Many modern-day cream soups are made without a starch/roux. The vegetable itself can be used to thicken the soup to the desired consistency. Follow the same soup-making process as described in the How to Make Roux-Based Soups lesson – just omit the flour. The only difference is the amount of liquid used. Add just enough flavorful liquid to cover the mirepoix and primary vegetable plus about 10 percent (too much liquid will make the soup too thin and can water down the flavor of the vegetable). Simmer until tender.

Once tender, the soup can be served as is or it can be blended to obtain a creamy consistency. If blending, it is best to first strain the liquid from the solids. If all of the liquid and solids are blended at once, you may wind up with too much liquid and the final soup could potentially be too thin. It is much more convenient and foolproof to commit to all of the solids and add just enough liquid in the blender so the contents can blend together easily. Start thick and then thin the soup down to the proper consistency by adding more liquid as needed. You will know the consistency is getting closer to a cream-like consistency when the soup looks smooth and coats the back of a spoon without leaving any grit.

While cream soups can be made without a starch such as flour, keep in mind that without the starch, the butter or fat will eventually separate from the soup and float to the surface. The mouth feel of the soup may also not be as smooth. The roux in cream soup is what helps to keep the soup bound together, so you’ll need to give soups without a roux a good stir prior to serving.