Mixing cornstarch into soup can give it the desired thickness.
Every cook has the perfect texture in mind when creating soup. Sometimes, despite the most careful measures, that ideal falls short when it comes time to serve. Thin soup can have an undesirable, watery texture so using cornstarch to thicken is a simple way to give some body to the broth. Some cooks prefer cornstarch over flour as a thickener, since it does not interfere with the overall taste of the soup.
Instructions
1. Fill a small bowl with 1/4 cup of cold water. The water must be cold; cornstarch will not dissolve properly in warm liquid. Don't worry about the cold water cooling down the soup; the amount used is insignificant when compared with the volume of the soup.
2. Whisk 1 tbsp. of cornstarch into the cool water and stir until the cornstarch dissolves completely. Any lumps that remain in the cornstarch will remain in the soup as they are hard to remove. For every additional cup of soup, add 1 tbsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup water.
3. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the soup and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for at least 1 minute before reducing the heat to a slow simmer. This process allows the cornstarch to expand, thickening the soup. Do not continue boiling; this can cause the cornstarch to break down, actually thinning the soup.
4. Check the texture of the soup and add more cornstarch if it still isn't thick enough, but add half the amount of cornstarch and water used previously. One of the most common mistakes cooks make when using cornstarch is adding too much, resulting in a gloppy mess that will ruin a perfectly good soup.
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