Essential Ingredients for Your Speedy Potato Soup

One of the beauties of this hash brown potato soup is its reliance on readily available and often shelf-stable ingredients. This ensures you can pull together a hearty, satisfying meal even when your fresh produce drawer is looking sparse. Here’s a breakdown of the simple components you’ll need, along with tips for variations:

• Frozen Hash Browns: The star of the show! We recommend using bagged, loose diced hash browns for the best texture, mimicking freshly chopped potatoes. However, shredded hash browns also work if that’s what you have on hand. Just avoid the formed patties.
• Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese melts beautifully into the soup, providing that irresistible cheesy flavor and creamy consistency. A sharp or medium cheddar will give the most flavor, but feel free to adjust to your preference.
• Cream of Chicken Soup: This condensed soup adds a foundational creamy base and savory depth to the potato soup.
• Cream of Celery Soup: Complementing the cream of chicken, cream of celery soup contributes another layer of creamy texture and a subtle, herbaceous note.
• Chicken Broth: Essential for building the liquid base of the soup and cooking the hash browns. Low-sodium chicken broth is a great choice to control the overall saltiness.
• Evaporated Milk: Unlike regular milk, evaporated milk adds a rich, creamy body to the soup without thinning it out or risking curdling at higher temperatures. It’s a key ingredient for achieving that luxurious texture.
• Onion: A finely chopped onion, sautéed until translucent, forms the aromatic backbone of this soup, adding a sweet and savory foundation. If you have pre-sautéed and frozen onions, this step becomes even quicker!
• Oil: A little oil is needed for sautéing the onion at the beginning of the process.

Smart Prep-Ahead Tips for Even Faster Soup

This Hash Brown Potato Soup is already a quick and easy “crisis meal,” but with a few simple prep-ahead strategies, you can shave even more time off your cooking and ensure you always have the ingredients on hand. “Crisis meals” are designed to be made in 20-30 minutes using shelf-stable or freezer-friendly ingredients, and this recipe perfectly fits the bill.

Frozen ingredients are a busy cook’s best friend. I consider them just as “shelf-stable” as canned goods, as they won’t spoil like fresh produce. For instance, did you know that shredded cheese can be frozen for several months? I keep a generous basket in my freezer stocked with various shredded cheese varieties, which I replenish whenever they’re on sale. This ensures I always have cheese ready for soups, casseroles, or tacos without an extra trip to the store.

Fresh onions, while delicious, can be prone to getting soft if not used quickly. However, you can significantly streamline your soup-making process by using our method of bulk cooking onions. Sautéing a whole bag of onions at once and then freezing them in convenient 1-cup portions means you’ll always have prepared onions ready to go. You can even add these frozen onions directly to your soup, though they might extend the initial cooking time slightly as they thaw and heat through.

If you’re making a batch of Hash Brown Potato Soup and want to stock your freezer, it’s the perfect opportunity. Go ahead and sauté a larger quantity of onions – an entire bag, for example – while you’re already doing the work. Use what you need for the soup, then freeze the remaining sautéed onions in single-portion freezer bags. It takes a little extra time for the initial chop, but you’ll only have to sauté and wash the prep dishes once, saving you significant time and effort over several future meals. This proactive approach ensures delicious meals are always just minutes away, even on your busiest days.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Creamy Hash Brown Potato Soup

Creating this delicious and comforting soup is surprisingly straightforward. Follow these simple steps, and you’ll have a delightful meal on your table in no time.

Begin by sautéing your chopped onion in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Use a tablespoon of oil and cook the onion over medium heat until it becomes soft and translucent, typically 5-7 minutes. This step builds a flavorful base for your soup.

Next, pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the entire bag of frozen hash browns. The frozen potatoes will bring down the temperature, so continue to cook until the mixture returns to a boil. Allow the hash browns to simmer gently in the broth for about 5-7 minutes, ensuring they become tender.

Now it’s time to build the creamy foundation. Stir in the condensed cream of celery soup, cream of chicken soup, and evaporated milk. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined. Reduce the heat to low-medium and bring the soup to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

For that perfect creamy texture with a few satisfying potato chunks, use an immersion blender. Blend the soup directly in the pot for about 2-3 minutes. You’re aiming for a slightly thickened, smooth soup with some hash brown pieces remaining to add substance. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can carefully transfer portions to a regular blender (blending in batches) or simply mash the tender potatoes in the pot with a sturdy spoon or potato masher. Remove the blender once desired consistency is reached.

Finally, stir in most of the shredded cheddar cheese, reserving a small portion for garnish. Continue heating the soup, stirring frequently, until the cheese has completely melted and is smoothly incorporated. Season the soup generously with salt and pepper to taste. The amount will depend on the saltiness of your broth and cream soups.

Ladle the hot soup into bowls or crocks. Garnish each serving with the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and a sprinkle of fresh chopped green onions for a burst of color and a mild oniony bite. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions About Hash Brown Potato Soup

Potato Soup with Hash Browns (30 Minute Recipe)

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