Leftover French fries can rescue a soup that turns out too thin, according to a tip reported by mojegotowanie.pl. Rather than reaching for flour or grains, cooks can blend in cold, soft fries left over from an earlier meal.
American food journalist Helen Rosner shared the trick, which is useful when a soup is watery by the end of cooking. Once blended, the fries act like potato starch or mashed potato, binding liquid and thickening the soup.
How the method works
Plain fries without sauce or heavy seasoning work best, since ketchup, mayonnaise or barbecue sauce can change the soup's flavor. The fries should have been kept in the refrigerator and still be fit to eat. Because they are already cooked, they should be added near the end, starting with 5 to 8 medium pieces per liter of soup, with more added if needed.
Best soups for the trick
Fries work well with vegetable and mushroom soups, as well as leek, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin and pea soups, whether the soup has chunks of vegetables or meat or is a smooth cream soup. Because fries contain salt and fat, the finished soup may taste richer, so cooks should watch the seasoning.
Steps to add the fries
Place the fries in a tall container, add a ladle of hot soup and blend until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the pot and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes while stirring. If the soup has chunks, blend the fries with just a little liquid first to avoid pureeing the other ingredients; for cream soups, they can be blended directly in the pot. Soup may thicken further after cooling, so a little broth or hot water can be added when reheating.
Other ways to thicken soup
Without fries on hand, cooked rice, mashed potato, white beans, lentils or chickpeas can be blended with broth and stirred in. Stale bread or oats work for cream soups, or a ladle of the finished soup with its vegetables can be blended and returned to the pot.
