Soups can be categorized in any number of ways, but arguably the simplest is to think of them as “brothy” or “thick.” A brothy soup is very liquid and often clear. Thick soups, on the other hand, achieve their texture when you either puree their main ingredient (think potato leek or butternut squash soup), or…
Instant Mash for Thicker Soup
Starches thicken soups well because, in hot water, they make a gel that traps water molecules, acting as a large, nearly invisible sponge. Purified starches, including cornstarch, arrowroot, and even potato starch (a staple of gluten-free baking), are powerful and fast-acting because everything that is not starch has been removed. Flour is different, though; since it contains protein and other materials along with the starch, it takes longer for its thickening power to develop, which is why you need to use more of it.
Instant mashed potatoes are not a purified starch, either. They are the whole potato in a cooked-and-dried form. Similar to flour, they will leave a soup, stew, or sauce opaque, rather than clear. Despite that limitation, they are a very useful thickener. Because they are precooked, they thicken immediately, just like a purified starch. Plus, unlike those starches, they won’t clump when added directly to the pot.
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Perfect for Last-Minute Thickening
You can make a really quick potato soup by simply stirring some instant mashed potatoes into a cup of microwaved chicken or vegetable broth and seasoning it to taste. But the real value of instant potatoes is when you need a last-minute thickener because the soup isn’t coming together as it should. If you add more cornstarch, you risk making the soup gummy. Adding flour works, but then you need extra cooking time to get rid of that raw-flour flavor.
With instant potatoes, you don’t have to worry about either of those downsides. Just shake them in as you stir until the soup is thick enough. No fuss, no muss, no bother. An alternative that works nearly as well is a “quick-mixing” or “gravy” flour, such as Gold Medal’s Wondra and its competitors. Since it’s also precooked, it’s quick to use and resists clumping almost as well as the spuds.
