7,783 thickener recipes

White Michigan bean soup is a three-ingredient classic: white navy-style beans simmered slowly with a smoked ham hock, then partly mashed to thicken. Old-school, no-fuss comfort.

No-bake lemon cheesecake set without gelatin, where lemon juice thickens a cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk filling over a cinnamon crumb crust. Bright, tangy and made entirely in the fridge.

German-style filled cucumbers stuffed with seasoned ground beef, tied together, and braised with bacon and onion in a cornstarch-thickened gravy.

Old-fashioned key lime pie: tart lime and lemon juice whisked into sweetened condensed milk, which thickens to a silky filling in a graham crust. Barely baked, chilled, and crowned with whipped cream.

Pepper beef balls simmer tender meatballs in a glossy soy-ginger sauce with green peppers, onion, and tomato, thickened to coat. A pepper-steak twist in meatball form, served over rice.

Green grape pie with a graham cracker crust, cornstarch-thickened grape filling, and a sweetened sour cream topping. A refreshing, unexpected fruit pie.

Basbousa bil loz (Egyptian almond basbousa) cooks toasted semolina and almonds with butter, then thickens with lemon-scented sugar syrup. A stovetop Middle Eastern dessert.

Beef stroganoff Russian style sears sirloin strips with mushrooms, onion, and garlic, then finishes in a tangy sour cream sauce thickened with roux and tomato paste. Served over buttered egg noodles.

Rhubarb-strawberry dessert sauce thickened with cornstarch and served chilled. Tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries cook into a glossy, ruby-red topping for ice cream or cake.

Hot and sour soup with shredded pork, tofu, wood ears, bamboo shoots, and silky egg ribbons. A restaurant-style Chinese soup thickened with cornstarch and finished with sesame oil.

Badami Gosht is a rich Indian lamb curry simmered in saffron yogurt and coconut milk, thickened with ground almonds and fragrant with cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

Maine fish chowder simmers fresh haddock, potatoes, and onions in salt-pork-rendered fat and milk for a creamy, old-school New England chowder. No flour, no thickener, just pure fish flavor.

Three-ingredient New England cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries, sugar, and water. Homemade cranberry sauce that thickens as it cools, ready in under 30 minutes.

Pasta salad with chopped spinach, daikon, red grapes, and a guar-gum-thickened raspberry-honey-mustard dressing. A fat-free dressing that coats like oil without the calories.

Pasta with tomato, chard, and sunflower seed sauce where ground toasted sunflower seeds thicken a fresh tomato-basil sauce. A vegan, nut-free pasta with hidden protein and earthy greens.

English farmhouse vegetable soup simmers carrots, leek, onion, celery, and potatoes in lamb stock with a bouquet garni. Potatoes break down to thicken the broth naturally.