Not sure April and I are quite on the same page - if I enjoy it and it fills me up (and has reasonable nutritional value), it's a meal! That said, I usually have soup with bread or salad if I feel it needs something extra.

If it is a hearty soup with protein, starch and vegetables, I usually serve a more substantial dessert with it. My favorite is this kale soup with nutella crepes:)

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Kale-and-Chickpea-Soup-230979

I actually like adding to the soup to make a meal - for example, leek and potato soup with some grilled salmon flaked on top. You'd be surprised at how little you need to add to make it feel like more than just a dinky bowl of soup.

A hearty soup does me fine for an evening meal (maybe with second helpings and some toast!). But you could do a substantial salad (one of those recipes with cheese, meat or pulses in if you're worried about protein?) to make an easy 2 course meal. Or one of those easy starters from a recipe book that you've never quite had an occasion to make?

I love soup, eat it about 5 times a week. I usually do a salad with it. Field greens with apple slices, some type of nut, purple onions and a good vinaigrette. Maybe a nice Mexican or Asian-inspired slaw? I think you could also do a small portion size of some type of pasta. A baked potato could go with some soups, because you could put some soup in the potato... like broccoli cheddar?

Hope that spurs some thoughts.

Savory scones (with cheese, herbs) work well, as do tartines (open faced sandwiches). Or you can dress up the soup itself-- add croutons and a swirl of yogurt, some kind of contrasting relish, a fried egg, or crispy fried onions/shallots, cabbage or potatoes. Or add dumplings. Or serve dumplings on the side. Small vegetable pancakes, or any kind of pancakes work well too.
Another approach when making brothy soups is to make up a plate of what is called the "seco" (dry) in much of Latin America: rice, vegetables, meat etc, and then you add the rice to the soup as you like or ladle broth onto the plate.
Man I love soup.

soup + sandwich (preferably a panini)= the most prefect meal! yummm, now I have to go to Atlanta Bread Co...

Adding protein on top can round it out a little more (if it's mostly a vegetable based soup). Baked potato soup with crushed bacon/turkey bacon and chopped up boiled egg is lovely. Some sort of crostini to accompany soups with lots of liquid: toasted baguette with grilled eggplant, hummus or roasted red peppers.

anything! If it's a blended veggie soup, I like protein on top...a poached egg, some cheese, shredded chicken or salmon, and a starch to dip...bread, toast, crackers, fries, etc.

Usually, though, I eat soup because I don't have to think of what else goes with.

Variations on bread. Freshly homemade bread with butter, croutons, garlic bread.....

I don't often think of a soup as a dinner (more as a lunch with sandwiches). So, on the rare occasion that I serve soup for dinner, it's typically protein rich. When it's not I serve it with a toasted/grilled sandwich of some kind (meat, fried-egg, cheese, ...) or buttermilk biscuits, or at least croutons and Parmesan.

Bread and salad usually are enough to round out the meal for us.

I generally try to make soups with some kind of protein and/or fat in them - makes them more satisfying. I almost always serve soup with bread or biscuits or cornbread or homemade croutons or crackers or dumplings, unless it's a cream soup (although sometimes even then). A piece of fruit generally rounds out the meal for me. A salad is overkill with most of my soups, simply because I have a tendency to throw so many vegetables in the soup (except with a select few, like french onion).

I also tend not to make pureed soups, as I find they are less satisfying than something with chunks in it. Even if I sometimes make tomato soup from a can, I always toss in some onions and a can of diced tomatoes to give it some oomph.

I used to think soup wasn't a complete meal either, as we grew up with about even ratio of canned to homemade (homemade was usually beef barley, though sometimes chicken and dumpling). But to me, as long as there's a protein, some veggies, and carbs of some sort, I'm pretty set for a complete meal.

Gee, anything!

Sides of:
A few slices of duck or chicken breast
Lamb meatballs
Slices of left-over steak or roast pork
Chicken or tuna salad
A cheese plate

I agree with other posters -- with a hearty soup, what more is really needed?

A bowl of soup and a hunk of bread is a perfect meal in my worldview. If the soup has lots of vegetables in it, and some sort of protein, then you're good to go!

Soup night is a great time to use up leftovers as sides. Instead of salad, I like a side of some veg and/or beans. What I do is eat my soup, then serve myself some of the side dish into my bowl - that way the side dish can soak up any leftover broth/tidbits (broccoli is truly excellent at this), which both saves dishes and allows the flavors to harmonize. I usually make something with a flavor that compliments the soup, like following an earthy lentil soup with some lemony greens, or a creamy soup with something garlicky.

I forgot I had this with veggie tortilla soup Monday night. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/spinach-tostadas-with-shrimp-and-potatoes-recipe/index.html

The spinach patty is soo amazing!! Made even better with the topping.

Another idea besides sandwiches and salads: keep the soup as the main event, and plan a protein-rich appetizer.

I always have a bag of frozen shrimp around, and it's very easy to let a few of them thaw in the fridge during the day, marinate them in some cajun spices when I get home, and when I'm about ready to eat, I pop them in the toaster oven to broil. They cook in about three minutes, and make me feel better about eating a big bowl of cauliflower puree for dinner.

Pouching an egg in the soup (if it's a good flavor match) is a great way to add protein to a veggie soup. A good toasted bread with a slicing cheese is another option. Or serve simple roasted root vegetables alongside.

These are all great ideas!

You should think of it in terms of what a balanced meal will look like.

Consider the ingredients in your soup and then fill in the blanks: if you need protein, add protein (a poached egg, salmon, beans) in the soup or on the side. If you need veggies, have a salad. If a carb, have toast. Or all three!

Mmmm soup!

You can enjoy your soup with any kind of sandwich you like. Another good option is pizza. My husband and I will often have clam chowder and some homemade pizza. Salad is another great choice, and you can add whatever toppings you want to balance out your meal. Recently I made tortilla soup from scratch, and we ate it with some homemade enchiladas.

I usually make biscuits or a sandwich. Or just homemade bread.

A slice of bread or a poached egg for a light meal. For a more substantial meal I'll often make a savory tart — they keep well and usually get better the longer they sit, just like soup!

The obvious answer is a salad and bread. Another go to are dips or spreads with veggies, chips, or crackers. Depending on the type of soup we might also have a cheese, meat, and cracker/bread tray.

I love me a soup-n-salad dinner with a side of crusty bread!

i agree with most people that the right soup can be a very satisfying meal in itself, but wanted to add that my mother always served french onion soup (which makes no sense with a grilled cheese sandwich since it already contains bread and cheese) with apple slices. the hot/cold combo worked great, and sort of canceled out the heavy soup.

Everyone's covered it pretty much in terms of the salad/carb addon to soup we typically do in our house. Also, like others, I eat soups all the time, but either have to go back for seconds or make sure it's loaded with protein (beans or eggs) to feel full.

My fav "complete meal" soups are:
-Japanese noodle bowls with miso soup base, udon or egg noodles, a poached egg, tons of veggies stirred in, and topped with seaweed or sesame seeds as well as a tiny bit of sesame oil and hot sauce. Very filling! I'm a veg, but sometimes my husband throws some leftover slices of pork tenderloin or chicken on top.
-Carrot Red Lentil soup, which is also awesome the next day served as a dal accompaniment to other Indian dishes, or just on top of rice (see recipe here: https://sites.google.com/site/missionfood/carrot-red-lentil-soup-with-asian-spices
-Vegetarian black bean chili either plain with fixings (green onion, cheese, extra tomato, cilantro, etc.) or on top of a baked sweet potato or with a big hunk of cornbread. Deborah Madison has a good recipe here: http://shadowcook.com/2009/11/17/deborah-madison-black-bean-chili/

Moosewood Daily Special is a book filled with recipes for soup, salads, and sandwiches. I cook out of that thing on a weekly basis. I usually pair a bowl of soup with whatever I have on hand - salad made with leftover vegetables, bread and hummus, fruit...

I'm pretending you are in a restaurant and ordering an intriguing soup + something combo special from the chef.

Does the soup come with meat/protein?
Does it have pasta or a crouton?

For meatless soups, add a meat/protein if it fits your preferences. eggs, beans, fish, etc. Salad, appetizer, tapa.....

If your soup is lacking noodles, bread or grains, add an "exotic to you" bread or pasta item; can be na'an crackers, bread sticks, any worldly flat bread (homemade tortillas are nice with stews), soba or glass noodles, a salad served in exotic bread- wrap, pita, or tortilla filled accordingly. Or, add a serving or so of cooked quinoa, pearl barley, etc to the soup itself. Quesadillas, might be an option, if they don't remind you of grilled cheese sandwiches.

Salads can be protein, veggie, or fruity, or all the above.

When you are dining out, visit the appetizer and a la carte menus for ideas for your own home meals. Egg rolls? spring rolls? Dumplings? seaweed salad? a few sushi rolls?
a baked tortilla topped with refried beans, meat, cheeses and assorted chopped veggies? Chips/fruit/veggies and a dip?
egg, tuna or chicken salad in a pita half?

A long gone chain had a "peasant lunch" menu option.
1 bowl of soup from several listed, a hunk of cheese, a hunk of fruit, and "hunk of bread" which varied from cornbread to rye to crackers by day. Was a very filling meal, in spite of the small plate on which it arrived.

The local deli bakery offers several soup combos:
Soup + Quiche wedge + dessert
Soup + sandwich(never grilled cheese) + dessert
soup + salad
Soups and quiches vary by weekday, so the same combo is rarely identical.

For me, there's a big difference in (perceived) satiety between a broth-y soup and one that's been puréed. something about the texture just makes it seem more... meal-like.

sometimes when my soup is almost done and mostly the broth is left over, i will cook some barley or rice or whatever grain i feel like at the time, and add that. also, hard boiled egg with some chopped greens on top and fresh ground pepper. i usually have chunky soups so they get pretty filling. i don't even know how one can't fill up on stew... maybe you should get bigger bowls. or eat less so you fill up faster.

i also agree with the serving some fresh veggies in a form of a salad with the hot soup. i just had french onion soup last night and added some cold cherry tomatoes on the side. awesome!

Instead of bread, you can serve the soup over rice or any other hearty grain (barley, farro, etc.) to bulk it up, and/or have a side of steamed, sauteed, or roasted vegetables. I also think a slice of frittata or quiche would make a beautiful pairing--not something you'd whip up on a weeknight, maybe, but make it on Sunday and then have leftovers with your soup later.

I have a similar problem - I actually prefer soups by themselves as meals, but my husband has to have something else or it's not really dinner.

I mostly try to do as the comments suggest, and pair something that adds what the soup is missing - a crunch sandwich to add texture for a pureed soup, a little side meat for a veggie soup, etc.

One of my favorite combinations I happened upon is mushroom soup with whole large steamed artichokes on the side. Instead of dipping the artichoke in butter or dressing, you can dip it in the soup instead! It's delicious and healthy all at the same time.

Cruddites can be wonderful with some of the creamier soups too. I actually love fresh broccoli served with cream of broccoli soup.

I recommend the cook book "Love Soup" - there are actually whole menu suggestions in there - with recipes on how to bake the bread, make the salad and even dessert to go with each soup.
It's a vegetarian soup recipe book but sometimes I add meat to the recipes to make them more hearty.

I think it's mostly mental. You have one bowl of one item (even if it has many ingredients) instead of a plate with two or three distinct items. Also, pureed soups don't give you the satisfaction of chewing. To counteract it, try to have a distinct first or second course. Start with a salad or a plate of antipasto. If the soup is creamy, be sure to have something crunchy. Have a glass of wine to keep you from eating the soup too fast, since you're not pausing to cut things or chew as much.

I like chunky soups with chopped up veg and maybe meat in it, and often throw in leftover rice or some rice vermicelli or noodles to simmer. Also, it's amazing how much difference cracking one egg into a soup will do to round it into a meal! YUM EGGY SOUP!

I'll often have a cup of soup as a starter course for dinner. If soup is the main course, then salad and some kind of bread works well. LOVE soup!

Some small frozen appetizers go nicely with a bowl of soup if you don't want to do a salad and or bread.

On the same scale as bread, but, a dip and crackers or bread etc. Like hummus etc.

Eating a bowl of soup as a first course/starter is a great way to fill up, and follow with much smaller portions of elaborate or rich food.

a nice hearty type of bagel

Living in New England, I easily have soup for dinner on the chilly nights. If it's some sort of bean soup, throwing some dumplings or onions and garlic or a small handful of pasta helps give the soup more substance. My homemade soups usually are heartier with chunks of wine roasted lamb chops or curried boneless chicken breast, as I tend to make them more stew like in the slow cooker. Instead of crackers, I like warm crusty French or multi grain bread toasted followed with a hot cup of peppermint tea.

I second the frittata and quiche suggestion. Or a fruit and cheese plate.

I usually have a chicken breast with soup. It balances the nutrition to add protein. If you want carbs, adding bread always works.

Poached egg! Sometimes I'll top the soup with a crusty piece of bread + poached egg, or sometimes I'll have the egg and toast on the side and dip it in the soup or spoon soup on top. It's also nice because even if you eat the soup as leftovers, the egg is fresh every time. Works to make even a light pureed soup into a hearty meal.

We often have soup as our evening meal, especially in the winter.
I often make a soup with pulses in it anyway, but we also have baguette or ciabatta bread and a cheese board with it - and any hummus if it is in the fridge.

If you aren't full, have another bowl. No need to add anything to it other than bread or crackers.

I agree about tartines. I like to have a creamy soup with a croque Monsieur tartine. Cream of mushroom or a creamy tomato with spinach rocks a tartine. For me, it's about making the tartine a meal, not the soup. When I plan soup as a meal, I plan something hearty like baked potato, French onion, Asian noodle, etc.... We eat just the soup.

Thank you for all of your advice. I'm the one who wrote in about soups.

For those saying I should just eat more, or that soup is always a complete meal, that's not very helpful. Not all soups are "hearty"... like the potato soup mentioned in my question. That recipe is just potato boiled and mashed in chicken broth, dried herbs to taste, and thickened with a butter/flour/milk mixture. Pretty much carbs and nothing else... not complete!

Thank you if you suggested adding more things to the soup, since it's still hard for me to think of soup as being something other than a pureed, almost-one-ingredient dish. The suggestions for sides were also quite helpful.

Here's to more soup in my future! :)

What about some little muffin-like whole wheat gems on the side? Or spelt popovers? These two small breads help me feel as though soup is a meal (and they are low GI). Sometimes I add some salad, too.