# What to serve with pumpkin soup?



## SollysMom

I found a recipe for pumpkin soup that looks pretty easy, that I'd like to try making. But I have no idea what to serve it with, either for just-us or if I were to ever make it for company. I'm a vegetarian and my husband eats veg with me most nights (we do a lot of beans/lentils), though I'll occasionally make him chicken. Chicken is the only meat I'll make, and usually it's just chicken breasts grilled on the Foreman (I know, controversial) or baked in olive oil and seasonings. I'd love other suggestions that are seasonal if possible too. Thanks in advance for any replies!


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## ollyoxenfree

I suspect our family eats lighter than many others. If I serve soup for dinner, I'll serve it with bread or crusty rolls or cornbread and cheese (cheddar, havarti, stilton) and that's pretty much it. As long as the soup is hearty enough, we don't need anything more. If anyone is still hungry, they may make a sandwich - that's usually my 17 y.o who sometimes seems bottomless. He makes a sandwich after a steak dinner.

If that doesn't seem like enough, how about veggie burritos or quesadillas to accompany the soup? I like to make quesadillas with caramelized onions and goat cheese, and that would be really nice with pumpkin soup. You could add in some cooked chicken for the carnivores.

If I am serving a more formal, multi-course meal (for us or for guests), we'll have soup as the first course. The main is usually a typical protein, vegetable, and starch (potato, rice, noodles) meal. To go with pumpkin soup, I might make an apple/onion baked chicken, steamed broccoli and roast potato. In fact, I have, lol!


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## greenmulberry

At my house I would have a green salad and some crusty bread and butter.


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## SollysMom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ollyoxenfree* 
To go with pumpkin soup, I might make an apple/onion baked chicken, steamed broccoli and roast potato. In fact, I have, lol!


This sounds perfect for company. I'd probably roast the broccoli too alongside some potato wedges.... yum! How do you make apple/onion baked chicken? Can I do it with just breasts? That's all DH ever buys. Since I'm a veg I'm a complete novice when it comes to cooking meat.


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## puffingirl

If you have some extra pumpkin, you could make pumpkin biscuits or rolls. I also tend to serve salad and bread with a soup meal.


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## ollyoxenfree

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SollysMom* 
How do you make apple/onion baked chicken?

Here you go:

Apple Chicken Bake:

4 chicken breasts [I've easily increased to 8 breasts, with just a slight increase to the apple juice and stock] - recipe calls for bone-in, but I usually use boneless and decrease cooking time.
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced in eighths
2 small onions, peeled and quartered
1/2 cup apple juice or cider
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
pinch each of dried mustard and ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Arrange in a shallow baking dish (I use a lightly greased enamel cast iron casserole or a Corningware casserole dish). Bake at 350F for approx. 30 min. until pale golden brown.

In a heavy skillet, melt butter. Add sugar and stir until melted. Toss apples and onions in sugar mixture over low heat until evenly coated. Add to chicken.

Combine apple juice, stock, vinegar, mustard and ginger. Pour over chicken and bake 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is glazed and cooked through.

Enjoy!


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## SollysMom

Thank you! I don't eat meat but that does sound good!


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## Kelilah

I'd totally have a nice salad and crusty buttered bread with that soup. Chop up an apple and put that in the salad, and some dried cranberries, maybe some walnuts or hazelnuts, maybe some bleu cheese... you want a nice crunchy acid to balance the rich creamy soup.

I just made a great salad today that would be great for you. I diced an apple and a pear (cored, but with the skins left on), and threw in a handful of dried cherries (would've used cranberries if I'd had them on hand, but I didn't) and a minced shallot. I mixed 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar in with the fruit, then poured the whole shebang on top of a bed of arugula and sprinkled it with sunflower seeds (pumpkin seeds would've been great) and crumbled bleu cheese. It was excellent, and so easy. It would be PERFECT with your pumpkin soup.


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## EdnaMarie

Quote:


Originally Posted by *greenmulberry* 
At my house I would have a green salad and some crusty bread and butter.

Me too.

However, if you're thinking of it as a course-meal thing, let's see. A kind of pie, shepherd's pie for example, would go well, with the green salad and soup.

Or you could do a nice roasted fish. Rosemary salmon or something. That would be easy to do even if you don't want to taste it as you don't eat meat. I love fish and gourd meals.


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## academama

I guess for me it depends on whether the soup is sweetish or savory. I make a savory pumpkin soup and just serve it with rolls. We're always happy enough!


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## chrissy




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## amnesiac

On soup nights we generally just have either bread or crackers. On occasion we might have cheese with it.


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## SollysMom

Thanks for all the replies! I'd be fine with just the soup and bread, but DH has a pretty big appetite. Although, he is satisfied with just soup and bread when I make my lentil soup and homemade bread, but we finish an entire 1-lb loaf in one dinner LOL. A few years ago for company I made a potato-cheese soup with fresh bread, garlic/rosemary chicken and roasted broccoli, and he was really concerned that I wasn't serving a starchy side dish - but I served the soup and bread WITH dinner instead of before and it was fine.

ollyoxenfree - I'm wondering if I could bake some potato wedges right in with that chicken dish, and if so how? I really want to make a nice fall meal for company soon.


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## ollyoxenfree

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SollysMom* 
Thanks for all the replies! I'd be fine with just the soup and bread, but DH has a pretty big appetite. Although, he is satisfied with just soup and bread when I make my lentil soup and homemade bread, but we finish an entire 1-lb loaf in one dinner LOL. A few years ago for company I made a potato-cheese soup with fresh bread, garlic/rosemary chicken and roasted broccoli, and he was really concerned that I wasn't serving a starchy side dish - but I served the soup and bread WITH dinner instead of before and it was fine.

ollyoxenfree - I'm wondering if I could bake some potato wedges right in with that chicken dish, and if so how? I really want to make a nice fall meal for company soon.

I wouldn't put the potato wedges in the same dish. The apple juice and the stock make it a little too liquid and they will get soggy. Depending on how large your casserole dish is and how small the oven, you could put a second dish with the potatoes in beside the chicken.

In a pinch, I've used the same ingredients for the chicken on the stove top. I use a deep, straight-sided skillet:
- In the skillet, brown the chicken in vegetable oil, remove to a plate and keep warm.
- Saute the apple and onion, add the liquids and spices.
- Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat well in the sauce, cover and lower heat. Cook for about 25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

I find the baked chicken is usually a little more tender, and the stove top tends to dry out and get tough if you aren't careful. The advantage to the stove top is that you can control the liquid a little more - if it's too much, you can remove the cover and let the sauce thicken.

Good luck!


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## SollysMom

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ollyoxenfree* 
I wouldn't put the potato wedges in the same dish. The apple juice and the stock make it a little too liquid and they will get soggy. Depending on how large your casserole dish is and how small the oven, you could put a second dish with the potatoes in beside the chicken.

We just got a new range with a double oven, and even the main oven is delightfully large (3 racks!) so space isn't a problem (can you tell I love my new range







). I was just hoping to simplify things a bit because I have a tendency to be a bit of a spazz when we have people over.


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## ollyoxenfree

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SollysMom* 
We just got a new range with a double oven, and even the main oven is delightfully large (3 racks!) so space isn't a problem (can you tell I love my new range







). I was just hoping to simplify things a bit because I have a tendency to be a bit of a spazz when we have people over.

I can't tell you how envious I am. My current oven isn't too bad, but I called the oven in our last house "the easy-bake oven". It was only slightly larger than a toaster oven. I couldn't use my regular-sized muffin pan or full cookie sheet, so I'm very sensitive to oven size and trying to cook more than one dish at a time.

I hope the chicken turns out well







. I'm sure your guests will enjoy the evening and appreciate your hospitality!


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## Sol_y_Paz

How was your pumpkin soup?


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## Mom2Gracie

This apple onion chicken recipe is inspiring. I was also looking for what to serve with pumpkin soup - my 17 year old is a vegetarian but I'm thinking of taking the basics of this chicken recipe and applying it to a baked zucchini. Thank you!


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## JamieCatheryn

A pot pie would be awesome with that too.


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