A cup of hearty soup fresh from the crockpot can a satisfying treat on a cold winter day. If you make your own homemade soups, you may find, at times, that your soup comes out too thin in texture which can make it less hearty. Many of the conventional ways to thicken soups use high carb ingredients such as white flour. If you’re on a low carb diet plan, you may want to avoid adding white flour to thicken your soups. What are the alternatives? Fortunately, there are ways to add texture and body to a soup without adding significant carbs:
How to thicken soup: Use the power of reduction
One of the simplest but most time consuming ways to thicken a pot of soup without adding carbs is to allow the soup to simmer with the top off the crockpot until a portion of the liquid evaporates away. You’ll be left with a thicker, hardier soup without adding a thing.
How to thicken soup: Guar gum
Guar gum is an effective thickening agent that has more than seven times the thickening power of corn starch without the carbs. The problem with using guar gum is that it tends clump when added to a liquid. If you use it, add small amounts very slowly allowing it to completely dissolve before adding more. You’ll want to avoid adding more than is necessary as it can add add an unusual taste and slimy texture to the soup if added in excess.
How to thicken soup: Add cream
Cream not only will give a thicker texture to soup, it will also add a creamy lusciousness to the finished recipe. It may not be the best choice if you’re restricting fat, but it’ll work if you’re on a low carb diet plan.
How to thicken soup: Pureed vegetables
One of the quickest ways to thicken a pot of soup is to remove some of the vegetables from the crockpot and puree them in the blender. Once they’re pureed, stir them back into the soup. Pureed cauliflower or zucchini make excellent thickening agents since they’re healthy and low in carbs.
How to thicken soup: Egg yolks
Egg yolks are a low carb way to thicken soup. The correct ratio is one beaten egg yolk per cup of soup. Beat the egg yolk thoroughly in a bowl and add a small amount of cream. Slowly pour a small amount of the hot soup into the bowl with the cream and egg yolk. Mix it thoroughly. This will prevent the egg yolk from scrambling when you put it into the crockpot with the hot soup. Once the egg is added, avoid boiling the soup again unless you want scrambled soup!
These methods will give you an alternative to more traditional soup thickeners such as cornstarch, arrowroot, and white flour which are higher in carbs. Plus, you’ll still end up with a healthy, hearty bowl of soup that’ll satisfy your hunger on a cold day even if you are on a low carb diet plan.
