Ree's *Perfect* Potato Soup Is Ready in 30 Minutes (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take for soup to be done? ›

Bring it all to a boil, then simmer. You will know it's done when it's all tender, anywhere from 25 minutes to 3 hours depending on the ingredients. Meat is a luxurious addition to any soup. When you can, choose stewing cuts, such as chicken legs, pork shoulder, beef chuck, short ribs or shank.

Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 6Add the potatoes and bay leaf, then cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way.

Should I soak my potatoes before making soup? You don't have to soak them, but I do recommend doing so in cold water at least until you've finished cubing all the potatoes. This will keep them from turning brown and ugly.

Simmering and Boiling

In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered until potatoes are tender and can easily be pierced by a knife, about 10 to 15 minutes. Drain well, tossing in colander to remove excess water.

Peeled, cubed potatoes cut into small, one-inch pieces should cook in 10 to 12 minutes, once the water reaches a boil. Larger pieces (about 2 inches across) may need longer, around 15 minutes. Medium whole potatoes should boil 20 minutes before they'll be tender.

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.

Old Potatoes: Very old or stored potatoes can become starchy and may not soften as well during cooking. It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes. Acidic Ingredients: If your soup contained highly acidic ingredients (e.g., tomatoes), it could have affected the texture of the potatoes.

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.

Will cream cheese thicken potato soup? ›

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.

The secret to making mashed potatoes extra-flavorful is cooking them in chicken broth. They're mashed until smooth and creamy, with just the right amount of butter and cream to make a homestyle potato side everyone will enjoy.

You can thicken a broth, soup, or stew by using potato water rather than plain water, again avoiding using flour if you are eliminating gluten. Some people even like to turn potato water into a broth by adding celery salt, black pepper, and a little bouillon. Don't toss the potato water–look for ways to put it to use.

With a simple soup like potato, I would stick to salt and pepper only. If you do use other spices, be careful because they will easily overwhelm the delicate flavor. Some ingredients I like to include in potato soup: Cooked, chopped bacon.

Broth needs to simmer for less time because it includes both meat and bones, but it still benefits from a good long simmer to extract the best flavor. Either may also be simmered longer to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavors.

Many home cooks find themselves wondering how to thicken a soup, and there are a few different ways: cooking the soup longer to remove excess liquid, blending some of the solid ingredients of the soup, or using food scraps like bread or potatoes to thicken the soup, but if you don't have time to wait, you can use a ...

Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer for at least 30 minutes. The longer the stock cooks, the more flavorful your soup will be.

Whisk in a bit of flour or starch.

This mixture is also known as a "slurry." After incorporating the slurry into the soup, let the liquid boil for a minute to thicken. Note that boiling for too long can cause the mixture to thin out again. Another way to thicken soup is through a roux, like in cooking gumbo.