Best Potatoes for Soups + Other Things (2024)

If there is one thing anyone can agree upon it’s that potatoes are the ultimate comfort food. They are also so incredibly versatile. You can make them into soup, mash them, bake them, stuff them, the list seriously goes on and on. With over 1,000 varieties of potatoes out there, it can be hard to know what kind of potato is best for what. I know I used to always get confused! So let’s break down in this post what the best potatoes for soup and other recipes are.

Best Potatoes for Soup

Potato soup is so creamy, filling, and the ultimate comforting meal on a cold winter day. To make a potato soup, using russets or all-purpose baking potatoes can be best as they are high in starch and low in moisture. When you use these in soups, they can soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them ideal for a thick, creamy soup.

Some of my favorite potato soup recipes:

• Creamy Potato Soup
• Curry Potato Soup
• Potato Kale Soup

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes are a classic dish that has been served in households on a regular weeknight, to holidays. To make the perfect mashed potatoes you’ll want to use Yukon gold potatoes for mashing as they are high in starch but have this naturally buttery flavor. They also don’t absorb much liquid as a russet potato would so they don’t get too mushy.

Mashed potatoes recipes:

• Classic Mashed Potatoes Recipe
• Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Baked Potatoes

I love a good baked potato with all the toppings. The ideal potato for baking is low in moisture and high in starch which allows the potato to bake up with a fluffy center and crispy skin. This brings us to the russet potato. The perfect potato for the perfect baked potato! Top it with all your favorite toppings like sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, chives, or just butter.

Baked potato recipes you’ll love:

• High Protein Loaded Baked Potato
• Curried Tuna Baked Sweet Potato
• Crispy Roasted Potatoes

Scalloped Potatoes

Scalloped potatoes are thinly slices potatoes that have been baked in a cream or milk-based sauce with things like butter, onions, and/or herbs. They are so darn delicious and one of my fav kinds of potatoes! To make these, you’ll want to use a starchy potato like russet or Yukon gold because it will thicken the sauce and bake beautifully.

Scalloped potatoes recipes you’ll love:

• Best Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

French fries

To make a delicious french fry, russets are your go-to potato. They are high in starch and low in moisture which makes them perfect for a fry. Of course, you can also use a sweet potato if you want a good ol’ sweet potato fry. Pair it with a yummy aioli for the perfect fries!

Fry recipes you’ll love to snack on:

Potato Salad

There are two types of potato salads you can make that would require different types of potatoes. First is waxy potatoes such as red potatoes or fingerling potatoes. These have less starch so you can cut them before cooking and they won’t fall apart while boiling. These would be used in a potato salad that requires you to pre-cut potatoes in them like a German potato salad. The second type is using starchy potatoes like russets that swell up when boiled. These can become too overcooked and mushy which you wouldn’t want in a potato salad, but if cooked correctly they can be fantastic.

Potato salad recipes to try:

• Vegan Potato Salad
• Greek Potato Salad
• Roasted Potato Salad

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