Soup season is upon us, and there's nothing quite like a hearty bowl on a cold day. But if your soup turns out too thin, French chef Jacques Pépin has a simple solution: instant mashed potatoes.
The 89-year-old culinary legend shared the trick on his show Jacques Pépin: More Fast Food My Way. In the episode, he demonstrated a quick leek and potato soup, sautéing leeks and mushrooms in chicken stock before stirring in instant mashed potato flakes.
Instant mashed potatoes are essentially dehydrated potatoes, similar to potato starch or cornflour but without the risk of lumps. Pépin explained: 'I'm using an instant mashed potato here, and those are potato flakes that you put directly in there, and it gives you the thickening, the richness of it, and that's what you want. It's great.'
To use the hack, simply add a couple of tablespoons of instant mashed potato near the end of cooking, stir well, and let it simmer for five minutes. Taste and add more if needed. This method works well for soups like vegan vegetable noodle, but is not suitable for thin broths like Vietnamese noodle soup or bone broth.
