We're deep in it. Soup season, that is. And in my opinion, there's not much more comforting than a steaming bowl of creamy tomato soup. But is there a way to achieve that blissful flavor without the heavy cream?
Over Christmas, my family ate at a great Italian restaurant in the Bay Area and I ordered tomato soup to start. It was the most luxurious, creamy tomato soup I've ever had and I asked about the recipe. Our waiter explained that it actually didn't have any cream at all, but instead the chef whisked in olive oil at the end which created an interesting emulsion and tricked the senses into thinking it was a much creamier soup than it really was.
When I came home, I did a little research to see what other ways and approaches people used to achieve the feeling of a cream-based soup without the cream. I'm here to report that I've tried each of the tips below, and they all work brilliantly.
Three Tips for Making Tomato Soup Creamy (Without Cream)
1. Puree Bread Chunks: Adding bits of bread to a traditional tomato soup base and pureeing them gives the soup a thick, almost creamy texture. I like this recipe from Serious Eats.
3) Whisk in Olive Oil: While I haven't found a specific recipe that uses this approach, I tried exactly what our waiter instructed and the soup was delicious. I will say that it was tough to create a perfect emulsion because the oil wanted to separate from the soup, so I usually added a few chunks of bread and oil and this seems to work perfectly.
3. A Glug of Coconut Milk: Sure, coconut milk certainly has its fair share of fat, so if eliminating fat is the goal, this likely won't be the approach you choose (although low-fat coconut milk works great here, too). But I love the silky texture and mellow flavor that even half a can of coconut milk relays to a tomato soup recipe. My current favorite version is 101 Cookbooks' Simple Tomato Soup.
Related: Blogging Cook's Illustrated: Creamy Creamless Tomato Soup
(Image: Dana Velden)
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I make a tomato soup based on this recipe from Real Simple. The little bit of olive oil—and pureeing it in the blender—make it thick and luxurious.
One and Two sound like Salmorejo. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/09/salmorejo_cordobes
Which is. amazing.
Soaked cashews, almonds, or sunflower seeds also work as long as they are pureed.
Great ideas, thanks :) I've been looking for dairy-free tomato soup for a bit now.
Veganomicon has an incredible creamy tomato soup that uses waxy potatoes cooked with the soup for it's entirety, then blended with an immersion blender. It is the smoothest, creamiest tomato soup I've ever tried, and so tasty.
Yes, the creamy tomato soup in Veganomicon is awesome!
I don't really understand the point of these substitutions. If you are trying to make it dairy-free, that's one thing, but if you're reducing the fat, these options aren't much better than the cream. I don't tend to use cream in anything, because my mom is a health nut and I have an arbitrary bias against cream. When I make tomato soup, I either leave the dairy out all together (which is very nice), or I use a lower-fat dairy like milk, powdered milk, yogurt, or a small amount of goat cheese. I suppose my bias is pretty clear here, I don't have much of a taste for fatty foods, but still, there doesn't seem to be much point to taking out the cream just to replace it with a different kind of fat (or a simple carbohydrate that will become fat in the body).
I bet if you used a stick blender for the olive oil trick it would give you the result you were looking for a bit faster.
@Zerinia: There are different types of fats, and you do require fats to live and absorb vitamins. I'll take olive oil fat over dairy fat because it has way less saturated fat and almost no cholesterol, it's a "better" fat if you will. I'm not saying I don't love my butter, but not all fats are equal. Good nutrition is deeper than "all fat and carbs are bad!"
@ Zerinia: I echo what Jess13 said. Also, I read this article from more of a "here are some alternatives" point of view. Like what if you don't have any heavy cream on hand? What if you're allergic to dairy? From that perspective I think this is a useful post, though I think they have taken some liberties with the title as these are not exactly what I'd call "brilliant" ideas. They've been around for decades and have even been written about previously on this site.
The potato trick that Aschy mentioned also works in other soups. Related to that, I'm wondering if beans (like cannelini or white navy) might be used with similar results PLUS a protein boost. Anyone tried beans to thicken a pureed soup?
White beans to thicken soups are utterly foolproof and delicious. Plus a great vegetarian protein source. This recipe is a favorite: http://www.wholeliving.com/130293/creamy-broccoli-white-bean-soup (definitely doesn't need the parmesan or pine nuts)
I always use equal amounts of onions and carrots in my tomato basil soup, with only about a cup of skim milk or soy milk. (No cream.) Using a blender or a handheld immersion blender leaves the soup thick with a great rich flavor. It's certainly not a "purist" version of tomato basil soup but every time I've served it people have asked for the recipe and are pleasantly surprised when they find out about the extra ingredients.
A small bit of butter and a dash of balsamic (or lemon juice or any other vinegar) before you puree.
Beans, nuts, and cauliflower all add creaminess when pureed.
Here's a tomato bisque with fennel, black olives and red peppers - the white beans and cauliflower make it creamy...
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2012/11/28/white-bean-and-tomato-bisque-with-fennel-black-olives-and-red-peppers/
And this pale creamy soup has cauliflower, white beans AND almonds. Light and delicious!
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/12/13/jane-austens-vegetarian-white-soup/
Definitely beans or chickpeas- blend them in and they add body and creaminess.
Parsnip is my go-to for creamy soups but use a very small piece, otherwise the flavor will take over.
these are all really great ideas! in the article itself and from other commenters, can't wait to try them out!
I also appreciate revisiting topics that may have been discussed in previous posts becuase it draws attention back to a topic I may have forgotten :)
Too much dairy wreaks havoc on my digestive system so these are great ideas 'cause I love creamy tomato soup! I've tried bread and potatoes to thicken soup but the idea of whisking in olive oil at the end is truly brilliant! Makes total sense though since it turns vinaigrette into an emulsion. Thanks!
I have a great ginger carrot soup that is dairy free and uses 1/4 cup of uncooked rice that you saute with onions and celery. When you add all the rest of the ingredients in (broth, carrots, seasoning) and boil it for a while, the rice cooks. Then you use the immerson blender and the little bit of cooked rice makes it smooth.
All that said, I did have a FAIL one time when making a lower fat soup (no cream). It was very watering and I was not happy with it at all. I added in what I had on hand - dehydrated potato flakes! Made my soup thicker and creamy and delicious!
Instant oatmeal in a pureed soup, or blend some of the broth with the oats before adding it to the pot. I find a quarter cup is good for most recipes. More would give you a thicker soup.
Add a little squidge of miso soup concentrate.
Adding coconut purre sounds like good idea ,will try
Onions and also cauliflower thickens
I love the Veganomicon recipe! I also think the puréed almonds and potato would work. It's difficult to find the perfect substitute sometimes for dairy! I'm going to try and make a cream-free clam chowder...I'm thinking a splash of coconut milk might work. Any ideas anyone?!
A good dairy option is evaporated milk. I use the 2% and it is great. That said, I'm going to try the Veganomicon recipe next--my husband is lactose intolerant. I also want to try coconut milk with ginger. THAT would warm me up!
@Lisa I think this site had a dairy-free chowder recipe sometime in the last month!
My husband created a tomato soup recipe after noticing how much sugar is in regular tomato soup and he wanted it spicy and chunky. We love it but my daughter was coming home for a visit and she likes creamy tomato soup. We took a stick blender to his Zesty Pantry Tomato Soup and it made a wonderful creamy tomato soup and there is no dairy in it at all. Here is a Link to the recipe.
Love the tips, definitely going to have to give them a go!
I made a recipe for a squash bisque that called for 2 tablespoons or so of arborio rice tossed in to give it creaminess. Since then it's become my go-to trick for all puree soups.