9 Easy Toppers to Instantly Upgrade Your Soup

Stir in a spoonful of yogurt, crème  fraîche, or sour  cream. If needed, thin  with a little water to  make it easier to swirl.

Choose a cheese that  complements your  soup. Think Parm with  minestrone, or  cheddar with cream  of broccoli.

Looking for an  alternative to dairy? A drizzle of EVOO adds  a hit of richness and  is particularly pretty on  pureed soups.

A handful of croutons,  pretty much any  cracker, or even some  diced toast will  add a carby crunch.

Try pepitas on  top of butternut squash  soup, or slivered  toasted almonds on  your tomato soup.

Crush a handful  of tortilla chips over  chowder, or double  down with potato chips  on potato soup.

Try cilantro, parsley,  or chives—or snag one  of those little  packs of super-flavorful  microgreens  and sprinkle them on.

Thinly sliced rounds  or slim matchsticks add  color and bite. Pile  on top of chicken noodle  or tortilla soup, or  add to a bowl of posole.

An easy way to add  some zing: Try lemon  zest in your beef  stew, or lime zest in any  soup made with  coconut milk.

This article originally appeared in our Harvest 2020 issue. Get the magazine here.