Healthy Substitute for Heavy Cream

Nothing warms the soul like a thick creamy bowl of soup. Many soup recipes add cream as the base stock or to finish the soup. The cream adds a richness and a smooth texture that is wonderful tasting just not so good for the waistline.

I have tried lowering the calories by substituting low fat milk or yogurt and the result is a curdled mess once the soup comes to a simmer. I read this tip in Cooking Light and it's a great way to lighten up those creamed based soups.

They suggested using brown rice to substitute for the cream. It seemed a bit strange but when the brown rice is overcooked in a broth and then pureed with low-fat milk it works. The  brown rice becomes a rich, nutty cream that not only thickens but also adds a velvety-smooth mouth feel with only 7 calories and no sat fat per tablespoon.

Here's the Formula
Bring 2 cups unsalted chicken stock and ½ cup uncooked instant brown rice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 25 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Blend mixture and 1 cup, 1% low-fat milk in a blender until smooth. Makes 3 cups.

Try this next time you are tempted to make that cream base soup. It will make you a believer.

Source:
Cooking Light Brown Rice Cream
107 calories 1.3g fat 0.5g sat fat per cup