Slow Cooker Potato Cheese Soup {Marie Callender's Copycat Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

Why do you avoid simmering your soup after adding the cheese? ›

Cheese can curdle when added to soup due to the high temperatures and acidity in the soup. The proteins in cheese are sensitive to heat and acid, causing them to separate and form curds.

To thicken potato soup without creating lumps, you can use a roux made of equal parts butter and flour. Melt the butter in a separate pan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk the roux into the soup, and let it simmer until thickened.

4. Use Cheese to Thicken: Cheddar Cheese can be added at the end of the cooking process to thicken the potato soup. Make sure to stir complete mix the ingredients together.

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.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Add a slurry at the end.

A slurry is a mixture of flour and water, whisked together until smooth and added towards the end of cooking; it's a super-simple way to thicken any soup. For slow cooker soups, add your slurry with at least 30 minutes of cook time left so that the raw flour can cook and thicken the soup.

Not using quality stock or broth

You can always use water in your soup, but if you want it to have a full body and dimension, a good stock or broth can make all the difference. They have the ability to transform a bland soup into a flavorful meal, as well as adding extra nutritional value.

You can also add some grated cheese. I would use a hard cheese like Parmigiano or Romano. Now just season to taste. With a simple soup like potato, I would stick to salt and pepper only.

Although the dish was scrapped due to declining popularity, its biggest fans have not stopped talking about it online. One disappointed fan wrote one on Twitter this week: “I was today years old when I found out Panera discontinued their potato soup.

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? ›

By adding more potatoes or even mashed potatoes into your soup, you'll naturally increase its thickness and creaminess. As the potatoes cook, they release starch, which helps to bind the liquid and create a thicker consistency. Remember to chop the potatoes into small cubes for quick and even cooking!

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Roux. As a liquid thickening agent, a roux is a perfect way to add viscosity to various soups and sauces, especially four out of the five Mother Sauces used in French cuisine.

Roux (pronounced roo) is a mixture of equal weights (parts) of flour and fat (usually clarified butter; chicken fat, bacon fat, and margarine are also used) cooked over medium heat and stirred constantly. Roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups.

Cheese should be added to the soup towards the end of the cooking process, just before serving. Adding the cheese too early can cause it to overcook and become stringy. By adding it towards the end, you allow the cheese to melt gently while maintaining its desired texture and flavor.

Melt the cheese slowly. Adding melted cheese to hot milk can cause the milk to curdle. Instead, melt the cheese in a separate bowl over low heat or in the microwave. Once the cheese is melted, add it to the milk slowly, stirring constantly.

At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly. Keep the heat very low, and make sure the cheese is one of the last things added to the soup.

If you're going to stir the cheese in at the end of cooking and serve the soup immediately then you have more options. Shred the cheese as finely as possible and stir until well-incorporated, then serve right away. Using this method, I get good results using cheddar, pepper jack, and even Parmesan and Romano.