what causes my creamy potato soup to curdle?

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This might help you - I found this by typing curdling soup into the search at the top left.

RE: Curdling cheese in soup
Posted by: oeg1kallee Posted on: 8/4/2005 2:38:34 PM
#R6153051
I agree-
try makeing a small amount of a basic white sauce- turn off the heat, stir in the cheese- then blend into your milk based soups. Do not boil when you add the cheese- the same applies to adding sour cream. Take the soup off the heat- then add your dairy.

RE: Curdling cheese in soup
Posted by: KKsAunt Posted on: 8/5/2005 3:21:57 PM
#R6159235
I agree--too much heat. I always remove the pan from the heat before adding any kind of cheese to a soup or sauce. That way, you get even melting, rather than clumping or stringing

RE: Curdling cheese in soup
Posted by: lindapearl Posted on: 8/6/2005 5:02:34 AM
#R6162101
Given the right circumstances -- acid, heat, and salt -- any milk product will curdle. In cheese, its the casein protein of the curd that separates. The more fat contained in cheese or milk, the less likely it is to curdle.

Your best bet is to prepare the soup without any milk products or salt, adding them only at the end of the cooking process. Heat the soup over low or medium heat and make sure that it doesn't go above 180°F and don't let it boil, or let cook for very long afterward to minimize the chance of it "breaking" or curdling.

A good cook's tip is to add 1 tablespoon flour or 2 teaspoons cornstarch for every cup of milk or cheese. This not only serves as a thickener, but the starch molecules act as a binder to hold the milk proteins together even if you use skim milk products.

All is not lost even if you goof and the sauce or broth does break. Strain out all the solids. Blend 1-2 tablespoons butter with an equal amount of flour and add it to the broth. Heat over medium low setting until the butter begins to melt. Use a hand blender to liquefy the sauce and that will take care of the then curdling. Return the solids to the pot, but do not boil, serve when heated through

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