At a glance, soup may seem like a fairly simple dish, but it is still possible to make mistakes while cooking it. With potato soup, for instance, you can be following the most perfect potato soup recipe, only to end up with a less-than-appetizing gritty texture because you used the wrong kind of potato. Recipe ruined.
As it turns out, you can't make potato soup with just any kind of potato. There are two types:waxy potatoes and starchy potatoes.Waxy varieties are ideal for creating a smooth texture, while starchy varieties work better for creating a dish that's light and fluffy. Russet potatoes, as a member of the starchy/floury potato family, are inherently grainy. Using them in soup will result in an unpleasant gritty texture. When making potato soup, be sure to reach for a waxy variety such as fingerling potatoes, red potatoes, or baby potatoesto get a smoother texture.
Accidents happen. So what do you do if you've made the mistake of using starchy potatoes in your soup? One trick to make your potato soup a little less grainy is to add some form of dairy –- cream, milk, or even cheese. Because dairy is generally creamy in texture, that characteristic will carry over into your soup. Crisis averted.
By the same token, you can also use plant-based milk or even pureed vegetables or nuts to add a creamy mask to a gritty soup. Just be sure that whatever you're adding isn't also gritty or grainy in texture. For instance, hard winter squashes and root vegetables puree well, whereas stringier vegetables like celery are difficult to get smooth.
If you choose to add dairy to your gritty potato soup, you need to cook your soup at a lower temperature. Too high a temperature can cause the dairy to curdle, creating a lumpy texture that will send you back to square one.
Russet potatoes, as a member of the starchy/floury potato family, are inherently grainy. Using them in soup will result in an unpleasant gritty texture. When making potato soup, be sure to reach for a waxy variety such as fingerling potatoes, red potatoes, or baby potatoesto get a smoother texture.
When adding water to your pot of potatoes, use cold water. This ensures even cooking of your potatoes. When the soup comes to a boil, reduce heat a touch to maintain a gentle boil. Boiling at too high of a temperature will break down your potatoes and make your soup grainy.
To achieve a silky-smooth texture, keep the blender running for at least 1 to 2 minutes in order to fully break down the solids. A common mistake is to not run the blender long enough. This results in a grainy-textured soup. The soup should be blended long enough to create a silky-smooth texture.
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.
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.
Cornstarch is flavorless, easy to mix up, and versatile, which makes it a go-to pantry ingredient. I made a classic slurry by whisking cornstarch and hot broth until smooth in a small bowl.
Waxy varieties are ideal for creating a smooth texture, while starchy varieties work better for creating a dish that's light and fluffy. Russet potatoes, as a member of the starchy/floury potato family, are inherently grainy. Using them in soup will result in an unpleasant gritty texture.
Gritty means it's full of dirt so wash the potato better. If you want fluffy mashed potatoes, add a bit of milk or cream and some butter then use a handheld mixer to whip it.
One important thing to know about potatoes is that water is their enemy. Yep, it cooks the potatoes, but if they spend too long bathing, they'll become waterlogged. And no matter what type of potato you're boiling, waterlogged potatoes will be grainy, crumbly and mushy with little flavor (it'll leach into the water).
Instead of boiling a few potatoes and mashing them plain, a lot of restaurant chefs like to apply a little more finesse. Garlic and herbs infused in butter and cream add a flavor boost without overpowering.
Mealy potatoes are best for deep-frying. Because they're low in sugar, they can be fried long enough to cook them fully in the center without burning the outside. They're also the best choice for mashed potatoes because they fall apart easily when they're boiled.
So what do you do if you've made the mistake of using starchy potatoes in your soup? One trick to make your potato soup a little less grainy is to add some form of dairy –- cream, milk, or even cheese. Because dairy is generally creamy in texture, that characteristic will carry over into your soup.
Tell-tale signs that your potato soup has gone bad include a sour smell, a change in the colour or a film of mould on the surface. Also, if your soup has been in the fridge for more than a week, it's best to discard it to ensure food safety.
If you slice the potatoes too thin, or pulverize them in a food processor, the veggies release extra starch that gives your soup a gluey consistency. High-intensity mashing methods like using blenders, hand mixers, or food processors overwork the potatoes, which breaks down their cells.
Cut the potatoes into rissolettes and blanche them (i.e. cook them briefly, not to full doneness). Use the water you used in the soup and put the potatoes back in when you go to warm the soup again for serving. Since they're cut fairly small, they should be just about done without being mushy when you go to eat.
Absolutely! Cornstarch is not the only thickening agent you can use. Other alternatives include flour, arrowroot powder, instant mashed potatoes, or even pureed vegetables like cauliflower or cooked oats. Each of these options will add thickness to your soup while imparting its own unique taste and texture.
It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.
It's important not to chop them too finely before cooking. Keeping them in medium-ish sized chunks should work best. If the potatoes are chopped too finely, then too much starch will be released into the broth, resulting in a gummy-like texture.
Shouldn't have it boil otherwise the cheese will separate it's curd from the whey. Not much you can do to fix other than thicken it with a small starch slurry maybe. Also, if they used pre-shredded cheese that cellulose tend to leave it grainy. But totally agree with fixing a boiled dairy based soup with a slurry.
Add an ice cube and lower the heat, whisking constantly; the shock can help bring it back together. Add a few additional tablespoons of cream warmed ahead of time to the soup mixture, whisking constantly. If the above do not work, whir the soup in a blender until smooth.
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