KnowraCream soupCream soupCream soup is a smooth soup thickened or enriched with cream, milk, or a purée, often named for its main ingredient.BriefConnectRoux: A cooked mixture of flour and fat used to thicken sauces and soups. A roux thickens many cream soups before liquid and dairy are added.Heavy cream: A high-fat dairy product separated from milk and used in cooking. Its fat enriches soup and helps produce a rounded, creamy texture.Cream of mushroom soup: A smooth soup made with mushrooms and enriched or thickened with dairy or a similar ingredient. It is a familiar named variety and a common ingredient in casseroles.Chowder: A thick soup, often containing seafood or vegetables, commonly made with milk or cream. Chowder usually retains substantial pieces, unlike the smooth texture defining cream soup.Béchamel sauce: A white sauce made by thickening milk with a butter-and-flour roux. Its milk-and-roux structure also forms the base of some cream soups.Milk: A nutrient-rich liquid produced by mammals to nourish their young. Milk can enrich cream soup without the richness of heavy cream.Cream of tomato soup: A smooth tomato soup enriched or thickened with cream, milk, or a purée. Its acidity and dairy richness show how a main ingredient shapes the style.Bisque: A rich, smooth soup traditionally made from shellfish and often thickened with rice or cream. Bisque is a distinct named style, especially associated with crustaceans.Starch gelatinization: The swelling and thickening of starch granules as they absorb water and are heated. It explains how flour or other starches give cream soup body.Purée: A smooth, thick preparation made by grinding or blending food. Vegetable or legume purées can thicken soup without relying on dairy.Show all 22Linked from 1 pageCrème fraîcheRelated: Crème fraîche can finish a soup without readily splitting under heat.