Yesterday, I made a large pot of split pea soup for our dinner. As I was putting everything together to serve, it just didn't look like very much. Instead of making something else to go with dinner, I decided to enhance the already-made soup with a bunch of toppings. Raiding my fridge, freezer and pantry turned up a whole lot of possibilities.
Why top soup? Topping a bowl of soup is a last-minute way:
- to make something special out of something simple
- to add concentrated flavor bites
- to add freshness to long-cooked soups
- to boost nutrient value
- to retain the texture of topping ingredients
- to make a bowl of soup visually appealing
- to add texture to "cream of" soups
- to customize each serving according to individual taste
And so, I wrote out a list of soup topping possibilities.
For Crunch:
- cracker, pretzel, croutons, tortilla or corn chips, crumbled potato chips, bread crumbs sautéed in butter or oil with or without added herbs and minced garlic -- aka pangrattato
- toasted chopped nuts, toasted seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin), toasted coconut
For Added Protein:
- diced hard-cooked egg, whole poached egg
- bacon bits, sausage crumbles or dices, pepperoni strips, ham cubes, pan-toasted hot dog slices
- shredded, diced, crumbled cheese
- strips or shreds of cooked chicken, beef, or turkey
For Freshness:
- minced fresh herbs
- thin lemon slices, lemon zest
- chopped fresh tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, green onions (scallions), thinly sliced radishes
- small dices of fresh apple or pear, tossed with lemon juice
For Creaminess:
- sour cream, plain yogurt, unsweetened whipping cream (whipped or liquid), crème fraîche, cream cheese cubes
- ripe avocado cubes, guacamole, seasoned oil or plain olive oil, herb butter, peanut butter
For Flavor Boosting:
- salsa, chutney, pesto, olive tapenade, hot sauce, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, sesame oil
- minced or sliced garlic fried in oil, chopped or sliced onions sautéed in butter/oil, sautéed mushroom slices
- grated fresh ginger
For Added Texture
- cooked cheese tortellini
- cracklins (from rendering ham fat),
- sliced olives
- cooked whole pieces of vegetables that are also featured in a soup (such as asparagus tips topping cream of asparagus soup)
- thawed frozen peas (to top split pea soup)
- stale bread cubes
While I topped individuals bowls for expediency last night, I also think a soup and toppings bar would be a fun way to do Soup Night.
What do you like to top your soup?
