The Trick To Substituting Nut Milk For Dairy In Your Go-To Soup Recipes

Soup is the perfect lunch or dinner, particularly during cool weather. It's easy to make a semblance of a meal with only a few ingredients, and it's not altogether imperative they're fresh either. It's possible to build flavor with frozen, canned, or dried items straight from the pantry. Plenty of soups feature beans, dehydrated mushrooms, grains, and jarred vegetables or seafood; you can generally get by without a trip to the market. But what if you're aiming to make a dairy-based recipe like clam chowder or cheesy broccoli and find you have no milk or cream in the fridge? Or perhaps you refrain because of an allergy or dietary restriction, yet you're experiencing an intense craving for carrot and parsnip bisque. Thanks to some basic techniques and kitchen ingenuity, there's no need to forfeit the enjoyment of these rich dishes. 

Nut milks have become a reliable alternative to dairy products. Widely available, affordable, and frequently sold in aseptic cartons that don't require refrigeration until opened, they're a practical substitute. Plus, the American Society for Nutrition contends that most plant-based milk is lower in calories, fat, and sugar as compared to whole-fat cow milk. Unfortunately, it's also lower in creaminess. Sometimes thin, insipid, or broken, dairy-free soups can lack the unctuous appeal that is almost the point. Yet, CBC recommends some surefire ways to make them thick and appetizing, including adding pureed white beans, blending half the soup, or allowing the natural starches from rice or potatoes to bolster the consistency. But they share an even simpler method.