Alright, so I found myself staring at a box of instant potato flakes the other day. You know the kind. Honestly, wasn’t sure what to do with them, but then I thought, hey, quick potato soup? Why not give it a shot.
Getting the Stuff Together
Didn’t need much, which was the whole point. Here’s what I pulled out:
- The instant potato flakes, obviously.
- Some chicken broth I had in the pantry. Could use veggie broth or just water, I guess.
- Milk. Whole milk, ’cause that’s what was in the fridge.
- Butter. Gotta have butter.
- Salt and pepper. Basic essentials.
- Garlic powder and onion powder. Felt lazy, didn’t wanna chop anything.
Pretty simple lineup, right? No fancy business.
Making the Soup Happen
First thing, I poured about, I dunno, maybe 3 cups of the chicken broth and 1 cup of milk into a saucepan. Put it on the stove over medium heat. The goal here is just to get it hot, like steaming, but not a rolling boil. Tried that once, didn’t end well.
Once it was good and hot, I took the pan right off the burner. This part’s key, trust me. If you add the flakes while it’s still boiling on the stove, you risk getting a gluey, lumpy situation. So, off the heat it came.
Then I started stirring in the instant potato flakes. Didn’t measure precisely, just added them bit by bit, stirring constantly with a whisk, until it looked like, well, mashed potatoes but a bit looser. You kinda eyeball it until it’s the thickness you want for soup. Remember it thickens up a little as it sits too.
After the flakes were mixed in smooth, I put the pan back on the burner, but turned the heat way down low. Tossed in a good chunk of butter – maybe a couple tablespoons? Stirred that in until it melted. Then came the seasoning: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder. Stirred, tasted, added a bit more salt. It always needs more salt than you think.
Just let it hang out on low heat for maybe 5 minutes. Didn’t need to cook, really, just wanted everything to warm through together and the flavors to meld a little bit. Kept stirring occasionally so it wouldn’t stick.
The Finish Line
And that was pretty much it. Ladled it into a bowl. It looked like potato soup, smelled like potato soup. Pretty darn good for something that came together in maybe 10-15 minutes flat. I crumbled some pre-cooked bacon on top and added a handful of shredded cheddar cheese because why not?
Honestly, for a quick weeknight thing or when you just don’t have the energy to peel actual potatoes, this works. It’s not gonna win gourmet awards, but it’s warm, filling, and tastes decent. Way better than I expected from a box of flakes. Definitely keeping this trick up my sleeve.
