Have you made your soup too thin and need to thicken it up in a hurry? Here are 10 easy ways to thicken your soup to the texture you want; without ruining the flavour. Plus my top tips for never making soup too thin again!
Jump To
Easy ways to make soup thicker
There are lots of easy ways, using everyday ingredients, to quickly thicken up a soup that is too thin without ruining the flavour.
See Also
- How to freeze soup (and defrost and reheat)
- How to make canned soup taste better, and how to garnish soup
- All our soup recipes
If your soup tastes great, but it is far too thin, more of a drink than a meal, I’ve got 10 easy solutions to try, each suited to different types of soup.
If your soup is too thin and also lacking in flavour, first give it a simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid off the pan to reduce the soup and concentrate the flavour. Then if more thickening is needed try one of the solutions below.
How to thicken soup – 10 easy ways
Try any one or a combination of two of these solutions. If necessary repeat.
1 – Add cooked rice / potatoes
Blending in some cooked rice or leftover boiled or mashed potato with a stick blender is a great way to quickly thicken up a soup. I’ve nearly always got some cooked rice in the freezer so it is really easy to add a few spoons full.
If needed repeat. This method is perfect for a cauliflower or similar soup – try in my cauliflower and broccoli soup.
2 – Blend a chunky soup
If you have a chunky soup that is too thin then you can easily scoop out a ladle of liquid, and blend the soup. If you want to retain some of the texture then also use a small strainer to scoop out some of the chunks and add them back in.
You might be able to add the reserved liquid back in after blending, or can freeze it and use in your next batch of soup.
I used this method to thicken a chunky soup in my pinto bean soup.
3 – Add cous cous, small pasta shapes or polenta
Lots classic Italian soups like pasta fa*gioli or pastina are enriched, bulked and thickened with small pieces of “soup pasta” which cook really quickly, absorbing liquid to thicken the soup.
I like orzo (shaped like rice) or stelline (shaped like little stars).
You can also use cous cous or polenta. Simple add a few spoons and bring the soup back to a simmer to let the pasta, cous cous or polenta cook and absorb some of the excess liquid.
This works really well in a soup that is already chunky, or a tomato soup, such as my tomato and pepper soup.
4 – Add a dollop of nut butter
Stir in a generous tablespoon of your favourite nut butter or tahini and gently heat to thicken and and flavour and creaminess.
Tahini is a central ingredient in my butternut, lemon and tahini soup where it thickens and adds flavour and creaminess.
5 – Thicken with flour / cornflour
It is easy to thicken a soup with cornflour / cornstarch.
Add 2 teaspoons of cornflour to a small bowl, and then add the same amount of liquid and mix to make a paste or slurry. Stir it back into the soup and gently simmer for a couple of minutes to thicken.
You can do the same with some regular flour too.
Always make a paste or slurry that is no thicker than double or heavy cream and add this back into the soup. Never add a thick paste or the flour directly to the soup as it will clump and you will never get the lumps out.
You can also use this method for stews and curries, like my slow cooker chicken curry.
6 – Add ground lentils / rice / oats
Grind one tablespoon of dried red lentils, rice or oats in a blender or spice grinder, add to the soup, stir in and simmer for a few minutes.
Works well in tomato, carrot and root vegetable soups – such as a carrot and swede soup.
7 – Add bread
Tear up a few slices of bread and add to the soup, allow the liquid to soak in and then blend. If you do not want to change the flavour use a mild tasting white bread, or use sourdough to add some flavour.
You can also add some panko breadcrumbs, which won’t need to be blended in.
Bread is a central ingredient in the Italian pappa al pomodoro and salmorejo.
8 – Add canned beans
Canned beans are a pantry staple; they will thicken and add both bulk and protein to a bowl of soup. Drain and rinse and add a few spoons to the soup, blending in with a stick blender. Repeat if needed.
I use beans to both thicken and flavour in my pinto bean soup.
9 – Add egg yolk
Egg yolk is an excellent thickener, but needs to be treated carefully so you do not end up with scrambled egg in your soup!
Temper the egg yolk first by adding hot soup to it spoonful by spoonful, whisking all the time until you have a smooth pourable mixture. Then stir this into the soup. Try this in a soup that is already creamy like this slow cooker chicken gnocchi soup.
Pack the leftover egg white into a tub and freeze to make meringues another day.
10 – Add dairy
This is not as effective at thickening as some of the other methods, but will thicken a little and add a lovely cream texture, as well as tempering any excess chilli or spice!
Dairy can curdle when you add to a hot liquid so use full fat products, and do not allow the soup to boil once added.
To help reduce the risk of curdling you can temper the dairy, by slowly adding small amounts of hot soup to it, stirring as you go, then adding to the soup. Or stabilise the dairy by making a cornflour / starch slurry with it.
Yoghurt or double cream work well as an addition to cold soups, such my watercress soup – delicious when served cold.
Other methods of thickening soup
- Blend in some silken tofu
- Add uncooked rice and simmer for about 15 minutes
- Make a roux, then slowly add some soup until you have thick liquid, then add this to the soup.
How to never make soup that is too thin ever again!
You have fixed your too thin soup and vowed never to make soup that is too thin ever again!
Making soup doesn’t demand exactness, and most recipes are exact. You can easily change the recipe depending on what you have available, after all vegetables do not come in standard sizes!
There is one thing that you need to know!
Helen’s Pro Tip
When making soup the one thing to remember is that you can always add more liquid, but you cannot take it out!When making soup regardless of what the recipe says always add about a third less liquid than the recipe calls for unless there are instructions on how to adjust.
A good rule of thumb is never completely cover the uncooked ingredients with liquid. You want about an inch or so above the liquid line. This works for soup in a pan, pressure cooker, slow cooker or soup maker.
Check halfway through cooking and add a little more liquid, especially if you are using uncooked rice or lentils that will absorb liquid, but this rule works for me every single time.
Then once cooked and blended, add more liquid as needed for the perfectly textured soup!
My favourite soups
- Carrot and coriander soup – the delicious classic
- Roast tomato soup – roasting concentrates those delicious flavours
- Cauliflower cheese soup – comfort in a bowl
- Slow cooker courgette soup – how to deal with a glut or courgettes or zucchinis
Related Posts
The Best Tomato Soup Recipes
Slow Cooker Tomato Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Slow Cooker Courgette Soup (Zucchini Soup)
