Why is my soup or stew watery, and how do I thicken it?

Watery usually means too much liquid was added or too little escaped. Reduction fixes both and improves the flavour; every other method thickens without concentrating, which is sometimes what you want and sometimes not.

Step by step

1. Reduce it first if you have time.Uncovered, brisk simmer, widest pan. It concentrates flavour as well as thickening, which no other method does.
2. Use a cornflour slurry when you are short of time.A tablespoon of cornflour mixed smooth with cold water, stirred in, then simmered for two minutes. Never add dry cornflour to hot liquid — it lumps instantly.
3. Use a roux or beurre manié for richer dishes.Equal butter and flour, either cooked first as a roux or kneaded raw and whisked in at the end. Adds body and a little richness.
4. Blend some of it.Take out a ladleful of the vegetables, blend, and stir back in. Thickens with no added ingredient and keeps the flavour exactly as it was.
5. Add a starchy ingredient.Potato, lentils, rice or beans. They release starch as they cook and thicken the dish naturally over twenty minutes or so.
6. Use bread or oats for rustic dishes.Stale bread whisked into soup, or a spoon of oats. Traditional, effective, and it disappears completely.
7. Finish with cream or butter for a sauce.Adds body and gloss rather than true thickness. Best combined with one of the above.

Tips

• Thicken gradually. Every method continues to thicken as it cools, so stop slightly thinner than you want.
• Cornflour gives a glossy finish and flour a matt one. For a clear sauce, cornflour; for a gravy, flour.
• If a dish is watery because it is under-seasoned rather than under-thickened, salt and acid will do more than any thickener.

Common mistakes

• Adding dry cornflour to hot liquid — It seizes into lumps immediately. Always mix it with cold water first.
• Over-thickening — It continues to thicken as it cools and reheats. Aim slightly loose.

Questions people ask