Basic Cream of Vegetable Soup
Submitted by romerjt
A universal cream soup formula: butter, onion, potato for body, chicken broth, and any steamed vegetable you like, pureed silky and finished with heavy cream.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
Learn this one soup and you’ll never need another cream soup recipe again.
The formula is foolproof: sauteed onion and diced potato simmer in chicken broth until tender, then your steamed vegetable of choice goes in. Broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, whatever you’ve got.
Blend until smooth (or leave a cup of vegetables whole for a chunkier bowl), season, and stir in heavy cream at the end.
The potato does double duty here: it thickens the soup naturally and gives it a velvety body without needing flour or roux.
Variations
- Cream of broccoli: Use 1 ½ cups steamed broccoli florets. Add a handful of sharp cheddar after blending for a broccoli cheddar version.
- Cream of spinach: Wilt fresh spinach and stir it in. A pinch of nutmeg makes it sing.
- Cream of mushroom: Saute sliced mushrooms with the onion before adding the potato and broth.
Pro Tips
- Cook the onion without browning it. You want the sweetness without any toasted color that would darken the soup.
- Blend in batches and leave the blender lid slightly ajar to let steam escape. Hot soup in a sealed blender is a mess waiting to happen.
- Stir the cream in at the very end off the heat. Boiling cream can curdle and you lose that silky finish.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion and cook until tender without browning.
Stir in diced potato and liquid.
Bring to a boil and simmer until potato is tender.
Stir in your steamed vegetable of choice and return to a simmer.
Purée the soup in batches in a blender and return to saucepan.
Leave 1 cup of vegetables not puréed if a chunkier soup is preferred.
Season soup with salt and pepper and finish with heavy cream.
Serve warm with french bread and a salad.
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