This creamy vegetable and whey soup is an easy and delicious way to use up extra whey. Warm and comforting, it is as perfect as a cup of soup for lunch or served with bread and a salad for dinner.
Don’t waste the whey
It is a huge waste to pour whey down the drain. Whey is healthy and delicious, which is why I have so many recipes that use whey!
This creamy whey soup is one that I enjoy every time I make cheese.
Many Types of vegetable soup
This basic cream of vegetable soup can be made with all different types of vegetables.
Here are a few of my favorite flavor combinations:
- Irish Vegetable Soup: Finely dice the onion, garlic, and potatoes. Add in 2 diced carrots and 2 cups of shredded cabbage. Follow the recipe, sauteing all the vegetables before adding the broth. Leave the vegetables chunky and serve with buttered brown soda bread.
- Cream of Broccoli Soup: Use 2 cups of chopped broccoli for the vegetables. You can even use the stems, just peel off the woody bits. Remove a few whole florets before pureeing, then stir the florets back in and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Cream of Mushroom Soup: Slice 3 cups of exotic mushrooms. Saute until they release their juices, then add in the onion, garlic, and potatoes. Fry for 5 more minutes and finish the soup according to the recipe.
- Lemon and Asparagus Soup: This is ideal for using up acid whey. Trim and chop 1 bunch of asparagus. Add it to the soup when you add the broth. Finish the soup with the zest of 1 lemon. The acidity of the whey will replace the usual lemon juice in this soup. Top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese.
- Baked Potato Soup: Instead of adding 2 cups of vegetables, use a total of 4 potatoes. Otherwise, follow the recipe as directed, then top each bowl of soup with a spoonful of sour cream, finely chopped chives, and grated cheddar cheese.
- Vichyssoise: Whey adds a bit of zest to this classic soup. Don’t add any garlic, and use 6 medium leeks for the vegetables. Wash the leeks carefully, then chop and saute with the potatoes. Follow the rest of the recipe as directed, and serve hot or cold.
Vegetable and Whey Soup
This creamy vegetable and whey soup is a delicious way to use up extra whey from cheesemaking. It can be transformed into all sorts of different types of soup: broccoli, mushroom, and asparagus. See the section above for six delicious suggestions.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cups of vegetables, roughly chopped (see above for options)
- 2 large potatoes, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups of broth
- 2 cups of sweet whey (or water, see notes)
- 1 tsp salt, to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
Instructions
- Saute the onions in the olive oil at the bottom of a large soup pot. After 5 minutes add in the garlic, potatoes, and vegetables, and saute for another 5 minutes.
- Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.
- Add in the whey, seasonings, and cream, then puree until smooth. I usually remove a few of the signature vegetables and add them back after pureeing. It’s nice to have a few slices of mushroom or a broccoli floret in your soup bowl.
- If you need to reheat the soup at this point, do it carefully. You don’t want to simmer or the whey will curdle.
- Serve with some grated cheese and sourdough bread.
Notes
- Acidic whey (from an acid-curded cheese) will be quite sour. Even the 2 cups of sweet whey (from cultured cheese) can be quite strong in this soup. Sweet whey becomes more acidic as it ages, so start with just 1 cup of whey, and taste it before adding a second cup. The whey can be replaced with water as required.
- I like soups that have added protein so they become part of a complete meal. To add protein to this soup, replace the potatoes with 2 cups of cooked white beans or 1 cup of almond flour.
- I use an immersion blender
to puree the vegetables; however, you could use a regular blender or just leave the vegetables whole.
to puree the vegetables; however, you could use a regular blender or just leave the vegetables whole.Keywords: whey, soup, leftover whey, cheesemaking, vegetarian, gluten free, grain free, asparagus, broccoli, Irish, Vichyssoise, baked potato, mushroom, winter, fall
What an amazing use of whey! These is almost as good as my all time favorite whey soup, Minestrone. 🙂
★★★★★