Why You Should Be Careful When Using Cream Cheese To Thicken Potato Soup (2024)

ashlyn frassinelli

·3 min read

Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silkypotato souprecipes — right? The answer is yes. It only works well if you do it carefully, though. Before you dump a block of cream cheese into your soup pot, there is an important step to follow first to ensure your finished product doesn't end up a clumpy, lumpy mess.

To reach full hom*ogenization between your soup and the cream cheese thickener, you need to blend everything properly. This means putting the soup into a proper blender or using an immersion blender to blitz everything together. Without this essential step, the cream cheese may not fully combine into the soup. That will leave you with little bits of undissolved cream cheese floating around in your broth. The same is true if you're adding a scoop of sour cream to the dish as well. Blend it properly and thoroughly for the best, most velvety results.

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Why Won't Cream Cheese Combine?

Why You Should Be Careful When Using Cream Cheese To Thicken Potato Soup (2)

Getting a solid like cheese to combine with a liquid like soup broth can be a struggle. Cheese is a particularly tricky addition to soups because if the temperature of the soup is too hot or too cold, the cheese won't melt properly and will start to clump. Temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the cheese to release liquid too fast as a result of broken protein bonds. As a result, the dairy will seize up. On the flip side, if the soup isn't hot enough, the cheese won't melt fully. It's essential to emulsify the cream cheese to achieve a completely smooth soup.

When it comes to potato soup, the emulsification process is slightly easier.Potato protein works as an emulsifying agent that helps suspend fats and liquids together. However, it's also true that the smaller the droplets of the two substances that need to be combined, the easier they can form a cohesive result. The blender breaks down the cream cheese into small particles for a smoother texture.

What Does Cream Cheese Add To Potato Soup?

Why You Should Be Careful When Using Cream Cheese To Thicken Potato Soup (3)

Much like with cream cheese-enhanced mashed potatoes, cream cheese is a welcome addition to potato soup. It adds both decadent flavor and a smooth texture. The creamy mouthfeel of melted cream cheese, when thoroughly and properly incorporated, adds richness to soup beyond compare. It's especially appropriate in potato soups as it adds some fat and body to accentuate the starchiness of the spuds.

Cream cheese also adds that all-important tang, imparting brightness and a touch of salty-sweetness that provides a depth of flavor to your simmering soup. Cream cheese is an excellent addition to soups that you want to be exceedingly thick (thicker than what a glug of heavy cream or half-and-half will get you). Just be careful to add it in the proper way with a good whirl in the blender. Be mindful of the clumps and you'll have a bowl of one of the richest, most delicious soups you'll ever enjoy.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.

Why You Should Be Careful When Using Cream Cheese To Thicken Potato Soup (2024)

FAQs

Why You Should Be Careful When Using Cream Cheese To Thicken Potato Soup? ›

Temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the cheese to release liquid too fast as a result of broken protein bonds. As a result, the dairy will seize up. On the flip side, if the soup isn't hot enough, the cheese won't melt fully.

Will cream cheese thicken potato soup? ›

It might be tempting to add sour cream or softened cream cheese to help thicken the soup, but these dairy products only work in certain circ*mstances. You must blend cream cheese or sour cream, either with an immersion blender or a full-size blender, for it to thicken a soup.

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

Why cream cheese in soup? ›

It adds both decadent flavor and a smooth texture. The creamy mouthfeel of melted cream cheese, when thoroughly and properly incorporated, adds richness to soup beyond compare. It's especially appropriate in potato soups as it adds some fat and body to accentuate the starchiness of the spuds.

Does cream cheese thicken? ›

Cream cheese can also help to thicken cream-based sauces. It can act as a thickener for salad dressings, dips, and be used as a replacement for mayonnaise. It can also help to thicken pancake batters and be used as a base for cake icing when mixed with butter.

Why won't my cream cheese melt in my potato soup? ›

Cheese is a particularly tricky addition to soups because if the temperature of the soup is too hot or too cold, the cheese won't melt properly and will start to clump. Temperatures over 150 degrees Fahrenheit will cause the cheese to release liquid too fast as a result of broken protein bonds.

Can you add cream cheese to thicken soup? ›

Cream cheese is an excellent addition to soups that you want to be exceedingly thick (thicker than what a glug of heavy cream or half-and-half will get you). Just be careful to add it in the proper way with a good whirl in the blender.

Why is my potato soup not thickening? ›

Pour in a little cream to add thickness and a silky texture.

Adding cream to your soup will help thicken it, and it will give the potato soup a creamy, silky texture. In addition, the cream adds a rich flavor that goes perfectly with potato soup.

How do you keep potato soup from getting too thick? ›

After a certain point, this can quickly overwhelm the liquid in your soup recipe, as the starches absorb liquid while turning more and more gluey, gummy, and thick. Therefore, you'll want to keep mashing and blending to a minimum in order to keep your soup smooth.

How to thicken crockpot potato soup? ›

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker. Just a tablespoon or two of any — added towards the end of cooking — will thicken sauces especially well.

Can I use cream cheese instead of heavy cream in soup? ›

Cream cheese will work as a one-to-one substitute for heavy cream. Keep in mind that cream cheese may alter the taste and texture of the final product, so make sure to use it in suitable recipes in which the flavors will work together, such as in creamy soups or cheesy sauces.

Will cream cheese curdle in soup? ›

Yes, it's best to add the cheese towards the end of the cooking process, once the soup has thickened and is no longer at a rapid boil. This allows the cheese to melt slowly and evenly into the soup, reducing the risk of curdling.

Does cream cheese thicken potatoes? ›

Will cream cheese thicken mashed potatoes? It will, but in the best way! Then the milk is used to thin the potatoes back out again for the best, creamiest texture!

Why do cream soups get watery? ›

"The majority of issues with a creamy soup come from undercooking the vegetables," explains Rick Martinez, associate food editor at BA. They should be uniformly soft, with no resistance or "bite"—otherwise, they will not stand up to the blender. You'll be left with a soup that's watery in portions and lumpy in others.

How to thicken cream cheese without cornstarch? ›

Using Icing Sugar to Thicken the Frosting

- Just add 2 loosely packed tablespoons (16 grams). In some countries, icing sugar is called powdered sugar or confectioners sugar. This method will make the cream cheese frosting sweeter as it is adding extra sugar to the mixture.

Does adding cream to soup make it thicker? ›

Adding extra cream can thicken a creamy or blended soup like this wild mushroom-soup, but stirring in a spoonful of thick yogurt can be more effective. Be careful not to boil the soup once you've added the cream or yogurt or it may split.

How to thicken soup without changing flavor? ›

Cornstarch, or corn flour, can be used to thicken soup through its high starch content. Cornstarch is a great thickener for soup because only a little bit is needed to significantly thicken a soup, and it will not affect the flavor profile of the soup.

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