8 Ways to Make Any Soup Creamier (2024)

FAQs

8 Ways to Make Any Soup Creamier? ›

The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.

The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.

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.

How do you make soup smooth? For a soup with a smooth consistency, work with veggies that are soft but not mushy. Additionally, streaming oil or cream into the soup can better emulsify the ingredients for a silkier texture. Blender features can also play a major role in getting your soup to the right consistency.

Aside from rice, you can also use bread, potatoes or beans, according to Breana Lai Killeen, M.P.H., RD. Killeen says, "When stirred into soup, stale bread, mashed beans and mashed potatoes cook down to create a creamy, rich texture, all without adding cream.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

Greek yogurt and milk

Blend together equal parts Greek yogurt and whole milk and use it in place of the same amount of heavy cream. Note that this substitute can add thickness to dishes like soups or sauces, but it shouldn't be used in recipes that require whipping.

With some starches like bread or rice, it may also help to put your soup in a blender for a quick spin to further break down the ingredients and make it extra creamy. If you don't want to blend your soup, you can also break down some starchy ingredients in other ways to help thicken your broth.

Stabilize with a Starch

Starches like flour or cornstarch help stabilize the milk emulsion. This will prevent it from separating. A common technique is to thicken your sauce or soup with roux before adding the milk. This changes the makeup of the liquid and prevents curdling.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

How do you reduce soup to make it thicker? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Just cook your vegetables until they are soft and use a potato masher to squish them down into a pulp. You could also use a ricer to get the same result. This is a great low-calorie way to get extra creaminess in your potato soups and clam chowders without adding extra cream or flour.

Mix mix 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth then stir into the soup. May need to double or triple that depending on how much soup you have. Simmer gently to thicken. The advantage of arrowroot starch over cornstarch is that it does not break down as quickly when heated.

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

A roux is a classic technique for thickening soups and sauces, and simply refers to the use of fat and flour together—in this case, butter and flour! Whole milk adds plenty of creaminess, too, and voila! A lovely rich and creamy chicken soup.

Use what you love! Cream: Half and half, heavy cream, light cream or thickened cream all yield similar results, however heavy cream adds richness.

How do you add richness to soup? ›

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

Thicken with Dairy

Dairy can curdle your soup, so make sure to stick to higher-fat content products (coconut milk, heavy cream, sour cream) instead of milks. For the best results, add heavy cream to your soup toward the end of cooking, when it's not boiling.

For virtually anything but the brothy bois, like chicken noodle soup or Italian minestrone, you could also stir in some coconut milk, warmed cream, or crème fraîche to add body and richness.

Yes. In fact, a dollop of sour cream in beef vegetable and tomato vegetable soups can work wonders. If you like sour cream, try Lebne yogurt.