cheese and bake it in the oven until the cheese is melted and golden. Yum! This is a rather rich partner to your French onion soup so consider serving it with a crunchy and fresh green salad. 

A few toasted nuts on top of the salad with a light vinaigrette will tie this trio together really nicely.

8. Pan-charred shrimp with garlic, chili and grated lemon zest

Shrimp that are deveined and peeled is perfect as a side to French onion soup. Flash them in a pan until pink, and add in a little butter, chili, and grated lemon zest. 

You can even add some buttered noodles to go with the shrimp and soup. I would suggest half a cup full of fresh chopped herbs to cut through the richness of this dish. I prefer Italian parsley, but actually cilantro will be yummy too!

What Sandwich goes with French onion soup?

• Grilled cheese
• Bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
• Bagel

Well, grilled cheese is a total winner to serve with French onion soup, that’s for sure. Another good one is a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich or bagel.

What protein goes with french onion soup?

Rich and buttery proteins go really well with a French onion soup. Examples of these are 

• Good quality and juicy steaks
• Soft and succulent grilled salmon
• Pan-fried shimp.
• Crispy roast chicken
• Tofu

FAQ

What is healthy to eat with soup?

A bowl of roasted or steamed vegetables is a lovely healthy option to have with soup. Try roasting them with some rosemary and a little garlic for some extra flavor. 

I like to serve really nice salads alongside my soups to give a boost of vitamins and nutrients to the meal as a whole.

What can you dip in soup instead of bread?

You can grill or fry some Haloumi fingers and dip those into your bread. Another tasty option is to roast some potato wedges or some chunky roasted vegetables.

What kind of bread is good with soup?

Freshly sliced baguette, ciabatta and toasted bagels are really great to serve with soup. Buttered or unbuttered. 

All you need is something soft to dip into your steaming bowl of soup and mop up all the tasty bits.

Wrapping it up!

There are so many options if you’re looking for some sparks of creativity regarding what to serve with French onion soup.

So long as the accompaniments are flavorful, full-bodied, and provide contrasting textures, you will have a great partnership for your French onion soup.

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