Sometimes in the middle of making a soup, we decide that we want it to be creamier. Or we realize that we ran out of cream when we made coffee that morning. Or we'd like it to be thicker, but without adding more calories. Whatever the situation, we've got a lot of options to choose from!
1. Add Cream - Let's get the obvious one out of the way! Yes, you can definitely add cream to your soup. Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.
2. Puree a Few Cups - Puree just a cup or two of your soup - not the whole batch - to add a little body, but still keep the chunky goodness.
3. Add Stale Bread - A few slices of bread also help make a soup creamy. Puree them into a cup or two of the soup and then stir it back into the main pot.
4. Add Yogurt - Plain yogurt works much like cream when added to soups like our Avocado Soup, but with a lighter result. We also love the tangy flavor it adds to our soups.
5. Add Ground Nuts - Historically, nuts were actually one of the first thickeners used to thicken soups and sauces. Grind a handful of nuts until they have completely crumbled and are just verging on becoming a paste. In a small bowl, whisk the nuts together with some of the soup broth and then whisk it into the main soup.
6. Make a Beurre Manié - Adding beurre manié is like a making reverse-roux, and it will thicken your soup in a similar way. Knead equal parts butter and flour into a thick paste, and then whisk it into your soup until it has completely dissolved.
7. Add Flour, Cornstarch, or Other Thickener - Starches thicken soup and give it body. Whisk a few tablespoons of starch with a little of the broth in a separate bowl before whisking it into the main pot. This prevents the starch from clumping and helps it dissolve into the soup evenly.
What other ways do you make soup thick and creamy?
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I've got another one.
Rice!
Overcook the rice separately or in the soup and puree it until silk smooth. It's what I use to thicken my bisques.
Cream cheese! Just a couple tablespoons is like instant creamy goodness! Also an excellent addition to any white sauce. Yum, yum! : ) Not so light on the calories, but not too incredibly bad for you if you use neufchatel instead of regular.
A few months ago I meant to buy Cream of Wheat and accidentally bought a box of Cream of Rice. Didn't know such a thing existed! I tried making it as hot cereal but didn't like it--but it occurred to me it would probably be a good soup thickener. Haven't yet tried it, but this post has reminded me so maybe I will this weekend...
I recently discovered rice as a thickener when I made a Greek style chicken soup. I used a box of broth, frozen microwave rice and fresh lemons, garlic and ginger. Surprisingly good and helped the cold symptoms feel better.
Sour cream, too.
Mashed potatoes.
Mashed up beans lend a nice creaminess to soup.
Beurre Manié is amazingly effective - start our with a couple of pea-sized chunks. It doesn't take much!
Silken tofu, but be careful that the soup is not overly hot when you add it, and puree the tofu in a food processor or blender first. And add a litle at a time.
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I have a box of instant potato flakes leftover from [depressing period of kitchen-hating]. Pouring some of those in there really does the trick! :)
Similar to art, I overcook a small pot of quinoa on the side, then blend it with some of the broth before adding it to the soup. Works just as well as rice/bread/potatoes, but with a bigger nutritional kick!
Silken Tofu!! I add it to soups that I puree to thicken it up and up the lean protein content. If you don't like the taste of tofu, no worries -- you can't tell it's in there! It really helps create the creamy consistency!
Invest in a good hand blender. Makes creamy soups so easy.
I made avgolemono not too long ago, and was surprised by how nicely beaten eggs thickened the soup up and made it nice and creamy. Made me wonder if eggs had a place as a thickener in other soups, though just like when you make custard, you need to be aware that they might curdle if your heat's too high.
Canned pumpkin, good with black bean.
Actually saw this pseudo-tip on Dr. Oz maybe a month ago. rolled oatmeal will thicken a soup and add some whole grains to it. The reason it's a pseudo-tip is because they didn't saw how to incorporated the oatmeal into the soup. I'm guessing you can pulverize it in a food processor and add some soup to it.
Add a diced potato when you're cooking soup, but only if you intend to puree it. That'll thicken it up like crazy, and makes it very creamy. I also like using a can of evapourated milk instead of cream; less rich, less fatty, but creamier than regular milk.
Also, my mom always thickens her stews and gravies by making a slurry. Simply add a few tbsps of flour in a jar and add about 1/4-1/2 cup or so of water (I just eyeball it, sorry for the sketchy measurements). Shake well, and pour it in while stirring, and make sure you add it at the end. This way, you don't have to worry about any lumps, and once it's heated through it will thicken like crazy.
Cauliflower puree!
Makes the best "faux" cream soup ever. I haven't made an actual cream soup since I discovered it.
I've actually used baby rice cereal (dry) added in to thicken cream of potato soup- similar to what someone said about dry Cream of Rice. It works, and totally takes the taste of the soup- wouldn't know it was there, flavor wise.
I use oats, regular old fashioned. When overcooked, they fall apart and thicken the soup nicely. No need to pulverize or do anything to them beforehand.
I use a can of condensed milk (not sweetened!). Generally, one can makes a good sized batch of soup very rich and creamy tasting.
I'm a bit lazy when cooking so I searched for a solution to thicken my soups without having to work hard;-) I found that a spoon or two of rolled oatmeal / oats added right in the beginning does the job perfectly! Unlike cauliflower or potato, it has a totally neutral flavor and it disintegrates completely at the end. You have a nice thick soup without effort! For some soups I like to use a hand blender, like for this one: http://lovelivesurvivehome.blogspot.com/2009/11/indian-carrot-ginger-soup-recipe.html
beans!
Little-Melly, if you aren't planning on pureeing your soup, cook the potato separately, then puree it with a little broth, and add that to the soup. My mom used to do this for beef barley soup, and it was great, not so much creamy as just thick and rich.
I also do the same slurry idea, but with cornstarch in a baby food jar. It works about the same, but much less worry about clumping.
Depending on the kind of soup, you can use a variety of vegetables to make it thicker. You can use some carrot in tomato soup, for instance. Pureeing some of the vegetables has always done it for me.
I second using instant mashed potato buds in a pinch for soups which take potato well. They thicken soups well and you can add them at the very last minute. That being said, I usually just cook potato with soups I intend to puree (like corn potage).
What is the recipe for the soup in the photo? It looks so good I want to make it tomorrow!!