Are you tired of subjecting yourself to the same nightly ritual? Then say it with me: I will not have one more boring night over a lame-o bowl of puréed squash soup! Or tomato soup! Or cauliflower soup! Or whatever soup I keep turning to again and again! Feel better now? Good.
Now, the question is how to have a more interesting soup dinner—because listen, I'm not giving up on soup entirely and don't care to put in too much extra work. The answer: keep a Toppings Cupboard™ stocked with ingredients that'll add some texture, flavor, and spice to your bowl of warm puréed vegetables or whatever other soups you're making these days. Because it's not only what goes into the soup that matters, it's what goes onto the soup too. Here are some of my favorite add-ons:
Crunchy Things
If your soup needs some texture you can't go wrong with some toasted seeds: pumpkin seeds for black bean soup, sunflower or sesame seeds on brothy noodles bowls. Don't discount nuts, though: buttery toasted pecans really make this puréed carrot soup better, and chopped pistachios add vibrant color and flavor to this fava bean number—even roasted peanuts can make a soup really special.
Mustard seeds bloomed in oil add a pop of bright spice to this pumpkin soup.
But the snack aisle is full of inspiration beyond nuts and seeds. Have you ever topped soup with potato chips? You should really think about it: the salty crunch is unparalleled. Toasted coconut chips are excellent on a soup with tropical flavors or warm spices—and the salty ones from Dang are so good you don't even need to toast them yourself. Or go full-on snack mix with a crispy chaat topping for your bowl. Got savory quinoa snacks like these? Or smoked almonds from the bulk bins? Your soup is waiting.
If you do want to make some toppings yourself, we've got a new option for you in Anna's new seedy sesame, chia, and sunflower sprinkle. But we'd never turn down golden fried shallots or olive-oil-fried croutons. Or crispy chickpeas. Any of these, plus a drizzle of great olive oil, will kill any notion you had about soup being boring.
Creamy Things
A dollop of yogurt or sour cream or crème fraîche can work wonders for a soup or stew. Each adds creaminess and a bit of tang to offset the richness or spiciness of the dish. But consider this: stir another flavorful ingredient into the yogurt (or other dairy) before garnishing your soup for a little extra kick. Think harissa, pesto, spreadable za'atar, chile crunch, or a hot sauce with lots of personality.
Don't forget non-dairy (but still creamy!) soup toppings like avocado cubes or drizzled tahini thinned out with lemon juice or water (or tahini blended with herbs and chiles). Also great: garlicky toum, which will melt into a hot soup pretty quickly, but still deliver a huge boost in flavor.
