Nothing goes better with cool weather and sweaters than a thick, creamy soup. But also, there's nothing more disappointing than spending time trying to make a hearty soup only for it to turn out thin and watery. Luckily, there are plenty ofeasy ways to thicken a soup. However, suppose you don't want to spend time making a roux or adding a cornstarch slurry and worrying about lumps of raw powder throughout dinner. In that case, there's one easy solution you should try –- instant potatoes.
This hack works so well that French chef and cookbook author Jacques Pépin even recommended it. However, despite being super easy and useful, the instant potato trick doesn't work for all soups. It is best used in soups that are already cream or potato-based, like clam chowder, cheddar and broccoli, cream of mushroom, or aloaded potato soup. Since creamy potato soups are the perfect fall and winter meal, it's worth it to have a box of instant potatoes on hand just in case you need a quick thickener. Also, instant potatoes can be found at any grocery store and are a super cheap dinner saver.
The reason that instant potatoes are a great thickener is because they are made from dehydrated cooked potatoes. This means they are full of starch, just like regular potatoes, which can help naturally thicken broths. Dehydrated potatoes work even better than mashed or cooked potatoes because they don't add any liquid to the soup and work to soak up some extra liquid and turn it into a smooth potato-y cream.
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So, how do you do it? Simply add some instant potatoes to your soup, one spoonful at a time. After adding, stir the soup and allow the potatoes to incorporate completely. Then, after a minute or two, you can decide if you've reached the desired consistency or would like to add more to make the broth even thicker. Of course, if you accidentally make the soup too thick, you can always add more cream, stock, or water to even it out. Then, once you've reached the desired thickness, go ahead and give it a taste test and add any extra spices required.
What To Do For A Soup When Instant Potatoes Aren't A Good Option
While the instant potato hack is perfect for many soups, there are some soups where the added potatoes will change the flavor or appearance negatively. These soups include those that naturally have a thin and clear broth like chicken noodle and French onion soup and those with tomato-based broths like pasta fa*gioli and stews like chili. For these soups and stews, adding instant potatoes will change the nature of the dish too much, and while it still may taste good, the result probably won't be what you were going for. So, what can you use to thicken your soup instead of instant potatoes?
If you don't want to try the cornstarch slurry or butter and flour roux methods, there are still plenty of other options. First, a quick and easy way to thicken soup is to add cheese. While any cheese will work, you can also effortlessly upgrade your soup's flavor and thickness by adding a leftoverfrozen parmesan rind. The parmesan rind hack is especially great in soups with tomato-based or clear broths and even works in soups that aren't necessarily meant to taste cheesy. Another secret ingredient that can help you thicken soup is leftover bread, which you can place whole at the bottom of each soup bowl or toasted and added as breadcrumbs.
all you need is equal parts butter and flour. and basically you just mash it together with your hands until it forms like a paste. and i break it up into small pieces. and then we're gonna put them into the simmering liquid or soup stock.
Corn Starch – Has twice the thickening power of flour. Most commonly added to a soup or sauce in a slurry form, using a 1:1 mixture of water to Corn Starch.
Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup. While you may not need to implement all of these strategies, it's good to keep them in the back of your mind for when you realize your next pot of soup needs a flavor boost.
Cornstarch is the most common thickening agent used in the industry. It is mixed with water or juice and boiled to make fillings and to give a glossy semi-clear finish to products.
Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling. Plus, you can whip heavy cream into what looks like whipped cream very quickly, and then add it to your soup.
Foods like rice, bread, potatoes and beans are naturally high in starches, which, when broken down, act as a thickening agent. With rice, the grains will break down into the soup as it's simmered and stirred, releasing the starches and thickening the soup.
The flour is stirred into the melted butter to create a roux, which is then cooked until it's a light golden brown.This mixture is then added to the soup or stew, which will help to thicken it up. This is how restaurants and food products thicken soup.
You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.
Ok, this may be a little obvious, but just adding water is going to make your soup go a little further. If you stick to a 50/50 ratio between water and whatever flavoured liquid you're using in your soup (be it tomatoes, a stock type, or a cream), you're unlikely to dilute it to the point of making it unpalatable.
"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.
Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients. Some freshly cracked pepper helps, too!
The theory is that a potato is the perfect vehicle to absorb excess salt. Just throw it into the pot and simmer it for awhile, remove it after it's absorbed some of the salt, and you're left with less-salty soup. No need to add more liquid or other ingredients to help disperse the extra salt.
To thicken potato soup without creating lumps, you can use a roux made of equal parts butter and flour. Melt the butter in a separate pan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk the roux into the soup, and let it simmer until thickened.
Add more liquid: The simplest solution is to add more liquid, such as water, broth, or milk. Start by adding a small amount and gradually add more until you reach the desired consistency. Use a blender: If you have a blender, you can puree the soup in batches, adding more liquid as needed.
The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.
All-Purpose Flour. Yep, that's right — all-purpose flour is a very stable thickener. ...
Arrowroot Powder. If you happen to have this starch on hand, you're in luck: It has the same thickening power as cornstarch, and it creates a beautiful, shiny sauce. ...
Introduction: My name is Errol Quitzon, I am a fair, cute, fancy, clean, attractive, sparkling, kind person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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