Stop adding cream to make soup creamier when 1 cupboard ingredient is better

A proper bowl of soup looks different for everyone, but one thing that many people would agree on is thatthe best kinds are thick and creamy, and delicious mopped up with crusty bread. Whether your go-to recipe is autumnal squash or cream of tomato, achieving a velvety, spoon-coating texture seems tied to a heavy splash of dairy. But that's not so. Silky soups that feel indulgent can be made without using cream from the fridge, instead relying on a humble cupboard staple.

Food and nutrition expert Sara Haas, speaking to The Spruce Eats, says classical French training taught her that texture is about method, not dairy. "The funny thing about creamy soups is that many of the good ones don't have much cream in them at all", she said. Often, a dash of cream is added at the end to round out the flavours, but it contributes very little to the texture. Sara says that she prefers using another "trick" instead, which involves a tin of beans.

"It's simple," she told The Spruce Eats. Take a ladle of hot broth, blitz it in a blender with drained, rinsed cannellini or other white beans until perfectly smooth, then pour the puree back into the simmering pot and let it meld together.

As she puts it, the result "looks creamy" and "tastes creamy," yet you've added no cream, no flour, no cornstarch.

Swapping heavy cream for blended white beans makes soup luxuriously creamy while dramatically improving its nutrition, a move endorsed by food experts for both texture and health benefits.

Unlike cream, which offers little more than saturated fat and calories, a full can of puréed beans provides roughly 350 kcal, but delivers a massive hit of dietary fibre (up to 20 grams) and plant-based protein (15-20 grams), plus essential micronutrients like iron and folate.

For a comparable amount of calories (approximately 350 kcal), heavy cream provides almost none of these benefits, being composed primarily of saturated fat.

Cream should only be used to finish a soup, as relying on it for bulk can dilute the flavour of your stock and, according to culinary experts, is prone to splitting or curdling when reheated.

When blended ultra-smooth with hot liquid, beans create a glossy body that mimics dairy without the weight, allowing vegetables, herbs, and good stock to shine.

Sara also champions vegetable purees as stealth thickeners. Cauliflower - steamed or roasted - is a standout because, as she notes, it has a "neutral flavor like beans," so it melts into the background while adding body.

Fold a cup of blitzed cauliflower into a pan of mushroom, broccoli, or parsnip soup, and you'll notice immediate silkiness, with your aromatics and stock doing the talking.

Built-in thickening is another cream alternative. "Another idea is to puree part of your soup and add it back to the pot," said Sara, a tactic that shines with starchy veg like potatoes and winter squash.

Ladle out a portion of your simmered soup - think sweet potato bisque or roasted butternut - blend it until satin-smooth, then return it to the pan.