What to serve with french onion soup! These breads, proteins, and side dishes go with french onion soup best, to help you plan your next dinner party menu or cozy, delicious meal!

What to serve with french onion soup! These breads, proteins, and side dishes go with french onion soup best, to help you plan your next dinner party menu or cozy, delicious meal!

Even though french onion soup is broth-based, and not creamy, it is still a rich and hearty treat.

The tender, sweet caramelized onions, savory golden brown beef stock, french bread ‘croutons’ and melty swiss cheese or mozzarella cheese in the classic french onion soup recipe are a magical combination that’s downright indulgent.

(You can even add it worcestershire sauce and a bay leaf if you really want to feel gourmet.)

While it’s filling enough to be a full meal on its own, you may want some side dishes, sandwiches, or meat to make it a true main course.

What to Make with French Onion Soup

If you want to keep your meal on the lighter side, you can simply serve a side dish, instead of something hearty like a sandwich or protein.

Vegetables, Salads, and Side Dishes to Serve with French Onion Soup

1. Arugula salad

An arugula salad or green salad with parmesan cheese, olive oil, and vinaigrette is sophisticated in its simplicity, and the perfect accompaniment to a bowl of soup.

You can even top with steak for a really well-rounded meal.

2. Caesar salad

Caesar salad has romaine lettuce, parmesan cheese, croutons, and a surprisingly addictive dressing.

It is so packed with flavor that it really complements the savory nature of french onion soup.

3. Roasted vegetables

Oven roasted vegetables are super simple to prepare – they cook themselves!

Just toss ’em on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven.

You can customize it for your favorite seasonal vegetables.

Mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, cauliflower, butternut squash, red onion, and broccoli are a delicious combination.

4. Baked potato

There’s just something so timeless and comforting about a baked potato with sour cream and chives.

Maybe because it harkens back to old school steak houses, or perhaps because it’s just so darn delicious.

You can even make it ‘loaded’ by topping it with bacon and cheese to turn soup and a potato into a main dish, filling dinner.

5. Buttered noodles

Simple, saucy buttered noodles are basically the ultimate comfort food.

With only a few ingredients, they’re also budget-friendly.

Be sure to make extra because everyone will be going back for seconds!

6. Wild rice

Wild rice has a nutty flavor and satisfyingly chewy texture that makes it more filling (in a good way) than traditional rice.

It also has more protein and fiber than even brown rice, so it packs more nutrition into your meal.

7. Prosciutto wrapped asparagus

Thick, beautiful, prosciutto wrapped asparagus looks fancy but is deceptively easy to make.

To really impress your guests, and get your resident carnivore to eat their veggies, this is the great side dish to make.

8. French bread

When it comes to what bread to serve with french onion soup, a simple loaf of French bread or baguette slices is it.

It’s golden and crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside, and homemade French bread is easier to make than you’d think.

Everyone can spread on a high quality butter, or use it to dunk into the savory beef broth in their bowl of delicious soup.

Sandwiches to Eat with French Onion Soup

9. Grilled cheese sandwiches

Grilled cheese sandwiches are the quintessential soup and sandwich pairing for just about any type of soup.

They’re also customizable for your favorite bread and cheese.

You can get fancy with Texas toast and gouda, or use traditional white bread and American cheese, and everything in between.

It’s one of the easiest hot sandwiches, and one of those easy recipes that everyone should know how to make.

Plus, you can make ‘melty cheeses’ the theme for the meal!

10. Chicken pesto panini

A delicious mix of chicken, pesto, veggies, and cheese all melted together on flavorful focaccia bread create the tasty sandwich known as a chicken pesto panini.

Simple, fast, and delicious, especially if you use leftover or rotisserie chicken.

Such a nice change from normal sandwiches!

11. Steak sandwich

Steak sandwiches are hearty meals in their own right, perfect for a satisfying and filling dinner.

Juicy strips of steak and caramelized onions get topped with melty havarti cheese and nestled between slices of buttery baguette.

They’re fairly quick to throw together, with just a few simple ingredients, but the outcome is truly restaurant-worthy!

12. Croque monsieur

Originating in French cafés and bars, a croque monsieur is essentially an upgraded version of a hot ham and cheese sandwich.

Gruyere cheese, parmesan, ham, and your favorite bread get topped with a simple bechamel sauce and toasted in the oven.

Bring the ‘French’ theme full circle by serving a croque monsieur with your bowl of French onion soup.

Meat to Make with French Onion Soup

13. Steak

A pan-seared steak with garlic butter might just be one of life’s most tasty pleasures.

Serving French onion soup as the starter or appetizer will give you those steakhouse vibes, right in the comfort of your own home.

14. Pork tenderloin

This is probably the best garlic baked pork tenderloin recipe on the internet.

It’s tender, juicy, with a crunchy crust, and it cooks in the oven in just about 40 minutes.

Such a prime example of how simple food can be truly decadent when seasoned well.

15. French onion chicken

Keep the French onion theme going with this French onion chicken recipe.

Your family will love this savory, melty, indulgent take on your regular baked chicken dish.

16. Schnitzel

Boneless pork steaks completely transform when turned into delicious schnitzel.

This quintessential German dish is super popular for good reason.

Aside from the pork, you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry already!

17. Scallops

Garlicky, buttery scallops are a bit decadent, just like French onion soup, but with a touch of brightness to balance the meal.

Scallops cook up super fast, so once the soup is made, the meal will come together in minutes.

18. Garlic butter salmon

Salmon fillets cooked in garlic butter – what’s not to like?!

You’ll feel like a chef when you make this, but it’s actually a deceptively simple process.

It’s a prime example of how quality ingredients cooked simply yield impressive results.

19. Beef stroganoff

Juicy beef strips smothered in an incredible mushroom gravy, this beef stroganoff recipe comes together in just 30 minutes.

Serve it over egg noodles and prepare to collect one compliment after the next as everyone gobbles it up.

Best french onion soup wine pairing

Wine goes extraordinarily well with sophisticated French onion soup. After all, it’s very common to have wine with all kinds of French cuisine.

The best wines to serve are:

Dry white wine
Red wine
Pinot noir
Sauvignon blanc

Ready to try some of these french onion soup pairings?

I hope this list has given you lots of inspiration for what food goes with french onion soup.

Whether you want to keep it light with a simple salad or veggie, make it more filling by adding a sandwich, or please your hungriest guests with meat or protein, there are so many options!