Add sourdough starter… to your soup! Here’s how to make this loaded recipe

Sourdough starter adds a creamy texture to soup.

This loaded soup is hearty and comforting, and it has one surprise ingredient: sourdough starter!

Sourdough expert Lori Vaughn promised it will change the way you thicken your soup.

Sourdough starter acts as a natural thickener, similar to a roux or cornstarch. Its starches create a creamy, smooth texture, making your soup rich and velvety.

The tangy flavor of sourdough starter adds depth and complexity to soups, especially milder ones. It enhances the overall taste without making the soup overly sour, offering a unique twist.

Sourdough starter is packed with probiotics and essential nutrients and will boost your soup’s nutritional value. It’s great for gut health and adds a healthy punch to your meal.

Serve it up in a homemade sourdough bread bowl! Find Lori’s recipe and method here.

Loaded Harvest Sourdough Soup

Recipe by Lori Vaughn

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
• 5 oz yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 a medium onion)
• 5 oz carrots, chopped (about 2 large carrots)
• 5 oz celery, chopped (about 2 celery sticks)
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1-2 tsp dried dill add more or less for flavor preference
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• ~1/2 tsp pepper or to taste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup milk or half and half
• 125 grams unfed sourdough starter*
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 6 cup chicken broth
• 10 oz raw potatoes, chopped small or sub with 10 oz of noodles
• 4-6 oz rotisserie chicken or baked chicken, in pieces
• ~4 oz bacon
• shredded cheese or extra bacon to top optional

METHOD

1. Get a large sauce pan or stock pot and melt your butter (or add your olive oil) on medium heat.
2. Add your chopped mire poix (onions, carrots, and celery), and add the seasonings (parsley, dill, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper), and let that cook for about five minutes.
3. Once the five minutes are done, your mire poix vegetables should start to soften slightly. Now add your garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minute until aromatic. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Add more butter or oil, if needed to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pot or burning. You can also turn down the heat if needed as well to slow down burning.
5. Add the milk (or half and half for a creamier soup) and mix that together until it’s combined with the veggie blend.
6. Stir in the unfed sourdough starter. The fresher the unfed discard starter is, the better*.
7. Slowly stir in the cream cheese and let the cream cheese and sourdough starter melt together.
8. Once that mixture starts to soften and melt add the chicken broth. NOTE: if the cream cheese looks a little lumpy at first don’t freak out yet it’ll continue to melt as the broth heats up.
9. Continue to whisk occasionally so that nothing burns on the bottom of the pot.
10. Once all of the ingredients in the pot are all mixed in and warmed up, add in the raw potatoes. I personally leave the skins on mine for flavor and nutrition from the fiber in the skins, but you can peel the potatoes if you prefer.
11. Turn heat down to low or a really light simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
12. While the potatoes are simmering, cook your bacon to your preference; I like mine crispy!
13. Once the potatoes are soft, add in the cooked chicken and cooked bacon and stir until all incorporated.
14. Before serving, add extra cheese or bacon on top and enjoy!

Find more recipes from Lori at loskitchenco.com, or on Instagram, @loskitchenco.