Keep It Covered

• Ideally, you should serve your cream-based soup shortly after you make it. However, since that isn't always possible, you can make it ahead of time if you follow some basic rules. Leaving the soup sitting out in the open invites bacteria, so keep it tightly covered after it is made. Once you take the soup off the heat and let it cool, you may want to place the pot in the fridge if you have several hours to wait. The cream may start to separate, but you can rescue the soup by heating it back up slowly and gently stirring when it is time to eat.

Slow Cooker Method

• If there is going to be a sizable gap between preparation and serving, consider using a slow cooker. This way, you can assemble all the ingredients for your soup and allow them to cook at a low temperature, tightly covered, and it will be ready when you are. Carefully follow the directions of your slow cooker and the recipe to ensure your soup tastes right and is ready when you are.

Freezing and Canning

• If you plan to make cream soup and store it for later use by canning or freezing, think twice. Cream and milk have a tendency to separate and become grainy in texture when they are frozen, which affects the quality of your soup. However, you can leave that ingredient out of the mix and stir it in later when you decide to reheat and enjoy the soup.

Cream Soup Without the Cream

• It is possible to make and enjoy "creamy" soups without adding any dairy products at all. This usually is accomplished by using vegetables such as butternut squash, sweet potato, pumpkin and any vegetable with a high-starch and low water content. The high-starch content helps thicken the soup as it cooks, and you can puree the mixture once the vegetables have softened to create the creamy texture. Vegetable stock, chicken stock or water are good choices for liquids. If you'd like a slightly chunkier texture, puree half the soup and leave the rest as is.