How To Thicken Soups And Gravy Without Flour

Need to thicken up that soup or stew? Or are you looking for an alternative to using all-purpose flour in your gravy recipe? If there’s one thing I believe every kitchen needs…it’s cornstarch. 

The biggest benefits that make me favor this thickening method is that it (typically) only needs 1-2 tsp of cornstarch to 1/2 cup water. In many cases, you want to thicken a dish without added flavor or mass volume. Not to mention that with the popular gluten free demand; using cornstarch instead of flour creates an instant dietary solution.

For a base level solution, combine 2 tsp of cornstarch with 1/2 cup of COLD water. The cornstarch will dissolve easily with this water temperature. As well as waiting to activate more rapidly within your pan or crock pot.

You can use any size glass to combine this cornstarch thickening solution. But I like using a 1-cup measuring cup. Once dissolved, pour into your pan and stir 2-3 minutes over a low to medium flame. Remove from heat when the stock or gravy has thickened to your desired consistency.

And if you want to see how I use this exact cornstarch solution, then you may enjoy this recipe tutorial on a simple Mushroom Gravy recipe. Enjoy, and make sure to let me know how it’s worked for you!