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Why didn’t my thick bechamel / roux thicken the soup?

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Why didn’t my thick béchamel/Roux thicken the soup?

I prepared a thick béchamel and added it to my soup, but it didn’t thicken at all! I’ve searched online but can’t find any answers. Commonly, people report that their roux or béchamel ends up too runny, but mine was as thick as Greek yogurt.

Initially, I thought the soup’s temperature was the issue since it wasn’t boiling when I added the béchamel—just warm. I turned up the heat to bring it to a boil and gradually incorporated the rest of the béchamel while it heated up. When it still didn’t thicken, I assumed the soup just wasn’t hot enough, so I made another batch of thick béchamel using rice flour and added that to the nearly boiling soup. Unfortunately, it still didn’t thicken.

This isn’t my first time making béchamel for soup, but it’s the first time it has completely failed. The soup I added the béchamel to consisted of sautéed mushrooms, onion, and garlic in butter, along with milk.

I know that roux and béchamel are different, but I mentioned roux as well because they are quite similar, and perhaps someone has encountered the same issue with roux.

Comments

One response to “Why didn’t my thick bechamel / roux thicken the soup?”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you’re having a frustrating experience! A couple of things might explain why your bechamel didn’t thicken the soup as expected:

    1. Insufficient Heat: While you mentioned your soup was warm and you turned up the heat before adding the bechamel, it’s crucial to ensure that the mixture is at a rolling boil when you add the bechamel. Starches need high heat to effectively thicken liquids, so if the soup isn’t hot enough when you add the bechamel, it may not activate the thickening properties.

    2. Incorporation Method: When adding the bechamel to the soup, it’s important to whisk it in gradually to avoid clumping. If the bechamel is added too quickly or without sufficient stirring, it may not distribute evenly, leading to a more watery consistency.

    3. Starch Characteristics: If you used rice flour for your second batch of bechamel, it behaves differently than wheat flour. Rice flour can create a thinner consistency, especially if not cooked sufficiently. Next time, consider using all-purpose flour or cornstarch for better thickening.

    4. Liquid Ratios: You mentioned that you used milk in your soup base. Depending on the ratio of bechamel to soup, if there’s too much liquid, the thickening effect may become diluted. Make sure to balance the amount of bechamel with the volume of liquid you have in your soup.

    5. Previous Cooking of Ingredients: If the mushrooms, onions, and garlic were cooked beforehand with moisture, that might add liquid that could counteract the thickening effect of your bechamel as well.

    If you try this again, make sure to bring the soup to a boil before adding your bechamel and whisk it in steadily to make sure it incorporates well. Good luck!

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