How to Garnish Soup with the Perfect Cream Swirl

Soup is cozy enough on its own—but want to know the secret to making it look like it came straight from a café? A cream swirl. With just heavy whipping cream and a squeeze bottle, you can turn any soup into art. Today I’ll show you my favorite easy designs: a basic spiral, spider web, fall leaf, and paisley swirl.

What You’ll Need

• A clean squeeze bottle (these are the ones I use HERE)

• Heavy whipping cream

• A skewer, toothpick, or butter knife tip

Step 1: Prep the Cream

Fill your squeeze bottle with heavy whipping cream, leaving a little room at the top. Give it a good shake, this helps thicken the cream just enough so it sits on top of the soup instead of sinking.

Step 2: The Basic Spiral

1. Hold your bottle just above the soup surface.

2. Start in the center and gently squeeze while circling outward.

3. Grab your skewer and drag it from the center out, like slicing a pie. You’ll get a beautiful starburst design!

Step 3: The Spider Web (Halloween Favorite)

1. Start with the same spiral.

2. Use your skewer to drag lines from the center outward.

3. Add a few lines inward between them, and—ta da!—a spider web.

Step 4: The Fall Leaf

1. Pipe three circles; one big, one medium, and one small.

2. Use your skewer to drag through the line in quick, short flicks, angling each one.

3. It’ll start to look like the veins of a leaf—perfect for cozy fall soups.

Step 5: The Paisley Swirl

1. Pipe a small teardrop shape.

2. Add a few around the bowl, then drag your skewer gently through the edges.

3. It creates that elegant paisley effect, like latte art for soup!

Wrap-Up

With just a squeeze bottle and a little practice, your soups can look like they belong on the cover of a magazine. The best part? These designs take seconds but wow your family and guests every time.

Want to see a video of each swirl in action? Check out my reel on Instagram below.