Okay, so the other day I was totally craving broccoli cheese soup. You know, that thick, creamy, cheesy goodness? But I didn’t want just soup. I needed something more, something to make it a complete meal. So I started digging around in my kitchen, trying to figure out what pairs well with broccoli cheese soup.
My Experiment Begins
First, I raided the fridge. I had some leftover roasted chicken, a few sad-looking carrots, and half a loaf of crusty bread. Hmm, possibilities…
Then I checked the pantry. Found some croutons (score!), a can of chickpeas, and some spices. Things were looking up!
The Contenders
I decided to try a few different combinations to see what worked best:
- Option 1: The Classic – Crusty bread for dipping. Can’t go wrong, right?
- Option 2: The Hearty – Roasted chicken added to the soup. More protein, more filling.
- Option 3: The Crunchy – Croutons on top. For that satisfying texture contrast.
- Option 4: The Wildcard – Roasted chickpeas, tossed with some paprika and garlic powder. A little experimental, but why not?
- Option 5:The Salad – Made a green salad.
The Taste Test
I heated up the soup (obviously) and got to work on the sides. The chicken was already cooked, so that was easy. I toasted the bread, tossed the chickpeas with the spices and roasted them until crispy, and whipped up a super simple vinaigrette for those carrots (because, health).
Then came the fun part – tasting! I ladled the soup into bowls and tried each combination one by one.
The Results
- The Classic (Bread): Yep, still a winner. The crusty bread was perfect for soaking up all that cheesy goodness.
- The Hearty (Chicken): Good, but it kind of overpowered the delicate flavor of the soup. Maybe better with a plain chicken noodle soup.
- The Crunchy (Croutons): A must-have! Added a great crunch and made the soup feel more substantial.
- The Wildcard (Chickpeas): Surprisingly delicious! The smoky, spicy chickpeas were a fantastic contrast to the creamy, cheesy soup. Definitely my favorite!
- The Salad:Also very good, it goes well with soup.
So, there you have it! My personal experiment in finding the perfect pairings for broccoli cheese soup. While the bread and croutons were solid choices, the roasted chickpeas were the real star. Go ahead, give it a try – you might be surprised!
