There are lots of ways to thicken soups, but French chef Jacques Pepin has a method that will give you a rich and creamy texture without any added ingredients
There’s no denying it: it’s the season for soup. Whether you’re a fan of classic potato and leek, creamy chicken noodle, or hearty minestrone, there’s nothing quite like a large pot of soup bubbling away on the hob when it’s chilly outside, reports the Express.
Even if your soup doesn’t turn out exactly as you’d hoped, it’s usually still scrumptious, or easy to salvage with a few clever tricks. If your soup turns out too watery, or you want to make it a bit more filling, French chef Jacques Pepin has revealed a simple ingredient he likes to use – instant mashed potatoes.
The television chef and French cooking expert suggested this technique in an episode of Jacques Pepin: More Fast Food My Way. In the episode, he demonstrated his recipe for a quick leek and potato soup by sautéing chopped leeks and mushrooms, simmering them in chicken stock, and then mixing in the instant mashed potatoes.
When you think about it, instant mashed potatoes are essentially just dehydrated potatoes, so it’s akin to using powdered potato starch or cornflour in a soup, but without the worry of lumps forming.
While there are other methods you can use, such as adding a cornflour slurry or making a roux to thicken soups, these involve additional steps.
The plain potato flakes thicken the soup with minimal effort and without altering the flavour. Jacques explained: “I’m using an instant mashed potato here, and those are potato flakes that you put directly in there, and it gives you the thickening, the richness of it, and that’s what you want. It’s great.”
Introducing thickeners to soups or stews largely comes down to personal taste. Towards the conclusion of your cooking time, just pop in a few tablespoons of instant mashed potato, mix thoroughly and allow it to bubble away for a further five minutes.
Give it a try, and if you fancy it thicker, chuck in another spoonful. Naturally, certain soups benefit from thickening whilst others don’t.
Take vegan vegetable noodle soup, for example – you might wish to give it extra body without resorting to animal products.
Conversely, plenty of soups are best kept thin and brothy, like Vietnamese noodle soup and bone broth.
If you want ideas and inspiration to plan your next UK adventure plus selected offers and competitions, sign up for our 2Chill weekly newsletter here