Vegetable chowder: A retro soup recipe from 1950 - Click Americana (2024)

FAQs

Can I add milk to soup to make it creamy? ›

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half.

Green Vegetables

Peas, green beans, and leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale are added during the final 15 to 20 minutes of simmering time for the soup.

Add Something 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.

Add coconut milk.

Other plant-based milks can get the job done, but there's something special about the richness of full-fat coconut milk.

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.

I start with preping some stock or broth (with meat or without depending on the soup), then goes hard veggies beets, carrots, potatoes, then spices like ginger, turmeric, paprika, black pepper, etc., then softer veggies like celery, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, the pasta or rice (if any) then herbs like parsley, ...

Fat-free half-and-half or low-fat milk would most likely curdle. You need to be careful even with the cream. If you started the soup with broth, stock or water, I would wait until the end to add the cream. You can warm the cream, or “temper” it, which is what I do.

To balance flavors: Milk can help to tone down the acidity in soups, making them more palatable. To enrich the broth: Adding milk to soups can increase their nutrient content, particularly if you use whole milk. To thicken the soup: Milk can also help to thicken soups, making them more filling.

Can you add milk to soup to make it thicker? ›

Thicken with Dairy

If you're not a fan of slurries or roux, dairy is your next best method. Dairy adds a velvety texture that results in rich and creamy soups. Dairy can curdle your soup, so make sure to stick to higher-fat content products (coconut milk, heavy cream, sour cream) instead of milks.