The Secret To Thicker, Heartier Soups
by Sheela Prakash
Soup is often hailed as the antidote to cold weather. But when winter really kicks in, brothy soups won’t suffice. Something with staying power, a little more stick-to-your-ribs goodness, is the trick to surviving winter. That’s why thickened, creamier soups win.
But you don’t need to add heavy cream or make a roux to achieve soups like this. All you need is some bread. All you’ve got is old and stale bread? Even better. A common technique used in the Mediterranean, thickening soups with bread is an easy way to add texture and bulk—it turns a simple bowl of broth into a full meal. The best part about using bread as a thickener is that depending on how you use it, you can control the thickness of your soup. Varying the technique and type of bread you use gives you this control.
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This is a great way to use up day old bread. It’s also a great way to stretch leftover soup that is too sparse for a meal into something more. The best bread to use is something plain, like a country loaf or sourdough. Avoid anything grainy, seedy, or too dense — it won’t break down into the soup broth.
Here’s how to achieve the kind of hearty soup that will keep you satiated this winter:
Lay toasted bread at the bottom of the bowl.
To add heft to your bowl without thickening the entire soup, simply place a thick, toasted slice or two of stale bread at the bottom of your soup bowl. To add even more flavor, try rubbing fresh garlic on each slice before ladeling in the broth. You’ll scoop up bites of warm, broth-soaked bread with each spoonful.
Stir in breadcrumbs.
Breadcrumbs instantly dissolve into hot soup; add a little bit at a time until the soup reaches your desired consistency. Homemade breadcrumbs will taste the best (obviously), but store-bought is almost as good—just be sure to use plain breadcrumbs without any additional seasoning.
Throw in big pieces of torn bread.
For the thickest, heartiest soups, simmer in big hunks of bread. Remove the crusts from a stale loaf, tear the loaf into pieces, and add it to the broth. Let the soup simmer to allow for the bread to absorb liquid and break down. Classic Tuscan soups such as ribolitta and pappa al pomodoro are made using this method, and those are the most comforting bowls of soup around.
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