Easy Potato Soup Recipe | The Gracious Pantry | Healthy Soup Recipes (2025)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in soup? ›

It may sound a bit strange and unusual for some, but vinegar is a common ingredient in some soup recipes, and there is a good reason for it. If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.

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.

ANSWER: Waxy potatoes or those called boiling potatoes stand up well in soups and stews. These have thin skin and are high in moisture and low in starch. Potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better. Yukon Gold potatoes are on the medium-starch side and will hold their shape in soups.

By adding a splash of an acidic ingredient to your soup as you cook it, you'll reduce the need to add as much salt, while still highlighting and deepening the flavors in the pot. So try keeping a little on hand, not just for emergencies, but as a useful and delicious ingredient in its own right as well.

16,580,716 views The secret ingredient is... nothing! Despite that revelation, this so-called secret-soup is one of the most hotly requested dishes in the Babish Culinary Universe.

Veggies: This is potato soup, but we love adding a few cups of extra veggies. Onions are a must, carrots add color and some sweetness, and chopped celery adds flavor and texture. Garlic and rosemary: Make this the tastiest potato soup I've made.

Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup.

The Foundation: Broths and Stocks

The rich tapestry of flavors in homemade soup begins with its base – the broth or stock. These liquid foundations absorb the essences of anything they touch, hence the insistence on simmering them gently to achieve a depth that sets the tone for your dish.

What can you add to homemade soup to make it taste better? ›

Fresh herbs like parsley, basil, and cilantro lose their flavor quickly if simmered in a hot soup, but they add freshness and bright flavor when sprinkled over top just before serving.

Combine cornstarch and a little bit of water—or the chicken stock from the soup—in a small bowl. With the soup simmering over medium-low heat, whisk in the slurry. The soup should start to thicken almost immediately.

Although leeks are known for its powerful taste, your potato and leek soup can occasionally come out bland. The reasons are usually two: you didn't season your soup at all, worrying it might be too salty because of the leeks; or you added to much water for the stock.

How do you prevent potatoes from getting mushy in potato soup? Keeping the skins on the potatoes will help prevent them from getting mushy. Chopping them into larger pieces will also help because the smaller the pieces, the faster they are going to cook.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

A squeeze of citrus, a dollop of yogurt or a drizzle of cream, a dusting of cheese or a good chile powder, a sprinkling of some herbs or croutons — all can take a perfectly fine soup into the realm of the delectable. Even a spiral of good olive oil to finish and some coarse sea salt can do wonders.