Healthy Eating 101 Healthy Cooking How-Tos 21 Tasty Topping Ideas to Take Your Soup from Ordinary to Otherworldly Take your soup to the next level with these delicious flavor add-ons. By Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD Instagram Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD, is EatingWell's former test kitchen & editorial operations manager. During her time at EatingWell, Breana oversaw the development, production and nutrition analysis of 500-plus recipes per year and helped manage day-to-day operations to keep everything running smoothly. Breana has a master's degree in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu London, a Wine Spirit & Education Trust-trained sommelier and a registered dietitian. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 23, 2016 Share Tweet Pin Email Think of what the cherry does for a sundae—it adds a bit of flavor and a dash of good looks. Before you dip your spoon into your bowl of soup, sprinkle, drizzle, swirl or squeeze a little extra beauty on top. Here are four creative soup-topper ideas, but these are just a jumping-off point-anything goes! Pictured Recipe: Garden-Fresh Asparagus Soup 1. More Veggies We always love an excuse to add more vegetables to a meal. Use veggies as a garnish on pureed soups to reveal what vegetables are actually in the soup. If you're roasting the veggies, reserve a little for the garnish before pureeing. If you're using raw vegetables, make sure to thinly slice them. Thinly sliced radish or cucumberJulienned carrot, cabbage or jicamaChopped tomatoAsparagus tipsCorn or peas Our Best Veggie-Packed Soup Recipes Pictured Recipe: Spicy Butternut Squash Soup 2. Swirls and Dollops A spoonful of yogurt, dash of Sriracha or squeeze of lemon can elevate your soup from flat to amazing. Start with a little bit and add more as desired depending on your topping. Plain yogurt, sour cream or crème fraîchePesto, salsa, gremolata or caponataAioli or tzatzikiExtra-virgin oilve oil, sesame oil, nut oils or any flavored oils, such as truffleHot sauce, such as Texas Pete or SrirachaAsian condiments, such as hoisin sauce, fish sauce or soy sauceVinegar, such as sherry or red-wineLemon or lime juice How to Freeze Soup So It Tastes as Delicious as the Day It Was Made Pictured Recipe: Cauliflower Soup with Smoked Gouda 3. Crunchies Sometimes your soup needs a bit more texture. Add crispy bits right before serving so they keep their crunch. Croutons or toasted fresh breadcrumbsToasted nuts, such as almonds, pistachios or hazelnutsCrumbled tortilla chips or crackersToasted pumpkin or sunflower seedsToasted coconut 100-Calorie Pairings to Make Soup a Meal Pictured Recipe: Tomato Soup 4. Sprinkles For the most basic garnish, try a touch of green herb or a flick of spice. These garnishes impart a little extra flavor and make your soup look restaurant-worthy. Chopped herbs, such as chives, cilantro, dill or parsleyDusting of spice, such as cumin, paprika or white pepperLemon, lime or orange zestShaved, crumbled or grated cheese, such as feta, Parmesan or Pecorino Don't feel you have to limit yourself to one topping. Try sprinkling, drizzling, dolloping or crunching a few for an explosion of flavor. Happy souping! All the Healthy Soup Recipes You'll Ever Need Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit