What to Serve with Soup to Make It a Meal, from Grilled Cheese to Squash Rings

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I 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).

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I 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).

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I 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.*

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I 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.)

• Time Commitment: 2 hours, 30 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 5 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I 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.)

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 30 minutes
• Why I 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?

• Time Commitment: 1 hour, 5 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 3 hours, 40 minutes
• Why I 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.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I 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.