Creamy Almond Soup - Vegan Family Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Can you substitute almond milk for cream in soup? ›

Can Almond Milk Replace Heavy Cream? No milk (except for coconut milk) can replace heavy cream without the addition of a thickener, ideally a fat of some kind. To make a heavy cream substitute with almond milk, we recommend adding soaked nuts or vegan butter, or plain silken tofu to get the right texture.

Peanut Butter or Tahini

Similarly to nuts, nut butter and spreads like peanut butter and tahini can give soups a creamy boost while keeping them plant-based. These spreads add a nutty flavor that can elevate ingredients like sweet potatoes and other vegetables–our Sweet Potato Peanut Bisque is proof.

It is thicker, has a higher fat content and is scoop-able throughout. Coconut milk and cream are mostly interchangeable in recipes such as curries and soups. If you prefer a richer flavour and texture, try coconut cream or vice versa. However, be careful when substituting coconut milk and cream in baked goods.

Combine equal parts silken tofu and soy milk and blend thoroughly in an immersion blender or food processor until the mixture reaches a smooth, thick consistency. Then use it in place of an equal amount of heavy cream to thicken your favorite recipes, such as soups or sauces.

Best Non-Dairy Milk for Soups: Coconut Milk

We've found the best substitute to be full-fat canned coconut milk, and have swapped it in as a dairy substitute for many of the classics, like cream of broccoli, creamy tomato and cream of mushroom.

One cup of canned coconut milk contains a whopping 48 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein and no fiber. It is wonderful in soups, stews and sauces. It is thick enough to whip into whipped cream and to make creamy puddings.

If you need to thicken a soup or stew, you can turn to starchy vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Cook the veggies well and then blend. Once you have a smooth mixture, incorporate it into your soups, stews, and sauces to achieve a thicker result.

Milk or Half-and-Half: This is the other magical ingredient that turns your homemade chicken noodle soup into the creamiest soup ever. Use 1 cup of whole milk or 1 cup of half-and-half. If you want to make regular (non-creamy) chicken noodle soup, replace the milk with more chicken broth.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How do you thicken soup without milk or cream? ›

Simply filling your soup with rice or potatoes for an extended time is enough to release starch and help thicken it, giving you a creamy consistency, dairy-free.

Almonds get a lot of publicity, because they are an enormous monoculture crop, and hundreds of thousands of honeybees are used to pollinate them. But that's a job bees have been doing for millennia, with or without interference from humans. Almonds, as a plant-based food, are considered vegan.

Nuts or nut-based flour

A quick and easy paleo-friendly way to add more thickness to your soups is to grind down 1-2 cups of nuts. Use cashews, peanuts, almonds, or any other nuts that you have at home. Almond flour is also a commonly available substitute that you can find in almost any grocery store today.

Almond milk is a plant-based milk substitute with a watery texture and nutty flavor manufactured from almonds, although some types or brands are flavored in imitation of cow's milk. It does not contain cholesterol or lactose and is low in saturated fat.

In general, yes, you can replace almond milk for cow's milk in a recipe, but you should not expect identical results. Again, you will miss out on some richness, since almond milk does not have any saturated fat and tends to contain slightly more water.

Guidelines for dairy-free half and half substitutions

Neutral or more savory alternatives such as almond milk are best for soups and sauces. Coconut half and half works in every recipe dairy half and half works in.

Swap in nut milk, either almond or cashew, in place of the cow's milk or cream. If the soup still seems too thin, cook it a little longer than normal to reduce some of the liquid. Make sure to do this uncovered so the liquid evaporates.