Chunky Leek and Potato Soup (No Cream) - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

How do you thicken potato soup without cream? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool. Add a few tablespoons of flour or cornstarch to the bowl and whisk until it's blended smooth. Next, bring the soup to a simmer and add the mixture back to the pot. Pro tip: Don't dump in the entire mixture at once.

The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Why is my potato leek soup gummy? Potatoes should be diced in similar size so they cook evenly, but don't drive yourself crazy getting them teeny-tiny. If they're too small, you risk the potatoes releasing too much starch, which can make the soup gummy when pureed.

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

Mix mix 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth then stir into the soup. May need to double or triple that depending on how much soup you have. Simmer gently to thicken. The advantage of arrowroot starch over cornstarch is that it does not break down as quickly when heated.

Potato and Leek Soup: Simplicity at Its Best

You can garnish it with your favourite toppings like crispy bacon bits or have it with cheese and garlic bread – the list is endless. For the full dinner experience, it goes beautifully with sweet and earthy roast Dutch carrots, savoury grilled chicken and toasted bread.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

It looks as though some of your potatoes might have got a bit scorched. Did you fry them off before adding the liquid? The colour from the browned potatoes could be what is turning it brown.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Does cheese thicken potato soup? ›

Add cheese.

For a baked potato soup flavor, add grated cheddar cheese near the end of the cooking process, which will thicken the thin soup as the cheese melts.

I love cream or half-and-half, but you can use dairy-free coconut milk or this homemade cashew cream.

Add the leeks to the pot, lowering the heat if necessary and saute for 10-15 minutes , or until soft and translucent. Be careful not to burn the leeks, as they will impart a bitter taste to the soup. The excess liquid from cleaning the leeks should help prevent any burning.

Potatoes – use starchy or all rounders, they fall apart when simmered which means less blending for creamy soup = less risk of gluey soup*.

So what do you do if you've made the mistake of using starchy potatoes in your soup? One trick to make your potato soup a little less grainy is to add some form of dairy –- cream, milk, or even cheese. Because dairy is generally creamy in texture, that characteristic will carry over into your soup.

Opt for Cornstarch or Arrowroot

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch or arrowroot with a small amount of cold water to form a slurry. Once the slurry is smooth, gradually pour it into the simmering potato soup. Stir well to ensure the slurry is evenly distributed.

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.

One way to thicken a stew without flour is to add some cooked rice or quinoa. Another option is to puree some of the vegetables in the stew to thicken it. To thicken a stew without flour, some recipes call for using a thickener such as arrowroot starch or almond flour.