Sweet Potato Soup Recipe (Silky Smooth) - Real + Vibrant (2024)

FAQs

How do you make potato soup not grainy? ›

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.

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.

This starch will bond with the broth, causing the body of the soup to become slimy. To guard against this, it is best to mash the potatoes into the soup with a potato masher or a large fork, or to run the soup solids through a food mill to crush them.

Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry.

Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. If using an immersion blender, leave the mixture in the pot and blend the soup until smooth. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids.) Stir in half-and-half (if using), salt and pepper.

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.

The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.

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.

Potatoes are delicate in that they can be over mashed and over blended. This causes their starches to be released and turn into a gluey, gummy mess.

Why aren't my potatoes getting soft in my potato soup? ›

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. Acidic ingredients can slow down the softening process of potatoes.

Puree the vegetables.

Starchy vegetables in particular offer the most creaminess. Try with corn, parsnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, or yams. Blend half (for a chunkier texture) or all of the vegetables and liquid together.

Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded 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.

In order to fix lumpy or gritty mashed potatoes you may need to add more liquid to them such as melted butter and some milk.

Not peeling the potatoes. If you want to achieve the creamiest and smoothest texture in a pureed potato soup, you have to peel your potatoes. Failing to do so can lead to an unpleasant, gritty texture that could ruin the soup.

Your soup may become grainy if the cheese or dairy curdles. With a recipe like the one that follow you shouldn't have trouble because the cheese is added as a finishing component, off heat. But to avoid “breaking” the dairy while reheating (or with other dairy-rich soups), take it low and slow.

Soft But Not Mushy – Don't rush the cooking process and try to puree the soup while the vegetables are still hard or your soup will end up tasting gritty. You want the vegetables soft all the way through, but not so cooked that they fall apart into mush.