Zesty Potato Soup Recipe - Holiday Party Recipes - Life Sew Savory (2024)

FAQs

What makes potato soup gummy? ›

It is important that the potatoes not be too finely chopped before cooking. If they are, too much starch will be released into the broth and a gummy texture will result. An unpleasant consistency can also result from the pureeing of the cooked soup.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. 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.

Herbs: The best herbs we have found over the years to compliment those incredible flavours is a combination of thyme and parsley. Of course, if you don't like those, you can also use rosemary, oregano, tarragon, chives or cilantro. Use what you love!

Tip: Cornstarch will thicken your soup more than flour, but both are a good option if you need to thicken a very thin soup. Pour in 1 cup (60 g) of instant potato flakes for a quick fix. This will add extra potato flavor to your soup, so you don't have to worry about changing the taste.

Sear or roast your potatoes to prevent gummy soup

Searing or roasting your potatoes does more than just add extra flavor to your soup. It can actually prevent your broth from becoming gluey.

"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.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

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 can be added to soups to brighten its flavor? ›

While we love using dried herbs during the cooking process, the bright and "green" flavor of fresh herbs really livens up soup… or any hot plate of food, really. The key here is using the right herbs. Choose tender, leafy herbs for topping soup, like parsley (flat leaf or curly), cilantro, chives, or even mint.

Whether you use a few tablespoons or a few cups, cream gives soup a silky mouthfeel and rich flavor. You can definitely add milk or other dairy as well, though it will taste gradually less creamy as you go down in percent.

Herbs: Fresh chives, thyme, or cilantro stirred in just before serving. Spices: Your soup is probably salty enough, but what about simmering a bay leaf in there for a while (don't forget to remove it before serving)? Depending on the soup's flavor profile, you could shake in some cumin or red pepper flakes.

Add swirls of pesto, chili crisp, hot sauce, sour cream, or salted yogurt. Garnish your bowl with fried shallots, garlic chips, croutons, or a mish-mash of toasted seeds. Douse tender, fresh herbs—like cilantro, dill, parsley, or basil—in good-quality olive oil and vinegar and pile them on top.

Add Acid. There's a reason why "acid" made it into the title of Samin Nosrat's popular cookbook-turned-Netflix-series Salt Fat Acid Heat. It's an essential component to perk up the flavors in nearly any savory recipe. Try a squeeze of lemon or lime or a splash of vinegar to brighten a dull-tasting canned soup.

It turns out, then, that contrary to internet opinion, it is possible to redeem your potato leek soup if somehow it becomes gluey. Ladle some into a freezer bag, freeze it flat, thaw it, and pour off the water.

Overly mashed, super starchy potatoes are the major reason for slimy soup, so take special preparations to prevent unappealing textures. First, choose a balance of starchy and waxy potatoes, then treat them gently, and you can avoid putting hours of work into a bowl of starchy slime.

On the other end of the problematic mashed potato spectrum, we have the dreaded stiff and gluey mashed potatoes. As already discussed, pastiness is caused by too much potato starch being worked into the mashed potatoes.