Soup is a dish you can eat just about any time. It's a satisfying accompaniment to a lunchtime sandwich, or add a vegetable soup to your dinner for a delicious and healthy first course. Homemade vegetable soup often includes vegetables such as carrots, green beans and potatoes. There are many variations of vegetable soup. If your soup is looking too watery, consider thickening the broth make a heartier dish.

Make mashed potatoes. Instant mashed potatoes or regular mashed potatoes are fine. The amount that you need depends on the amount of soup you want to thicken. Stir it in 18 ml (1 tbsp) at a time and stir continuously. Keep doing so until the vegetable soup starts to thicken.

Make a flour paste. For each cup of vegetable soup, you will need one to 18 to 27 ml (1 to 1 1/2 tsp) of flour. Adjust this amount accordingly based on how much soup you are making. Mix in double that amount of milk or water. Stir it until it forms a paste. Put it in to thicken vegetable soup and stir slowly for 10 minutes.

Melt 18 ml (1 tbsp) butter in a small saucepan. Add 18-35 ml (1 to 2) tbsp of flour to the butter. Quickly stir until the mixture is smooth. Immediately pour the mixture into the vegetable soup and stir.