The Time for Soup Draws Nigh
I don’t know what’s up with October 2024, but I am pretty sure it’s not supposed to be 90+ degrees in the Midwest (and don’t get me started on hurricanes.) Still, if the forecast is to be believed, temperatures are about to tumble which means I can finally start making soup.
A Soup Fan for the Ages
For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of soup: chicken noodle, bisque, beef barley, hot and sour, miso, egg drop, chicken tortilla, tomato, more chicken noodle, chicken and rice, chicken and stars, chowder, etc. etc.
No matter the type of soup, it is the only reward I have for living where I will soon walk outside and have wind attack my face.
There’s only one problem: in the Blog Well Done household, we have two very lactose intolerant eaters and some soups don’t require dairy, a lot do. (Looking at you copycat zuppa toscana from the Olive Garden recipe.) Fortunately, I am a food blogger and know a thing or two about cooking… so…
Dairy-Based Soups without Dairy
We’re going to make dairy soups without dairy! The good news it is possible to replace heavy cream in a recipe with just a little forethought and a few ingredients. Recipes that call for cheese are a little tougher, but we can figure those out, too. Just reach out and we’ll find a way!
Before we do, though, we need to understand what dairy does to a soup. Dairy has three important roles in a given soup:
- Thickening the soup
- Creating a velvety mouthfeel
- Tastes freaking amazing
Dairy Free Dairy Substitute for Soups
We’re going to have to find a substitute that can do all three. First, we need a plant-based milk. A lot of people turn to soy milk, which is fine, but when sold commercially, soy milk usually has added sugar that will clash with the rest of the dish. Some will turn to almond milk, but that has too much almond flavor.
When it comes to milk replacer, my go to is coconut milk if I don’t mind a little coconut flavor or hemp milk when I do. Either milk can be replaced 1:1 with the cream in a recipe.
Next, we need to add a little thickener and for that, my go to is arrowroot. You can use cornstarch or potato starch, but arrowroot handles heat better, has that velvety mouthfeel, and is super powerful. Start with a 1/4 teaspoon of arrowroot per cup of plant milk and add more if you need more thickening.
Finally, cream tastes good because it is a complex liquid with lots of flavor compounds. When substituting plant milk for cream, add a healthy pinch of salt (Himalayan pink salt if you can) and a little garlic powder. All of that is to taste, but cream has naturally occurring salts in it, so if you omit this, your soup will taste a little flat.
Okay, give that a shot and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!
Image by Akhlaq Ahmed from Pixabay
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