Slow Cooker Turkey & Potato Soup Recipe - Cookin Canuck (2024)

FAQs

Which potatoes hold up best in soup? ›

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.

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.

Cheese: I recommend a good sharp cheddar cheese here for maximum flavor. Greek yogurt or sour cream: To make the soup extra-creamy. Salt and pepper: Add in as much as you need at the end to season your soup well.

In general, it's best to stick to the indicated cook time on the recipe you're following. Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours.

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.

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

For most potato dishes it's important to add the potatoes to cold water and allow the water to come to a boil with the potatoes in the water. The potato starch can react as soon as it comes in contact with hot water, which will promote uneven cooking and mealy potatoes.

Cut the potatoes into rissolettes and blanche them (i.e. cook them briefly, not to full doneness). Use the water you used in the soup and put the potatoes back in when you go to warm the soup again for serving. Since they're cut fairly small, they should be just about done without being mushy when you go to eat.

Brown or Sear the Meat

If you are adding meat to a soup, sear or brown it in a sauté pan before you add it to the soup. This adds a deeper savory flavor to the whole soup. This trick is especially useful for things like chicken and sausage, which can sometimes get bland and rubbery while floating in a brothy soup.

Adding an acid like vinegar or lemon juice and incorporating fresh herbs can also help add flavor to a potato soup. While you may not need to implement all of these strategies, it's good to keep them in the back of your mind for when you realize your next pot of soup needs a flavor boost.

Can you overcook potato soup? ›

You can overcook potato soup. This will impact the texture and cause your soup to turn to mush. Overcooking the potatoes specifically will cause them to become wrinkled or crumble to pieces.

The difference is the time it takes to reach that temperature. Low: 7-8 hours to reach the simmer point. High: 3-4 hours to reach the simmer point.

You'll be rewarded with richer, more intense flavors in your soup. There is very little evaporation in the slow cooker.

Doing so could create an environment that allows bacteria to grow, which can make the food unsafe to eat. It's best to refrigerate slow-cooked foods as soon as they have cooled down, and then reheat them to a safe temperature of 165°F before consuming.

To fix this and keep your potatoes intact, pour a little bit of vinegar (white, wine or cider) in cooking water. It works like magic!

Best Potato Varieties for Storage

My top two potato varieties for long-term storage are Yukon Gold (love this one!) and Russet. Any potato with a thick skin will store better than potatoes with thinner skins.

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.

Waxy potatoes have less starch and a slightly sweeter flavor than starchy potatoes and a firm, moist texture when cooked, "making them optimal for dishes where you want potatoes to maintain their shape," says Kenneth Bower, director of produce merchandising at Baldor Specialty Foods.