# Soup or Salad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 28, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569 "2017-05-28T00:44:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/1 "2017-05-28T00:44:30Z")
When ordering in a typical restaurant, and they ask “Soup or salad?” which do you pick? Me, I’m going for soup, almost always. Only if the soup is something like clam chowder, or French onion, will I consider a salad. The weird part is, I enjoy salad as the main entrée, and I have it for lunch fairly often. And you? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/2 "2017-05-28T00:51:41Z")
Usually soup, but sometimes salad. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/3 "2017-05-28T01:07:07Z")
95% of the time, soup. I don’t care what soups are on offer. The only time I may choose salad is if it’s really hot out and I’m trying to keep it cool & light. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/4 "2017-05-28T01:10:25Z")
Salad. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/5 "2017-05-28T01:10:48Z")
salad. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/6 "2017-05-28T01:21:48Z")
Soup. unless it’s cream-based. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/7 "2017-05-28T01:36:17Z")
Soup. Salad is rabbit food. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/8 "2017-05-28T02:18:16Z")
I like a lot of soups, but not all soups. If the _soupe de jour_ is, say, mulligatawny, I will have a salad. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/9 "2017-05-28T02:26:30Z")
Sometimes, both. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/10 "2017-05-28T02:34:22Z")
Salad, nearly all the time. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/11 "2017-05-28T02:43:17Z")
Soup, unless I know the restaurant has particularly exquisite salads. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/12 "2017-05-28T02:46:35Z")
Soup will be the default. I’ll only take salad if I happen to dislike the soups they have on the menu. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/13 "2017-05-28T02:48:50Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Soup will be the default. I’ll only take salad if I happen to dislike the soups they have on the menu. If I dislike the soup, I simply abstain from pre-meal appetizers. No sense getting a salad if I know I won’t enjoy it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/14 "2017-05-28T02:51:55Z")
Salad, about 90% of the time. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/15 "2017-05-28T02:58:47Z")
Usually salad. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/16 "2017-05-28T02:59:26Z")
Soup. The salad will be small and ordinary. If the soup is small and ordinary I won’t be back. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/17 "2017-05-28T03:02:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Soup. The salad will be small and ordinary. If the soup is small and ordinary I won’t be back. Ah, but the places I go have salad bars with unlimited trips. There’s one just down on the corner from our home, the 24-hour [Wailana Coffee House](https://www.facebook.com/Wailana-Coffee-House-140400426440/). There, dishes often come with soup or salad – one bowl of soup or the unlimited salad bar. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/18 "2017-05-28T11:02:16Z")
Depends on the soup, or salad. If the restaurant happens to offer a salad with fruit toppings and a raspberry vinaigrette, I’ll go for the salad. If not, then it’s usually the soup. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/19 "2017-05-28T11:22:29Z")
Usually salad, unless I know the place has a particularly appealing soup. I’ll almost always go for French Onion or New England Clam Chowder. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2017, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569/20 "2017-05-28T11:49:00Z")
The salad is usually going to be mostly just iceberg, which is completely pointless, so I’ll usually go for the soup. If I know the place makes a decent salad with real greens, then I’ll consider either, depending on what I’m in the mood for. And if the salad option is a full salad bar, then given the choice between the two, I’ll usually choose the salad bar… but in such places, I’ve found, the salad bar will usually also include soup anyway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/soup-or-salad/787569.md?page=2)