SAEDNEWS: Milk soup is a mild, low-fat white soup made with fresh milk, rolled oats, chicken, mushrooms, and carrots. Light and easy to digest, it is an excellent choice for children, people with sensitive stomachs, and cozy winter evenings.
According to Saednews, Milk soup is a type of light, white soup made primarily with fresh or pasteurized cow’s milk. Thanks to rolled oats and chicken, it is quite filling while remaining much lighter and easier to digest than cream-based soups. Mushrooms and carrots also provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin D, B vitamins, and beta-carotene. For this reason, milk soup is often recommended as a supplementary meal for children, a diet-friendly option for people with sensitive stomachs, and a comforting dish for cold winter evenings.
For a rich and creamy milk soup, use fresh, high-quality ingredients:
500 ml fresh milk
250 g mushrooms
½ chicken breast
100 g rolled oats
1 medium carrot
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salt and black pepper, as needed
Oil and turmeric, as needed
Start by peeling the onion and cutting it into four large pieces. At this stage, the onion is used only to flavor the chicken broth and will be removed later.
Place the onion, chicken breast, 4 cups of cold water, a little salt, and turmeric in a suitable pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once it boils, skim off the white foam from the surface, then reduce the heat.
This helps produce a clear chicken broth without an unpleasant chicken odor.
Allow the chicken to cook gently until approximately 2 cups of broth remain in the pot. This usually takes around 30–40 minutes.
Slow cooking helps tenderize the chicken and allows the nutrients and flavor to transfer fully into the broth.
Turn off the heat and let the pot cool slightly. Remove and discard the onion. Take out the cooked chicken and strain the broth through a fine sieve or clean cloth to ensure a smooth soup without any bone fragments.
Shred the cooked chicken into very small pieces. Finely shredded chicken gives the soup a smoother appearance and makes it particularly appealing to children.
Wash and peel the carrot, then cut it into very small cubes. Alternatively, you can grate it using the coarse side of a grater. Carrots add an attractive color and a subtle sweetness that complements the oats and milk perfectly.
Return the strained chicken broth to the pot. Add the rolled oats and chopped carrot, then cook over very low heat.
Rolled oats can easily stick to the bottom of the pot, so stir the soup every few minutes with a wooden spoon or ladle. Regular stirring prevents sticking and helps the oats release their starch, giving the soup a naturally thick and creamy texture.
Cook the oats for approximately 15–20 minutes.
Once the oats are cooked and have started to thicken the soup, slowly pour in the milk while stirring continuously.
Reduce the heat and avoid bringing the milk to a boil, as boiling can cause the milk to separate and curdle.
Add the shredded chicken and continue cooking the soup over very low heat for about 30 minutes. Gentle cooking allows the flavors of the milk, chicken, and oats to blend together and creates a rich, restaurant-style taste.
While the soup is cooking, clean the mushrooms and slice them thinly.
Avoid washing mushrooms directly under water. Instead, wipe them gently with a damp cloth so they do not absorb excess moisture and release too much liquid during cooking.
Heat a non-stick pan and add a very small amount of oil or butter—just enough to prevent the mushrooms from sticking. Excess oil can make the soup unnecessarily heavy.
Sauté the mushrooms until their moisture evaporates and they become slightly golden. Add the lemon juice while cooking to help prevent the mushrooms from becoming dark.
Add the sautéed mushrooms to the soup. Season with salt and black pepper, then allow the soup to cook gently for another 5–10 minutes.
Avoid boiling the soup vigorously. Milk soup becomes thicker as it cools because of the oats and starch, so there is no need to overcook it.
Adding the salt toward the end also helps maintain a balanced flavor.
Once the soup reaches your desired consistency, remove it from the heat and ladle it into serving bowls.
Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. The parsley adds freshness, aroma, and a pleasant finishing touch.
For a more elegant and luxurious presentation, you can stir in a small amount of cooking cream or about ½ teaspoon of melted butter. This gives the soup an especially smooth and velvety texture.
Milk soup is best served immediately after cooking, as it becomes considerably thicker once chilled.
For the best results, medium-fat milk is ideal. Full-fat milk can make the soup feel too heavy, while skim milk may produce a thinner and less satisfying result.
If you are sensitive to the taste or smell of milk, warm the milk separately in another saucepan and add it to the soup once it is lukewarm. This can help reduce the raw milk aroma.
One of the most common mistakes when preparing milk soup is using excessive heat. High heat can cause the soup to stick to the bottom of the pot and can negatively affect the milk proteins, resulting in an uneven appearance and texture. Keep the heat low to medium and stir gently from time to time.
Mushrooms contribute more than just flavor. Sautéing them with lemon juice helps preserve their attractive color, while their naturally occurring glutamates add savory umami depth to the soup. Leaving them out can therefore make the soup taste noticeably simpler.
If rolled oats are unavailable, you can substitute barley groats or even partially cooked rice. For a lighter, diet-friendly version, use skinless chicken and keep the amount of oil to a minimum.
If you prefer a thicker soup, mix 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour with ½ cup of cold milk near the end of cooking. Stir this mixture until smooth, then gradually add it to the soup and cook gently until the desired consistency is reached.
