How to Thicken Soups with out the Fat

Smooth and creamy soups are so pleasing to the pallet with there smooth texture and buttery taste. However these types of soups are often times high in fat and cholesterol. There are easy ways to still be able to enjoy hearty thick soups with less fat and less cholesterol.

Here are four alternatives to heavy cream, butter or coconut milk when thickening soup.

Alternative One

Substitute plain yogurt for the cream, butter or coconut milk. Simply make the soup as normal holding back the fat. At the end of cooking add enough plain yogurt to make the soup creamy and smooth. Plain yogurt has a tangy taste and may alter the flavor of the soup. To combat this add a spoonful of honey or sugar with the plain yogurt. But keep in mind yogurt will curdle if boiled. Never boil soup with yogurt.

Alternative Two

Whisk in sour cream. Sour cream is not exactly low in fat or low in cholesterol but it does have the smooth creamy taste and texture many soups require. The trick to using sour cream is to only use 2-3 tablespoons and to whisk it in just before serving. By whisking in the sour cream at the end of cooking the smooth creamy taste will still be full bodied when the soup is served. But just like yogurt sour cream will separate if boiled, never boil soup with sour cream.

Alternative Three

Use less fat. Often a recipe will call for ½ cup to 1 cup of heavy cream. This amount is often times not necessary to achieve the same smooth creamy flavor and texture. Simply lower the amount of heavy cream to 2 tablespoons and the soup will still maintain the desired finish.

Alternative Four

Use vegetable puree. A simple puree of potatoes or other root vegetables will accomplish the desired thickening of the soup. Simply omit the cream, butter or coconut milk and substitute a cup of thick vegetable puree.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com

Soups - Add Variety and Spice to Your Diet

On a cold autumn or winter day, nothing warms the tummy like a nice hot bowl of soup. As a child, one of my favorite winter activities was to eat some chicken noodle soup filled with saltine or ritz crackers. Even now, I love to have a nice piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup for lunch on Sundays.

Soup is not just for defrosting oneself after spending some time in the chilly outdoors, though. Soups also make great appetizers for dinner parties and great anytime meals when you feel like eating light.

As a kid, I used to think that soup must necessarily come from a can or a packet, and that there were really only 2 kinds of soup, chicken noodle and vegetable beef. Adulthood has really opened my eyes to the dizzying array of soup recipes out there. Clam chowder has become one of my absolute favorite soups.

Soups come in all manner of consistencies, flavors, and heartiness. Here are just a few:

broth: Liquid resulting from meat, poultry or vegetables that have been simmered.
bouillon (boo-yoh): A clear thin broth made typically by simmering beef or chicken in water with seasonings.

bouillabaise (boo-yah-beys): a soup or stew containing several kinds of fish and often shellfish, usually combined with olive oil, tomatoes, and saffron.

bisque: a thick cream soup, esp. of puréed shellfish or vegetables.

chowder: a thick soup or stew made of clams, fish, or vegetables, with potatoes, onions, and other ingredients and seasonings.

gumbo: a stew or thick soup, usually made with chicken or seafood, greens, and okra or sometimes filé as a thickener.

As you can see, soups come in many varieties, offering something for nearly every palate and diet. If you're feeling like having something a little different for your next dinner party, then try a good soup for an appetizer. Try to match your soup to the entree in order to give a little "preview" of what's to come. For instance, if you are serving a broiled salmon as an entree, then a good fish chowder might make an excellent appetizer for the meal.

Soups have something to offer nearly everyone, regardless of your tastes and preferences. Try a hearty, thicker soup if you are particularly hungry, or a lighter soup if you are not so hungry. If you're wanting to put a little variety into your diet, then soups are an excellent way to do so.
Allen is a life-long writer and reader who writes on a number of subjects including cooking, writing, and Internet marketing. Allen has several cooking related websites including sites about soups and stews, beef recipes, and pork.