23.3 Purées and thick soups

The two kinds of thick soup are cream soups and puréed soups. A puréed soup is mostly thickened by its own vegetable: once blended, the vegetable's starch thickens the liquid. A cream soup usually has a roux. The two methods can be mixed in one pot, so a puréed soup may have a roux too.

A cream soup belongs with the velouté family of sauces: most are a roux and a stock, made richer with cream. Béchamel can serve as the base instead.

Purée the soup with a blender or a stick (immersion) blender. A puréed soup should be very smooth, with no lumps left.

These soups are the backbone of the soup of the day, for good reasons:

• They are quick to prepare.
• They use up food that needs using.
• Flavors, textures and garnishes can go almost anywhere the cook imagines.
• A good blender, stick or stand, is among the best things a kitchen can buy for them.

Quick does not mean careless. A purée thrown together as an afterthought, with no care or technique, shows in the bowl.