Tip# 22 Make Creamy Soup Without Cream

WOULD YOU BELIEVE: Cream of mushroom soup has 13 grams of fat per cup which makes up 59% of its calories. Cream of chicken soup can be as high a 194 calories and 13.6 grams of fat per cup and 63% fat from calories. (Chicken noodle soup is 66 calories and 2.2 grams per cup.)

SOME FACTS: Cream soups are deceptively high in fat content. The problem comes with the cream in the soup base.The good news is, there's a way to get that same creamy texture by using high EMI substitutes for the cream.
First, use potatoes, corn, frozen peas, lima beans, or puréed rice to make the soup stock creamier. To make it even creamier, take a portion of the soup and put it through a blender. Another way is to add miso. Just add and blend it in. You can also thicken the broth by using corn starch or arrowroot. Flour can also be added to make it a little heavier in texture.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Try the following creamless recipes for some delicious low-fat, high EMI soups, then experiment with your own ideas.
Potato and Corn Chowder
2 tsp. Dry cooking sherry
1¼ C Sweet yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
2C Red potatoes, cubed
1 can Vegetable stock (14¼ oz.)
1C Soy milk
1C Corn kernels, fresh or frozen
1 Bay leaf
¼ tsp. Paprika
¼ tsp. Thyme
1 tsp. Basil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Olive oil cooking spray


Add wine to a large oil-sprayed skillet and heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent browning. Add water as needed. Add potatoes, bay leaf, herbs, and stock to sautéed onions and garlic. Cover pan, bring to a boil, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

When the potatoes are tender, add the corn and milk. Simmer until the corn is tender, about 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Use your hand blender to partially puree the mixture, or remove a cup of soup and puree in blender or food processor, then return it to the pot. This will give your soup a creamy texture. Season with salt and/or pepper to taste. Makes 6 to 8 portions. (1 portion = 113.4 calories, 1.0 grams fat, 15% protein, 78% carbohydrates, 7% fat)

This and other cream soups are a snap to make if you have a hand blender. With this, you can partially blend the soup right in the pot. Just wait until it's almost done then do your blending, leaving enough chunky ingredients to give the soup texture. Watch out for spattering though, if it's really hot. Try the three following simple recipes to see how this is done.

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