Soup & Sauce Thickeners

Since the normal used thickeners are high in carbs (cornstarch, flour, etc.) (see Carb Counter), substitutes are as follows:

Butter - add cold butter at the end of cooking a pan sauce, it will have a thickening effect.

Cream - Cream will thicken as it reduces, so if you add cream to a sauce and boil it, the sauce will thicken more than reducing without the cream.

Egg Yolks - Egg yolks make wonderful thickeners--imparting both a rich flavor and velvety smooth texture. You can't just whisk them into a simmering sauce--they'd curdle on contact. Instead, you need to temper them by adding some of the hot liquid to the egg yolks, whisking the mixture together, and then adding it to the sauce. To prevent the yolks from coagulating, you need to keep the sauce below 190 degrees F. Finally, never cook sauces with egg yolks in aluminum pans or they'll turn gray.

Nuts - Ground nuts were traditionally used to thicken sauces, nut butters work even better.

Reduction - Simply simmering the sauce until enough water evaporates that the sauce is thicker works in some cases.

Sour Cream - is thick - whisk it into a sauce.

Vegetables - Any vegetable can be blended and used to thicken soup or sauce. Eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower and low carb root vegetables are all excellent choices and don't add too much flavor.

Vegetable Gum - they are a type of fiber that absorbs water and make a sort of gel. Guar Gum has the least carbs - you don't use a lot. You can purchase them at most health food stores or online. To thicken, you sprinkle them into the sauce while whisking. It takes a small amount, so go slowly.

Return to Soup Recipe Index

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?  CALL 888 580 9390   OR EMAIL AND GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

Return to Sauce Recipe Index

 

Can't Lower Blood Sugar?
Clinically Proven Drug-Free
Solutions that Lowers Blood Sugar
Glucose Support Formula

Carb Counter

Do you have a recipe you'd like to share? Please email us Diabetic Low Carb Recipe