How to Thicken Cream of Mushroom Soup? 10 Easy Ways

To thicken cream of mushroom soup, add a little flour to it. The flour will act as a thickener for the soup. You can also add some cornstarch or rice flour to the soup and cook it over medium heat until the soup thickens.

Cream of mushroom soup is one of the most iconic comfort food dishes in America.

I just love the creamy consistency, the subtle notes of earthy mushrooms, and the comforting aroma of the onions and garlic.

But the thing is, cream of mushroom soup can be a little thin.

And that’s why it’s really important to add a thickener so you can enjoy this classic dish without worrying about it being too watery.

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How to Thicken Cream of Mushroom Soup? 10 Easy Ways

Thickening cream of mushroom soup is easy with just a few ingredients. Just whisk 1 cup of heavy cream with a quarter cup of flour until a smooth paste is formed. Slowly add this mixture to the remaining contents of the soup while stirring to avoid lumps.

Looking for other ways to thicken your soup?

Then keep scrolling!

1. Use Cornstarch

The best way to thicken cream of mushroom soup is with cornstarch. To do so, just add a tablespoon of cornstarch to your hot soup.

While whisking constantly, stir the soup until it reaches the desired consistency.

This method will not thicken the soup as much as other methods, but it works great if you want a more concentrated and thicker consistency.

2. Sprinkle in Some Flour

If you’re not familiar with this method, it involves just sprinkling a bit of flour into your hot soup. It should be thickened almost instantly!

While this method works well with cream of mushroom soup, any cream soup will work fine with this technique.

You can also use it for other sauces. It’s very useful for making gravy, and it’s also an excellent way to thicken cream based sauces.

3. Add Rice or Barley

To thicken cream of mushroom soup, use starch. This is an effective way to thicken the soup without adding a lot of other ingredients.

Add rice or barley to your soup and allow it to cook for 10-20 minutes, stirring often. This will add more body to your soup, but not affect the flavor too much.

This method is best used when you’re using mushrooms as your base flavor. It’s also a good way to add in texture to soups with a very liquidy consistency.

4. Add Cheese to The Mix

The cheese that’s added to this soup is not only for flavor, but for texture.

It adds a nice body to your soup without weighing it down or overpowering the flavor of the mushrooms.

You want a creamy consistency to the soup, so adding a bit of cream cheese is the perfect way to get that.

In order to properly incorporate it into the soup, heat your soup slightly before adding the cheese.

This also makes sure you don’t dilute the flavor of your mushrooms!

After adding the cheese, allow the soup to come to room temperature to fully thicken before serving.

5. Whisk in Egg Yolks

Egg yolk is one of the best ways to thicken a soup.

In order to thicken it, all you have to do is whisk the yolks into the soup. This will not only thicken it, but also add a richness that you can’t get with any other method.

Whisking the yolks into the soup will also bring down the overall temperature, which helps avoid curdling.

This method is great for thickening creamy soups such as cream of mushroom and cream of chicken. It also works well for thickening a cream soup base.

6. Milk and Cream

This may seem like a strange approach, but it’s very common! Thickening a soup with milk and cream is the perfect solution for a thin soup.

The main reason this works is because milk and cream have a higher fat content than water. This helps thicken the soup and makes it easier to digest.

It can also add a lot of flavor if used appropriately! You can even use the same technique with butter if you like.

Be sure not to use too much. If you use too much, it will turn the soup into a sloppy mess.

If you’re concerned about the taste, adding milk or cream to your soup may make it more “mushy”. You can mitigate this by adding other flavors like salt or lemon juice.

7. Cook the Soup Longer

To make a creamy, rich mushroom soup, you want to cook it for as long as possible.

The longer the soup simmers, the more the flavors will meld together. This method allows you to add the most flavor without sacrificing creaminess.

If you’re using the stove, cook your soup for at least 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

After that, transfer the soup to a large pot or stock pot, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for another half an hour.

You’ll need to stir often and use a spoon to skim any fat off the top, but the soup should become rich and thick in no time.

8. Use Arrowroot

If you don’t have the time to make a roux or thicken your soup with another thickener, you can add arrowroot powder instead.

Related: 19 Arrowroot Recipes to Satisfy Your Appetite

If you’re looking to add some more texture to your cream of mushroom soup, arrowroot is a great option.

It’s made from the starch of the arrowroot plant and is a natural thickener that’s commonly used in desserts.

This makes it a bit more expensive than other options, but the taste is well worth it!

Arrowroot is the same stuff that you use to make tapioca pudding.

You’ll need 1/3 cup of arrowroot powder and 3 cups of boiling water. This will yield a very thick paste which will thicken your soup and give it an amazing texture!

9. Add Yogurt

Cream of mushroom soup is already thick enough to serve as a meal on its own, but you might want to add another layer of richness.

Try adding Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream to your soup! It works amazingly well and makes your soup a bit lighter without sacrificing any richness.

It’s important that you use thick Greek yogurt for this method to work best. The fat content of regular yogurt is much higher and will not be able to thicken your soup.

Just add a couple spoonfuls at a time while the soup is still warm. You can add it all at once or just a few spoonfuls at a time until you’ve reached the thickness you want.

10. Potato Starch

You know how thickening agents like flour and cornstarch can have a very heavy effect on the taste of your food?

If you want a lighter, fluffier version, just replace your flour or cornstarch with potato starch.

It works so well because it’s basically just starch and water. This method is much quicker than simmering for an extended period of time.

Just whisk in a cup of the mixture to your soup at the end of cooking. You don’t need a lot of the starch to make a noticeable difference.