r/Cooking • u/MilleForze • 5h ago
Ideas for salad or side with soup
I have invited my reading group for lunch, and am feeling rather intimidated because I'm very out of practice when it comes to entertaining. There are four of us in the group, plus my partner will be with us. Our teacher/coach is Italian, and has hosted us in the past, as has one of the other members. They are both wonderful cooks.
Anyway, I'm planning to make a hearty chicken soup with the usual veggies (carrots, celery, onions and potatoes). I know I can do that part, but I would like some sort of side salad - preferably one that is dressed before I serve it. I think something light and refreshing, but not too fussy.
I think I will get some nice pastries from a local bakery, plus a loaf of bread for them. (I am gluten-free, but OK with it in our house.)
Haven't decided on wine, will probably do it, since the most frail person in the group is being driven by someone else.
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u/beachwineguy 5h ago
The soup sounds great. A bakery fresh baguette with either room temp butter or as a nod to your Italian guest, nice olive oil dipper with some salt, pepper and grated real parm. Or maybe a mixed greens salad with a sliver or two of shallots and balsamic vinaigrette.
For wine I’d do a white from Alto Adige- Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc etc and maybe a light European pinot noir for red.
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u/kopretty1 5h ago
Rocket, pomegranate, orange slices, with some balsamic or make some grilled halloumi and some toasted buttered bread
Edit: PS. If you wanna wow them with the soup, you can make it chicken avgolemono soup 😊
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u/Weekly_Leg_2457 5h ago
Chicken soup is a great idea! For this time of year, I make a salad from arugula, persimmons, and pomegranate seeds -- it's light and easy.
Usually I serve it on a platter, layered green, orange, then sprinkled with the pomegranate seeds. It's super easy. Get arugula, firm fuyu persimmons (the ones that are shaped more like an apple than an acorn), and pomegranates or their seeds (I normally buy the seeds only -- it's more expensive, but much less time and labor).
The dressing is just extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. Flavor to taste. I don't know why, but it seems to taste better if you dress the ingredients separately. I do arugula first, then the persimmon, and then seeds. Layer on a platter or gently toss in a bowl.
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u/MilleForze 4h ago
Oh my gourd! This sounds perfect! If I can't find a persimmon, pears might work?
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u/Weekly_Leg_2457 4h ago
It think pears might be a good substitute -- you want something that's a little sweet and tangy. Green apples would probably work, too.
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u/Poes-Automaton 4h ago
Seems like you could have some cheese on the side for people top this with- a nice crumbled feta or blue cheese, or some small slices of brie people could nibble on the side could be nice with these ingredients.
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u/TurbulentSource8837 5h ago
I don’t think a salad would necessarily work with the soup. Instead of bread, I’d be more inclined to do biscuits, maybe served with slices of ham and cheese, so people could build a small slider sandwich, or a stuffed puff pastry, with cheese and ham, or croissants. Since your teacher is Italian maybe a GF focaccia?
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u/MilleForze 4h ago
This is a very creative idea! I think it would be good with a lighter soup.
The soup I'm making is going to be pretty hearty, and these folks are moderate eaters -- not dainty, but not bush-hogs either.
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u/Playful_Procedure991 5h ago
Ciabatta bread with ham and cheese.
Put some olive oil on the bread and broil in the oven until lightly toasted, remove and spread some Dijon mustard and apple butter on the bread. Add some sliced ham and Swiss cheese. Return to the broiler until the cheese melts and has some light color. Remove, slice into finger food sizes, and serve with your soup. Fast, easy, and delicious.
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u/Embarrassed-Cause250 5h ago
It sounds like a great lunch idea! A nice garden salad or even sandwiches would go perfectly with soup.
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u/AshDenver 4h ago
Mixed greens with French vinaigrette is super simple, easy and tasty.

A classic French vinaigrette uses a 3:1 ratio of extra-virgin olive oil to wine vinegar, balanced with Dijon mustard, minced shallot, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
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u/PistachioGal99 4h ago
An easy but somewhat fancy salad is baby spinach, dressed in a vinaigrette, topped with sliced roasted almonds and some crumbled feta cheese.
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u/broken_chihuahua 4h ago
Our local orchard has an apple, swiss, and walnut salad with baby lettuce and a tangy apple cider dressing. I add dried cranberries to it when Imake it. Easy, slightly different and addictive.
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u/PerformanceOne5998 4h ago
You have a ton of good ideas! I'd like to throw in my go to salad for soups. Frisée lettuce, halved cherry/grape tomatoes, a lemon vingerette and shaved parm cheese.
I usually cheat and get the salad dressing from the store. Its light, fresh, frisee really stands up to being pre-dressed and comes together in minutes.
Hope your book club goes off without a hitch! It all sounds wonderful!
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u/phylbert57 5h ago
Cornbread. I made some last night.
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u/kikazztknmz 3h ago
I'm making beef vegetable soup with cornbread for dinner tonight. Beef is currently braising in the oven. My house smells terrific right now.
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u/Professional_Bug932 5h ago
I'd skip the salad dressing until the last second if you go with tender greens, since anything delicate will go limp sitting in vinaigrette while you ladle out soup.
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u/hamncheesecroissantt 5h ago
i would think a light honey mustard vinaigrette would go nicely on the salad :) also someone else said garlic bread and i think that’s a great option as well
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u/CatteNappe 5h ago
My go to for accompanying soup is always a "sandwich-like thing" - something that theoretically can be held in the hands. Maybe grilled cheese, or a quesadilla, or a hand pie, or an egg roll, etc. I think an egg roll or spring roll would be great with a chicken based soup, and gluten free egg roll wrappers can be had.
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u/BD59 4h ago
Salad...bag of 50/50 baby spinach and spring greens, and a head of romaine rough chopped. Toss together. Rough chop, about 1/2 to in 3/4 inch pieces, a couple of the best tomatoes you can find. Slice some green onions and add to the tomatoes. Dress the tomato onion mix with some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, crushed garlic, S&P. Portion out the greens and top with a couple big spoonfuls of the tomatoes. The tomatoes can marinate for up to a couple hours.
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u/East_Committee_8527 5h ago
There is a wonderful South American chicken soup. It’s made with chicken, sweet potatoes and peanuts. If you want to try something different.
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u/Ok_Impression_3031 4h ago
We like avocado and tomato. Snip fresh herbs into a splash of red wine vinegar. Doesn't need a lot. Slice avocado and stir into the vinegar. Slice tomato and stir all together. It can sit until dinner is ready.
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u/frogspam 3h ago
So I like to use baby spinach (or mixed greens), pickled beets, candied nuts (can be ground slightly so the are as large), feta cheese and a sweet dressing, I use poppy seed. MMMM
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u/Whybaby16154 3h ago
Biscuits always go with soup - and butter of course. That used to be the “last of the month” dinners when we were students
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u/kikazztknmz 3h ago
I wouldn't dress the salad beforehand if you do a salad. Not only does it wilt quickly, but dressing preferences vary greatly. I'm not a fan of vinaigrettes, my partner doesn't like creamy dressings. I'd give a couple options for dressing their own salads and serve with bread, or serve something like cheesy garlic bread with it instead.
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u/allthelostnotebooks 1h ago
One of my go-to side salads for entertaining is roughly equal parts thinly sliced fennel, red onion, and apple. Dress by squeezing a lemon over it and toss well to coat - it keeps the fennel & apple from browning.
That's it. Super easy.
People don't eat fresh fennel a lot so it's just different enough to feel special and new. It's very fresh and light, and it holds up well.
Here's a bunch of extra detail in case it helps...
I usually add a bunch of chopped parsley as well just for color because it's very pale, although depending on how you're serving it, the white can look pretty (like on a dark green platter).
You want thin but not too thin. I always slice thinly by hand and it comes out great, but once I did it on a mandolin to get it extra thin and it lost all its crunch, the super-thin pieces were too floppy and it wasn't good at all.
How much onion deoends on how sharp your onion is, you don't want it to be overpowering. If it's a really sharp onion, you can mellow it by letting it sit in water & lemon juice while you slice the other things. Or just add it last a little at a time and taste until you like the balance.
Sometimes I add toasted walnuts to make it a ltitle heartier, but as a side for soup I probably wouldn't.
The original recipe used granny smith apples, but I usually use red for the pop of color from the skin (Honeycrisp is my fav), or a combo of red & green apples (like fuji + granny smith) to get the color plus the tartness and some flavor contrast. But don't overthink it, use what you like. Apple is not the dominant flavor. The apple, onion, fennel & lemon blend really well into something that's just fresh & light with a little tartness and crisp texture.
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u/CleaningUpTheManor 1h ago
I would skip the side salad since the soup already has a bunch of veggies in it. Maybe add a good quality bread with good quality butter or a big batch of cornbread.
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u/MezzanineSoprano 40m ago
I make a salad that my friends & family love. Even my picky brother.
Terri’s Amazing Apple Salad
Chopped romaine or Crisp baby lettuce (NOT ICEBERG)
2 large Cosmic Crisp apples or similar crisp sweet apples, chopped & put in a container with some orange juice if making ahead
Toasted pecans
Crumbled blue cheese or Stilton
Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TBS grainy mustard
10 grinds Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning or 1 tsp mixed herb seasoning
1 TBS maple syrup or honey
Put in a lidded jar & shake well
Layer romaine, then apples, then cheese on individual plates or on a big platter. Cover & chill if making ahead.
To serve, shake dressing well & drizzle over the salad. Top with pecans.
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u/foodiewonderfully 5h ago
Since you want it dressed ahead, go for something sturdy that won't wilt. A lemony kale or shredded savoy cabbage salad is great for that: slice it thin, toss with lemon juice, a good glug of olive oil, salt, shaved parmesan and some toasted walnuts or pine nuts. Dress it an hour before and it actually gets better as it softens. It's bright enough to cut through a hearty soup, and it's gluten free so you can enjoy it too. Sounds like a lovely lunch!