The season of chills calls for something hot and slurpy that you can sip and eat while being cozily snuggled in your blanket. For me, a hot bowl of soup does that job. Every winters, Sunday evenings are dedicated to soup dinners at my home. My mother and I look for different ways to make soup and each weekend come up with a new idea. From manchow to mushroom, from sweet corn to tomato, there is no dearth of soups that you can drink. The classic chicken soup makes frequent trips on our dinner table in winters, so does the rich and light tomato soup.
While soup, by nature, is considered to be liquid-y and have a watery texture, there are plenty of soups which are best enjoyed thick and creamy. These days, we’ve got instant soup packets that can be brought to a boil in minutes and drunk. However, they contain a lot of preservatives. You can easily make fresh soup at home without much hassle. Take, tomato soup, for instance. The light and filling soup is made from freshly blanched tomatoes at home.
Not only does it provide you with the right kind of nutrients, it also gives a very earthy and rustic taste. If you’ve been attempting to make tomato soup at home but it turns out too watery each time, we’ve got your back. Here are some quick and easy ways to thicken tomato soup.
1. The Cream Agent
We all know how creamy cream is, right? It sounds funny but is actually true. The velvety texture of cream is enough to make your tomato soup thick. If you don’t want to just add cream, you can go for half cream and half whole milk which can balance the two. Opting for yoghurt is a good idea only when you are okay with your soup tasting a little sour.
2. The Flour Agent
If you want to thicken your soup but are okay with the glossiness going away, then flour should be added to the soup. Mix it in water to form a slurry and pour in into the pot and mix well. Alternatives could be chickpea flour and corn flour too. You can add little by little and check the thickness by stirring constantly.
3. The Roux Agent
This will be a super-easy and convenient method for you. All you have to do is mix part butter with part flour to form a roux. Heat the butter in a pan and add the flour to it, mixing it to form a thick mixture. Pour it into your soup and you’ll get a glossy, creamy and rich texture and taste of the soup.
4. The Eggs Agent
Eggs are known for being liquid-y yet creamy. Whisked eggs work well to thicken your tomato soup. If you want a really thick soup, only use the yolks and if you want a lighter consistency, opt for the whites. Whisking them in a bit of soup gives it the ideal texture. This can then be added to the entire pot.