How to Make Creamy Soup (Without Adding Cream)
A steaming bowl of creamy soup can be a satisfying meal on a chilly day. But if you're wary of adding high-fat cream to an otherwise resolution-worthy dinner, there are ways to get the same velvety texture without mixing in any dairy.
The general method is so simple, you don't really need a recipe:
1. Sauté aromatic vegetables (onions, garlic, shallots, leeks) in olive or canola oil until softened.
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2. Add chicken or vegetable broth and lots of chopped vegetables (choose one or a combination: carrots, winter squash, broccoli, cauliflower, fennel, parsnips, potatoes, beets).
3. Simmer until tender.
4. Puree the soup in your blender (in batches) or with a hand blender. If you prefer some chunks but still want a soup with lots of body, puree only half the soup, and leave the other in chunks.
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5. Reheat, if necessary, then top with chopped fresh herbs, croutons. Or if you want a little dairy, add some freshly grated Parmesan, a swirl of yogurt or dollop of sour cream.
And there you have a hot, comforting, but not diet-busting meal in only a few steps - and a quick rummage through the vegetable drawer!
- By Catherine Lo, Good Housekeeping Research Institute
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