Ham and Potato Cheddar Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken ham and potato soup? ›

This potato soup relies on two ingredients for thickening: flour, which thickens up the liquid as it simmers, and russet potato, which has a lot of starch that also releases into the liquid to help thicken it up.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

But depending on the type of soup, you can add heavy cream or even sour cream to get a delicious richness and creaminess. To make soups creamy add: Fresh cream.

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

Whisk 2 tbsp (25 g) of cornstarch or 2 tbsp (30 g) of flour with ¹⁄₄ cup (59 mL) of cool water. Once the starch is completely dissolved, pour the slurry into the main pot. Heat the soup to boiling for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer until the soup is as thick as you'd like it.

Another option for thickening soup is by using dairy like sour cream or yogurt. Start with a small dollop and stir before checking the consistency and adding more. We recommend using plain yogurt so you don't alter the taste of the soup. You can also use cream if you prefer.

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. If you follow our instructions, and taste before serving, you can easily add a little more salt and pepper to make your soup even tastier.

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.

"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.

How do you deepen soup flavor? ›

Depending on what kind of soup you have, there are lots of things that add flavor. Black pepper can give an “after burn" to any recipe. Worcestershire sauce, Maggi sauce, tomato paste, fresh herbs, mustard, vinegar, bouquet garni, garlic, hot sauce, soy sauce.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

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. Some freshly cracked pepper helps, too!

Cream is used to add richness to soup, as the extra fat makes it delicious. Be sure not to bring it to a boil, but rather, add it in at the last minute before serving. The best item to thicken a soup is some sort of starch, whether from flour, cornstarch, arrowroot, or even a lot of potatoes.

For recipes like creamy soups, you could use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or whipping cream, depending on how rich you want the end result to be. Use whipping cream for something a little lighter, and heavy cream for the creamiest possible result.

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.

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.

Opt for Cornstarch or Arrowroot

In a small bowl, mix cornstarch or arrowroot with a small amount of cold water to form a slurry. Once the slurry is smooth, gradually pour it into the simmering potato soup. Stir well to ensure the slurry is evenly distributed.

The main reason your potato is not thickening is that it needs a heavier dairy product. Potato soup is cooked in a milk and chicken broth soup but heavy cream may need to be added. If your recipe calls for whole milk, mix in heavy cream instead or do half milk and have heavy cream.