Creamy Vegetable Soup (2024)

FAQs

What makes soup more creamy? ›

Possibilities include cream, coconut milk, yogurt, or even pureed avocado. If you choose coconut milk, be aware that it will impart a sweet, coconut flavor, which might not be right for every soup. Yogurt will add tanginess.

Boosting Flavor

Another option to add more flavor is to use a homemade chicken stock or vegetable broth. You can also add a corn cob (that corn kernels have been cut from) in step 3 if using fresh corn. It's also delicious to simmer a parmesan rind in with the soup, then remove at the end when removing bay leaves.

Tips for Flavorful Vegetable Soup

Flavor the base: We add Italian seasoning and tomato paste to the aromatics and warm them up to bring the seasonings back to life. You could use fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary, or even add a Parmesan rind for more flavor.

Bisque and chowder are two types of thick soup with origins in French fishing villages. Learn about the differences between these two creamy soups.

But depending on the type of soup, you can add heavy cream or even sour cream to get a delicious richness and creaminess.

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.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

"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.

Why does my vegetable soup have no taste? ›

When I think of vegetable soup, I think of a thin, flat-tasting soup with no fat — aka, no flavor! Here's how we fix that in this Vegetable Soup recipe: Adding a parmesan cheese rind to the simmering soup infuses it with salty, umami flavor. This is SUCH an easy way to add tons of flavor to soup.

Mash beans, lentils, rice, or bread.

Rice, lentils, and beans release a lot of starch and naturally thicken soups simply from simmering, but you can also mash half the cooked rice/lentils/beans before adding to the soup for a simple way to thicken your dish.

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.

To avoid under- or overcooking the vegetables, cut them in uniform sizes, and test multiple pieces for doneness, whether you roast them in an oven or sweat them with fat in the bottom of the soup pot before adding liquid.

A cream soup will often have a soup base, prepared with ingredients such as onion, celery, garlic powder, celery salt, butter, bacon drippings, flour, salt, pepper, paprika, milk, light cream, and chicken stock or vegetable stock. Various vegetables or meats are then added to the base.

Yogurt, Sour Cream, and Crème Fraîche – Dairy like yogurt, sour cream, and crème fraîche can add a creamy acidity to soups, but can curdle and be unpleasant if cooked over heat for too long, so swirl these in last.

Soup Thickening Method: Cornstarch Slurry

About this method: One of the most common ways to thicken sauces and soups is with a starch-based slurry, and cornstarch is a popular choice. Cornstarch is flavorless, easy to mix up, and versatile, which makes it a go-to pantry ingredient.

To thicken soup, try adding a dash of cream or a spoonful of yogurt. Or, you can add coconut milk for a vegan-friendly option. If you want to give the soup a creamy, savory flavor, try stirring in some beaten eggs to thicken it. You can also add starches, like chunks of bread, oats, or flour, to thicken a hardy soup.