Alternative thickener for soups and stews
What thickener will add least calories to soups and stews, producing effects similar to "regular" thickeners? All the ones I know are either pretty high-calorie, or produce results that are quite off "regular".
- roux - lots of fat and carbs
- flour + sour cream - same.
- potato starch / mashed potatoes / instant potato puree - lots of carbs.
- mashed beans - high protein content
- xanthan gum - weird texture (shear-thinning liquid).
- gelatin - very temperature dependent, almost no thickening effect on hot meals.
What are my other options?
Best Answer
Take one or two scoops of your soup (prefer the solid parts), put it into a blender, blitz until smooth and put it back into your soup.
You'll get zero additional calories and zero awful stuff your grandma wouldn't identify as food.
This obviously only works if we're not talking about a broth.
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Quick Answer about "Alternative thickener for soups and stews"
Arrowroot, cornstarch, tapioca, rice flour and other starch thickeners can be dissolved in cold water and added to the soup or stew. For best results, bring the soup back to a boil, and allow it to simmer until it reaches your desired consistency.What can I use as a soup thickener?
Add flour or cornflour You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. 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.How can I thicken my soup naturally?
A handful of uncooked rice. That's all folks, just a handful of white rice. Any kind will do: jasmine, basmati, short grain, long grain. When added to a brothy (or watery, even) soup, and left to simmer for 20-30 minutes, the rice breaks down, releasing its starch and thickening the liquid that it's cooking in.What can you use instead of flour to thicken stew?
How can I thicken a stew without using flour? For a gluten-free thickener, make a slurry using a starch like cornstarch, arrowroot powder, chickpea flour or potato starch instead of all-purpose flour.What can you use to thicken soup besides cornstarch?
These include:Alternative Starches: How to thicken sauces without flour
More answers regarding alternative thickener for soups and stews
Answer 2
You could use a corn starch and water slurry. Less corn starch is needed as compared to flour and no oil. Thickens quite well.
Answer 3
I would suggest Arrowroot powder; it is a powerful thickener, has no real flavor of its own, and can be used at lower temperatures. It is a bit more expensive, but if you can afford it, I would say it is probably the best overall option with the most flexibility.
Answer 4
I have good success with either instant Masa powder (nixtamalized and dried corn flour) or powdered dried mushrooms. Both suck up water quite well.
Answer 5
Eggplant. I often fooled my kids into thinking the Alfredo sauce was classic, but it was just pureed cooked eggplant and cheese. I often thickened my soups this way. It was a way to get vegetables into their tummies without whining. Eggplant has very little taste on its own once peeled.
Answer 6
I like rolled oats to thicken a broth soup, potato flakes for a cream soup, and for my jalapeno broccoli asiago, I just blend some of the broccoli.
I really like the dried mushroom idea. I had never heard of that.
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