On cloudy weather and rainy nights, we crave for something spicy and would love a golgappa or samosa for an evening snacking. Or when we visit another friend’s place in the evening, many times the host would not let us without eating snack or a small meal may be, at an odd hour. Any of this could make us feel heavy and not ready for a hearty dinner. Or we would want to have a comfort meal which is easy to prepare and would love to indulge in flavours as well.

Salad and a bread along with a soup is all that can come to rescue at such times. With a soup to slurp and a salad to munch and a bread alongside is an idea of spending a quiet dinner that fills you up but does not feel heavy either.

We did a bit of in depth looking at the recipes that go along fantastically when you have decided to make a meal of soup-salad and bread. We loved a few recipes together for the harmony they create on your dinner table. Take a generous sip of the soup, savour the flavours and the smooth cooked texture that it provides of the fresh ingredients that have gone into it; imagine the swirl of the soup in the pot while you cooked it. Taste the mild spices in it and pierce a piece of farm-fresh salad from your plate and bite into a piece of soft and airy bread to complete one bit of experience. You can play a soft music in the background, switch off TV and gadgets and stare out of your window to take this normal weeknight experience to another level!

1. Spiced Cauliflower-Almond Soup, Sundried Tomato Focaccia Bread & Spinach & Apple Salad

Did you know that cauliflower can be made into delicious soup? Especially when paired with almond puree and simple pepper seasoning, this makes for a such a comforting meal. Bite into spinach leaves with long cut apple slices that has an orange dressing to bring in flavour between every sip of soup. For a bread, you can make a focaccia with sun-dried tomatoes, topped with one sliced onions.

2. Radish Soup, Focaccia with Sweet Onion & Baked Vegetable Salad

Radish is a delicate vegetable that looses the sharp flavour when cooked. Make a radish soup and pair it with focaccia again, but with sweet onions and salty canned capers. Bite into baked veggies for a salad on side.

3. Chickpea Soup, Crispy Lavash & Beet Carrot and Apple Salad

Chickpea soup recipe is a proteinetious soup with mild flavours but is a hearty soup. Pair with light Lebanese crispy bread called lavash that is made by rolling out flour and then baking. Make a quick beets carrot and apple salad that is made more tangy with an orange mustard vinaigrette. 

4. Avocado Mint Soup, 3 Herbed Focaccia & Garlic Toasted Beans Salad

Do you like guacamole? Then you must try an avocado soup with ground mint leaves. It's minty and creamy together! You can serve it with 3 herbed focaccia and a crunchy garlic toasted beans salad.

5. Butternut Squash And Carrot Soup, Garlic Knot, & Arugula & Fig Salad

Butternut squash is a humble vegetable. Puree it along with carrots and make a flavourful soup. Pair it with garlic knots sprinkled with chilli flakes and an amazing arugula and fig salad for a great accompaniment.

6. Cumin Spiced Potato And Leek Soup, Rosemary Focaccia Bread, & Zucchini and Bell Pepper Stir Fry

Leek go well with an ingredient that imparts a creamy texture, like potato and when spiced subtly with cumin and pepper, it tastes so great! You can pair it with a whole wheat focaccia bread flavoured with rosemary. Also make a zucchini and crispy bell peppers stir fry to bite into.

7. Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup, Cauliflower Tortilla, & Cold Potato Salad 

Make a simple Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup Recipe that has a familiar flavour of tomatoes stirred in with Italian flavours. Make a cold potato salad for side along with a cauliflower tortilla to make a wrap before digging in between every spoonful of soup

8. Curried Apple and Celery Soup,  Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry, & Pita Bread

Apples are curried, pureed and spiced with celery to make the curried apple soup. Prepare a protein rich stir fry of broccoli and tofu with simple spices and you are ready for dinner with a whole wheat pita bread on sides.