The 14 Ways To Fix Your Runny Soup

Whenever you see an elegant composition of clarified broth and precisely chopped greens, or a chunky mess in a rustic bowl, it gives an immediate feeling of comfort, like a hot, soothing bath for the body and soul. It's hard to define a perfect soup because it's a very personal experience closely tied to our childhood memories and cultural heritage.

We can find an answer to the question of what makes soup so indulging by examining the science of mouthfeel and flavor. According to a 2013 study published in Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, there are several stages of oral processing of food, each of which is responsible for the overall experience we find pleasing to our palate. The way food coats our mouth and the time it takes to be swallowed can be attributed to the viscosity or texture of the food. Each type of dish we consume has the ideal viscosity for that particular food, so we always know when the soup has become too runny.

But what if you do it wrong? No need to panic. We can easily improve the mouthfeel of any soup by refining its thickness and texture. So before you throw in the towel, read on to find a dozen old tricks and useful techniques for food thickening that will ensure your soup is amazing. You can thank us later.

Another great way to thicken your soup is by adding an element of interest. With a few common starchy ingredients from your pantry, you can easily make a thin soup firmer and more nutritious. Chances are you'll have some pantry staples on hand, such as dried pasta, quinoa, rice, or beans. Depending on the soup you're making, these ingredients can add substance to an otherwise watery base.

According to Medical News Today, starchy foods are an important source of energy for our bodies and keep us feeling full longer. These foods also contain fiber, which is essential for normal digestion. Starch isn't only good for your health, but it also acts like a binder, soaking up the extra juices and giving your dish a slightly sticky appearance. Don't overdo it though, as a handful is quite enough.

So what should you add and when? There are plenty of recipes that already include legumes or pasta. We advise you to think about the cuisine where your ingredients originate. If you're making a seasonal vegetable soup, adding rice or cannellini beans would be an excellent choice. A red, white, and bean minestrone soup is a good example. It's usually quite thick, and dense, and contains more than one starchy ingredient. You can also try blending them into the soup, as we discussed earlier.

You'll find many recipes asking for a generous dollop of cream at the end. Heavy cream, half and half, or yogurt — all of these can be your ticket to an utterly delicious bowl of thick and creamy soup. It can also help bind a soup that didn't quite go as planned. The key here is timing. The emulsion that makes cream so fluffy and airy can easily be destroyed by heat, per MasterClass. So the best way to use it is to mix it in right after you have finished cooking.

Speaking of heat, according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of Physiology and Behavior, dairy products have been shown to reduce the heat of capsaicin found in chilis. That means you can adjust the thickness and spice level of the soup at the same time. But be careful: If you add a lot of cream, the flavor could be weakened, so you may need an extra pinch of salt or other spices.

What could be more satisfying than the tropical scent of a freshly opened coconut? Starting with the celebrity craze for coconut water, this tropical superfood has been steadily gaining ground in the specialty food sector (via SFA), with a huge variety of products, such as coconut water, oil, milk, cream, and even yogurt ,now hitting the shelves. The global trend toward dairy-free alternatives has finally given chefs and cooks the opportunity to be bold and experiment with fusion cuisine.

Whether you're lactose intolerant or want to add an exotic twist to a Western dish while thickening it at the same time, you can substitute equal parts dairy with coconut cream or coconut milk. Be careful, though, as it too contains emulsified fat that can easily break down when heated. Stir it in carefully at the end so that it can fully develop its creaminess.

Every time we go through the pantry, we're almost certain to find a piece of stale bread. Sometimes it's just laziness that makes it invisible to us, or the fresh bread it's hiding behind is to blame; in one way or another, we've all been guilty of it. The good news is that we can give it another chance before it's condemned to death. Adding it to a soup that's gone wrong is one way to both use up old bread and thicken your dish.

In some cultures, bread is a common ingredient in soup making. In Mexico, for example, bread is often found in soup recipes in old cookbooks (via History at BGSU), while the Italian soup pancotto is made with stale bread, per La Cucina Italiana.

If you don't mind the rustic vibes, adding it to your runny soup is a fantastic way to soak up all the liquid. The bread needs to be hard enough so that it has enough time to soften but retain some texture, similar to croutons. If you don't have stale bread lying around, you can also toast fresh bread in the oven before adding it to your soup.

Tofu seems like a rather unorthodox way to fix a runny soup, but wait until you try it. It comes in many varieties, yet for the best results, silken tofu is the way to go.

While solid tofu can make your dish grainy, the fluffiness of silken tofu will blow you away. It's called silken tofu for a reason, as in Japan it was originally made using cloth covered in silk (via Earth Food Source). Unlike other types of tofu, silken tofu isn't pressed or drained, so the curds remain untouched. This technique creates an extremely soft and delicate tofu that literally melts in your mouth.

The pudding-like consistency and neutral flavor make it an ideal companion for pretty much any soup base. Be sure to add enough flavor to balance out the tofu and we guarantee you'll be adding it to your next shopping cart.

Tapioca is another thickener from a tropical tuber family that works wonders in soup. It is extracted from the cassava root and is usually sold as tapioca flour or tapioca starch. There's a catch, though: Sometimes it's called cassava flour, which is produced from the whole plant, while tapioca flour is just pure starch, per Bob's Red Mill. We know this is confusing, so make sure you read the label before grabbing a bag.

If you are fixing a soup, tapioca flour (or starch) works best. As with any starch, you should make a slurry and then add it to the pot on simmer while whisking continuously. This will give your soup a nice opaque viscosity reminiscent of pudding. You might also come across tapioca pearls, another form of tapioca used in bubble tea or cold desserts. If you're feeling adventurous, they add a nice chewy texture to a sweet soup.

We'll share a saucy tip we've been saving for the end. It's quick and efficient and not only helps thicken a soup, but also adds some depth. Many soups start with some form of broth, which provides a deep and subtle base. Gravy, on the other hand, has a much more concentrated, umami richness that can cleverly be turned into a thickener for a soup.

Traditionally, it is made from the meat juices in the pan, followed by a whisked roux and some stock. We do have a shortcut, however — a convenient dry gravy mix or granules. It usually contains the full spectrum of starches, gums, meat, fish or vegetable flavorings, and dried herbs — pretty much everything you need to quickly fix your runny soup. We definitely recommend an organic and natural gravy mix, as it won't contain artificial colors and flavorings that don't compliment the nourishing bowl of goodness you just made. Giving up on meat? You can easily find a veggie alternative to experiment with as well!