[Tim Dedula]

Hello All;
I am looking for ways to thicken soup without the use or presence of fat. I am making a 100% fat free soup for health reasons. Would cornstarch work ? or flour? or guar gum? Or how about xanthan gum. or anything else you can think of ?

Anyone have any suggestions ? I could experiment but I am trying to get some ideas that I know will work to avoid risking ruining my soup. Thanks.

Tim

 

[someday]

You should puree some of the soup and add it back in. Pureed vegetables work wonderfully to thicken soup.

And yes, slurry of cornstarch or flour would also work. No reason to use gums unless you feel like it, but those would work as well.

 

[Tim Dedula]

Thanks, someday;
I hadn't thought about pureeing some vegetables. I can see how that would do the trick. May try that, or possibly a slurry of cornstarch.

Thanks so much.

Tim

 

[koukouvagia]

I definitely second the suggestion to puree part of the soup and add it back in. I've also used potato to thicken soups. Place a whole peeled potato to cook inside the soup then remove it along with broth and puree it before adding it back in.

 

[chrislehrer]

Xanthan gum is perfect. Put your hot liquid in a pan, turn on the immersion blender, and gently shake in the xanthan gum powder. Stop when you like the consistency. Temperature barely matters.

 

[cheflayne]

Definitely agree with pureeing some of it and back in. Another option not mentioned is to pull some of the broth out, use it to cook rice, puree, and back in.

 

[Pat Pat]

Cornstarch all the way. It's what the father of French sauce making would have used.

 

[Tim Dedula]

WOW, so many good ideas. Thanks much, all. I'll give them all a try and see what i like better.

Tim