What are some good ways to thicken a soup?

Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added about 2 years ago

What kind of soup are you thinking of?

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phyllis added about 2 years ago

It's best to know what kind of soup so we can provide an appropriate answer.

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Panfusine added about 2 years ago

roue (toasted flour, butter & milk), Cornflour, rice flour, okra, even 'besan' (chickpea flour)... it depends upon the kind of soup.

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joninnyc added about 2 years ago

I was thinking of a cream soup that is not pureed (still has chunks of vegetables).

Thanks guys!

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Panfusine added about 2 years ago

cream soup.. My bet would be on a roue, but do wait for other answers as weel , there are some fabulous experts here on food52..

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Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added about 2 years ago

Yes, a roux would make a nice velvety soup. For general reference, an ounce of butter and an ounce of flour will thicken a quart of milk, or milk-cream mixture. Also, you could scoop out some - not all - of your nicely cooked vegetables, puree them and add them back into the soup. Your soup sounds wonderful.

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Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added about 2 years ago

Love your photo.

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phyllis added about 2 years ago

A roux would be lovely. You could also add a potato or two and if you puree, the potato acts as a ticketing agent. I love pursed soups, actually all soups, and often cook them no matter what the weather.

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my brother-in-law is a vegetarian. doesn't eat butter so no roux for him. he adds cream of wheat to soup or refried beans etc as a thickener. just a small amount will do the trick-a few tbsp to start. doesn't affect the taste or have a noticeable textural additive other than thickening (what i mean is, no cereal texture is noticeable).

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Anita is a vegan pastry chef & founder of Electric Blue Baking Co. in Brooklyn.

added about 2 years ago

grate a sweet potato right in there. With a few minutes cooking it will "melt" right into the broth and not only thicken, but flavor the soup. Learned this lil' trick in Puerto Rico :)

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Helen's All Night Diner added about 2 years ago

I also will use a handful of red lentils. When they cook they end up melting into what ever you're making. Great for gravies, stews, soups, etc. Besides, it gets a bit more nutrition into you!

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You could also pull some of the vegg out of the soup, puree, then add the rest back in. That would thicken but also leave some texture.

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Tradionally a cream soup would be thickened by just reducing the cream to a thicker state. But, people have been cheating on this for cost and health reasons to a point where a veloute is now an acceptable base for a cream soup.

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Raquelita added about 2 years ago

like Anitalectric suggests, grate a starchy vegetable into the soup. I love a meaty winter squash like kabocha or kuri for this purpose. Also could separately steam a potato or the squash, mash it really smooth with a little oil and stir it into the soup.

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sgoyette added about 2 years ago

Filé (sassafras powder) would work - it's a thickening agent used in gumbo. http://en.wikipedia.org...
You could also try adding a slurry of cold water and a teaspoon or two of corn starch - this is how sauces are often thickened in Chinese and other Asian cuisines, and it adds little to no flavor but gives liquids a good body. Or a slurry of a little cold water and tapioca (manioc) flour.
Also, gluten-filled water from cooking pasta will thicken the soup a bit. But not as much as a roux, filé, or flour-based slurry.
Otherwise, all the veggie and potato based answer above are great ideas!

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