Best Ever Potato Soup!

With so many kinds available, how do you decide which potatoes to purchase? It all depends on how you plan to cook them. Potatoes, in general, are divided into three groups; starchy, waxy and all-purpose, based on their level of starch. And it’s their starch level that tells us how to best prepare them, some lending themselves better than others in recipes, impacting the outcome.

Starchy potatoes, like russets and bintjes, are very low in moisture. When cooked, their cells separate, becoming aerated and fluffy. They absorb whatever you pair with them – ideal for buttery fluffy mashed potatoes or baked potatoes. Their low moisture content, and high absorption makes them ideal for frying, perfect for french fries or potato pancakes. But these high starch potatoes can also too easily absorb water, so they fall apart when boiled, making them not the best choice for salads.

Conversely, waxy potatoes, including red potatoes, fingerlings, most new potatoes, and some blue potatoes, are low in starch with flesh that is characteristically creamy, firm and moist that holds its shape well after cooking. They’re typically great for roasting in the oven, blanching, pureed in soups and baked in casseroles. Because they have a more cohesive cell structure and don’t get overly mushy, they are an ideal candidate for potato salads.

All-purpose potatoes have a medium starch content falling somewhere in between the starchy and waxy potatoes. They’re a true multi-purpose potato, and can be used in just about any cooking application. The most popular example is the Yukon Gold potato. Other varieties include, yellow fins, and some purple and white potatoes. They’re moister than high-starch potatoes yet hold their shape a bit better.