Easy Ham & Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is a good thickener for potato soup? ›

You can start a potato soup recipe with a roux to increase the soup's chances for thickness. A roux consists of equal parts all-purpose flour and butter, plus aromatics such as garlic, onions, or celery, which you sauté for a few minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste.

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry. Then the slurry can be stirred into a simmering soup, a bit at a time to set the final consistency.

Potato Soup Tips

A dollop or two of sour cream or Greek yogurt are also lovely ways to thicken potato soup while also adding a little tang. If you have leftover mashed potatoes on hand, toss them in! They'll also work wonders at giving this soup a little extra body.

Start by prepping your potatoes. I've found that potato recipes taste a lot better when the peeled potatoes have had at least 30 minutes to soak in a bowl of cold water. This helps to pull a lot of the starchy water from the potatoes and leaves better flavoring when cooking.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Substituting Cornstarch for Flour as a Gluten-Free Alternative. If you have someone in the family with an allergy restriction, you may need a gluten-free thickener for your soup recipe. It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour.

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? Most creamy soups require you to add dairy of some sort into it. If you're finding your soup is too thin adding milk, add in cream instead, or whole milk.

Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silky potato soup recipes — right? The answer is yes. It only works well if you do it carefully, though.

Yes. Incredibly effective? You bet. This trick works because the instant mashed potatoes are naturally starchy and therefore are similar in form to other commonly used thickeners, such as cornstarch, only without the clumps.

Yogurt, Sour Cream, and Crème Fraîche – Dairy like yogurt, sour cream, and crème fraîche can add a creamy acidity to soups, but can curdle and be unpleasant if cooked over heat for too long, so swirl these in last.

What is a good substitute for sour cream in potato soup? ›

Greek yogurt is one of the best swaps for sour cream that you can find. (Just be sure to look for plain Greek yogurt, not the flavored variety.) It has a similar creamy texture and that characteristic tang; plus, it's a healthy ingredient that'll add protein to your dish.

Potatoes are delicate in that they can be over mashed and over blended. This causes their starches to be released and turn into a gluey, gummy mess. Blend until just smooth, then stop.

Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded Potato Soup.

Perhaps the simplest approach is to flavor your soup with salt throughout the cooking process. Instead of waiting until the end of cooking to realize your soup lacks taste, you can add a bit of salt during each phase of cooking. Doing so will help bring out the flavors of each of the ingredients.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.

Dishes like soups, gravies, pie fillings and puddings are all recipes in which you can use cornstarch and potato starch interchangeably.

Cook the soup until heated and adjust the seasonings. If a thinner soup is desired, stir in a little more milk or half-and-half. To make baked potato soup, top each bowl with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crumbled bacon, and chives.

After a certain point, this can quickly overwhelm the liquid in your soup recipe, as the starches absorb liquid while turning more and more gluey, gummy, and thick. Therefore, you'll want to keep mashing and blending to a minimum in order to keep your soup smooth.

Mix in potatoes.

Potato starch naturally thickens soups and stews and can be a gluten-free option if you're looking to make a gluten-free stew. Add cubed potatoes to the stew to absorb excess liquid, or add potato flakes, mashed potatoes, or a potato purée to thicken your stew.