The Easy Way To Add Cheese To Soup Without Annoying Clumps

Cheese makes just about everything better. But, if you're going to add cheese to soup, then you need to make sure you do it right in order to avoid those stuck-together lumps. To find out everything we need to know about adding cheese to soup, Daily Meal spoke with an expert: cookbook author and recipe developer Jill Silverman Hough, who serves as a culinary expert for Real California Milk.

Silverman Hough said, "To melt cheese into soup, the best way to avoid clumping is to do it gradually over low heat or even off the heat, gently whisking in the cheese as you go. If the soup needs reheating, do it gently."

Another tip from the culinary expert? Use cheese that you shredded yourself, rather than pre-shredded cheese. Pre-shredded cheese is usually coated with ingredients to keep it from clumping, including cornstarch and cellulose gum, as well as a mold inhibitor called natamycin. Thus, using pre-shredded cheese is a fatal mistake for some dishes, such as mac and cheese — and, potentially your cheesy soup.

Jill Silverman Hough also emphasized the importance of choosing the right cheese for your soup. She said, "If you're looking to melt cheese into a soup, as in broccoli cheddar soup, cheeses with high moisture and a low melting point are best." If you're not sure which cheeses fit the bill, Silverman Hough suggested looking for cheeses with a "semi-firm to firm texture." She continued, "Think Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, Gouda, and Fontina." Essentially, if it's one of the best cheeses for a grilled cheese sandwich, then it will melt well into a soup.

On the other hand, if you're looking to simply add cheese to the top of a bowl of soup rather than integrate it fully, Silverman Hough has other suggestions: dry Jack, Asiago, or aged cheddar. She mentioned minestrone soup as a good option for topping with cheese. Dry Jack and aged cheddar won't melt as well, so these are good options for when you want just a bit of a cheesy taste as a topping.