Make Your Bowl Of Soup Extra Hearty With A Simple Lunch Meat Topping 

Whether you prefer obscure old-school deli loaves or traditional cold cuts like roast turkey, lunch meat is a sandwich staple for millions of Americans. However, there's no reason to eternally trap this convenient midday protein between two slices of bread. If you're looking to use up that open lunch meat while it's good but you're sick of sandwiches, consider adding deli meat to another lunchtime classic: soup.

A handful of chopped, crispy deli meat adds a satisfying boost of savory protein to a wide variety of soups, stews, and bisques. Making this lunch meat topping is almost as easy as reheating leftover soup (which usually tastes better the next day) – simply chop up your favorite deli meat, and pan-fry it in a little oil or butter until crispy, which should be about three to five minutes, depending on your desired level of crispiness. Then, serve it piled on top of a steaming bowl of soup. It's a tasty, customizable, and low-effort way to transform almost any soup into a satisfying, quick, and comforting midday meal.

This deli meat soup topping combines the best of both lunch worlds into one bowl — the hearty protein of a sandwich and the flavorful comfort of soup. Even better, it works well with practically any deli meat and soup you fancy. Don't be afraid to get creative and play around with different soup and cold cut combinations.

For example, you could add fried deli ham to any soup you'd top with bacon bits for a similar savory crunch but with less grease and more protein. Try topping a three-ingredient butternut squash soup with crispy turkey breast for an easy Thanksgiving-inspired autumnal meal, or toss a handful of chopped roast beef into any kind of potato-based soup for a bowl of steak-and-potatoes comfort. You could bulk up instant ramen with sliced roast beef or mix some diced salami or prosciutto into a legume-based soup for a hearty burst of umami flavor. No matter how you slice it, this lunch meat soup upgrade is the easiest way to break out of a boring sandwich rut and enjoy extra hearty soup in minutes.