Often times my readers have reached out with questions on specific recipes and I love answering each and single email or dm I have gotten. One question that comes up again and again is How To Thicken Soups. So I decided to write and organize all my tips on this topic.
During my childhood, we had a soup pot simmering over awood stove for hours during winter time. That made the soup thick and cozy, so creamy and yummy. There was no need to do anything extra to get it to look that way. It just took time and low heat from the wood stove.
Nowadays, we’re trying to get food on the table in 25 minutes, bonus for less. You can’t even chop everything needed to make a good soup in that amount of time (well you can, but you know we’re all multitasking with kids homework and laundry etc etc).
So if you still want to make that thick, amazing soup that is so cozy, feel free to check out some of my tips. If you already use any of these tips or have extras, feel free to chime in in comments:). Thank you!!
Flour
I have two ways to thicken up a soup with flour. Some soups call for a roux and you can add a little extra to thicken up the soup to your taste. Other soups that don’t have roux can still benefit by some flour to thicken up. Mix a spoonful of flour with water to make a slurry, then slowly whisk it into your simmering soup. It’ll thicken things right up!
Mashed Veggies
Cooked potatoes, carrots, or even cauliflower can be mashed and stirred back in for a creamy, flavorful boost. Sweet potato can too but since it’s slightly sweeter check if the recipe works with sweet potato first.
Example : Meat and Potatoes Stew – this meat and potatoes stew is cooked in the pressure cooker. But once you have released the pressure safely and opened the lid, you can mash some of the potatoes and carrots with a wooden spoon on the side of the pot to add some extra thickness to the soup.
Dairy
A little heavy cream, sour cream or Greek yogurt can thicken up slightly and add richness to soups. But be gentle, a little goes a long way!
I love adding heavy cream to soups that have butternut squash. For example: Leeks, Butternut Squash and Potatoes soup.
Legumes & Beans
Beans, chickpeas, peas, lentils etc make for amazing soups. They’ll usually thicken up the soup on their own if cooked long enough and slow. But if in a hurry, mash some on the side of the pot. Or grab a cup or two from the soup, let it cool a bit, blend it and pour it back into the soup, mix to incorporate.
Examples below are a Tomato and Chickpeas Soup and a Pinto Beans Soup.
Pastas and Rice
Pastas and rice will thicken a soup naturally. You actually have to be careful with them because you might overdo it and get a soup that looks more like risotto. It’s easy to thin up the pot though with some warm water or extra chicken broth or stock.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch works similarly to flour, you just need to make a slurry with less cornstarch than you would with flour. If you add too much, you’ll get a pudding like consistency. But it works amazingly well and it doesn’t alter the taste.
Plus cornstarch is gluten free!
Potato Flakes
If you keep a box of potato flakes in your pantry, use it up occasionally to thicken up soups. It works amazingly well! Just add few tablespoons at a time to a simmering pot and mix to evaluate consistency.
This works especially well when you’re trying to get dinner on the table in record time, everything is cooked but kind of not getting the right consistency yet. The potato flakes will create the magic like you cooked that soup for hours:). You’re welcome!
Eggs
Whisk egg yolks with a bit of broth and drizzle slowly into your soup, stirring constantly. This adds a touch of richness and a silky smooth texture. In the Mediterranean, we make a soup with rice, chicken, lemon and egg yolks. For Greeks it’s called Avgolomeno soup. In Albania we simply call it something like Chicken Soup with Lemon and Eggs (supë pule me limon dhe vezë).
Cheese
Adding parmesan, cheddar or any other type of cheese that grates well to soups not only thickens the soups up but it makes them amazing flavor wise. Who doesn’t love a steaming bowl or broccoli or cauliflower soup with some cheese? Yummmy!!
Simmering and Slow Cooking
These might be the world’s oldest cooking tips. Cook something on low for a long time and you got a great meal! Slow cooking will thicken the soup by naturally blending some ingredients together and evaporating some of the liquids.
Here are some other methods that I have come across reading in soup forums:
- Arrowroot powder – it works similar to cornstarch!
- Beurre Manié – mix equal parts of flour and butter, knead together then add to soup.
- Peanuts (or other nuts) – My husband’s family makes a peanut soup called Sopa de Mani in Spanish and blending the peanuts thickens this soup to perfection.
Since it’s soup season, feel free to check out a collection of my soup recipes:
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