Creamy soups come in all varieties. Some are made with a lot of heavy cream and others with just a splash of milk. Some creamy soups have no dairy at all, relying on the vegetables and sometimes other ingredients such as white beans to create a smooth, velvety soup for serving. Potatoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, parsnips, and celery root are a few of the most common vegetables added to puréed soups for creaminess. For most soups that call for a little cream or milk (1/4 cup or less) I find that oat milk makes a good substitute if you need one. If I don’t mind adding dairy, I’ll swap half-and-half or 2% milk for heavy cream or whipping cream to make things just a little lighter in calories and saturated fat, and also in thickness. If the soup relies heavily on the cream for its texture, such as a bisque that uses 1 cup or more, you may not get the same flavor and consistency using a non-dairy milk. If you aren’t up for experimenting, it may be best to choose another recipe. For other soups, just because a recipe may call for a little cream to finish it, doesn’t mean you have to use it. I’ve made many creamy tomato and potato soups where I ultimately decided not to add the cream in the end because I was happy with the soups flavor and texture as is. Whether you are happy to add lots of cream or you’d rather skip it, here are plenty of creamy soup recipes that offer a little something for everyone.
