From side dishes to snacks to actual main dishes, potatoes are an important, inexpensive and delicious part of our everyday diets.
As noted by the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center, potatoes sit right up there with crops like wheat, corn and rice as one of the most important food crops in the world.
We can mash them, fry them, boil them, roast them, bake them, “pasta” them and even dessert them.
Basically, just about any method of cooking somehow works for potatoes.
They are an extremely versatile vegetable to keep on hand in your kitchen.
When the weather gets a bit cooler, there’s nothing better than a good potato soup to warm up your frozen insides.
But with so many varieties of potatoes at the grocery store, farmers market or hiding in those big five-pound bags, it can be hard to know which one is actually best for soup.
And yes, while they are all called potatoes, they are definitely not all created equal.
You may need some assistance in choosing wisely.
Potatoes 101
The potato is a starchy tuber from the nightshade family, and it remains one of the most widely eaten vegetables around the globe.
Potatoes sometimes get a bad rap because of their carbohydrate content, but the actual truth is that they can be a good source of many nutrients our bodies need, including potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6 and fiber, especially when the skin is eaten.
Based on USDA FoodData Central, a medium baked potato with skin provides potassium, vitamin C, fiber and a little plant-based protein, which is not too shabby for something that often gets treated like the villain of the dinner plate.
Of course, what we do to the potato matters too.
A boiled or baked potato is not nutritionally the same thing as a giant basket of fries drowning in cheese sauce, although I fully understand the appeal.
When choosing potatoes, look for ones that are firm, heavy for their size and mostly free of cuts, soft spots, major bruises or mold.
A few small blemishes are fine, but potatoes that are green, wet, shriveled or sprouting like they’re trying to start a new life should probably stay at the store.
Small sprouts can be cut away if the potato is still firm, but green areas should be removed because they may contain higher levels of natural compounds called glycoalkaloids.
As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration notes, potatoes with a bitter taste or heavy greening should not be eaten.
For storage, keep potatoes in a cool, dark, dry and well-ventilated place, such as a pantry, cupboard or basement area.
Avoid storing them in direct sunlight or in a sealed plastic bag, and try not to store them right next to onions, which can encourage sprouting faster.
Eating the skin from potatoes is perfectly fine to do, and many recipes specifically call for it.
Just make sure you scrub the skins well before cooking because potatoes grow underground, and “extra dirt” is not exactly the seasoning most of us are going for.
Types of Potatoes
There are thousands of potato varieties grown throughout the world.
The International Potato Center reports that there are more than 4,000 native potato varieties, mostly found in the Andes, which is a lot of potato homework just to decide what you want for dinner.
Luckily, for everyday cooking, you do not need to memorize thousands of names.
Most potatoes fall into three practical kitchen categories: starchy, waxy and all-purpose.
These categories matter because the amount of starch and moisture in a potato changes how it behaves when cooked.
In other words, the potato you want for fluffy mashed potatoes may not be the same one you want floating around in a chunky vegetable soup.
Starchy Potatoes
Starchy potatoes are, as you probably guessed, high in starch and lower in moisture.
They cook up light, fluffy and soft, which makes them great for baking, mashing, frying and thickening soups.
These potatoes are the ones you’ll want for French fries, baked potatoes, very fluffy mashed potatoes and creamy blended soups.
They also tend to break apart more easily, which can be exactly what you want in a silky soup, but not what you want in a stew where the potato chunks should stay chunky.
One of the most popular starchy potatoes is the russet.
Russets are usually larger, with rough brown skin and white flesh.
They are perfect for baking, frying and mashing, and they can also help thicken soup when you want a creamier texture without adding a ton of actual cream.
Sweet potatoes are often grouped into the “starchy” conversation too, though botanically they are not the same as white potatoes.
You can spot them by their tapered ends, orange flesh and naturally sweet flavor.
They work beautifully in soups too, especially with ingredients like ginger, cumin, coconut milk, black beans or smoky paprika.
And of course, they are a popular Thanksgiving recipe, often topped with marshmallows, because apparently we looked at a vegetable and thought, “This needs candy.”
Waxy Potatoes
Waxy potatoes are lower in starch and higher in moisture, and they hold their shape very well once cooked.
This makes them ideal for soups, stews, potato salads, roasted potatoes and any dish where you want the pieces to stay intact.
They usually have thinner skin, and the skin does not separate as easily as it does with starchy potatoes.
That is one reason many recipes do not call for peeling waxy potatoes at all, which is always good news for anyone who does not enjoy standing over the sink with a peeler.
A waxy potato favorite is the red bliss.
Red potatoes are smaller and rounder than russets, with a thin red skin and creamy white flesh.
They are excellent for boiling, steaming, roasting and chunky soups because they stay tender without falling apart into potato confetti.
Fingerling potatoes also fall into this category and are wonderful in rustic soups.
They cook quickly, look pretty and are the kind of potato that makes a simple soup look like you tried harder than you did.
Adirondack blue potatoes are another fun waxy option.
They are known for their blue-purple flesh and can be especially nice in casseroles, roasted dishes and colorful potato salads.
You may also recognize that signature color from potato chips served as a snack on some flights.
Because yes, sometimes nutrition education happens at 30,000 feet.
All-Purpose Potatoes
Just as their name suggests, all-purpose potatoes are good for just about anything.
They sit somewhere between starchy and waxy potatoes, meaning they have enough starch to become creamy, but enough structure to avoid completely falling apart.
All-purpose potatoes are the ones to grab when you are not sure which potato a recipe needs.
They are also a great choice when you want one bag of potatoes that can handle soup, roasting, mashing and a last-minute “what’s for dinner?” situation.
Yukon gold potatoes are by far one of the most common all-purpose potatoes.
Yukon gold potatoes have thin golden skin, yellow flesh and a naturally buttery flavor.
They are excellent for soups because they become creamy when blended, but can also hold their shape in chunkier recipes if you do not overcook them.
In my opinion, Yukon golds are one of the safest answers to the question, “What potato should I use?”
Although, try naming a potato that is truly wrong.
The Best Potatoes for Soup
With so many kinds of potatoes out there, you would think choosing the best one for soup would be a daunting task.
Fortunately, it is really more about matching the potato to the type of soup you are making.
For hearty soups that call for chunks of vegetables, waxy potatoes work best because they hold their shape after simmering.
Red potatoes, fingerlings and new potatoes are all good choices for vegetable soup, chicken soup, beef stew and chowders where you want visible pieces of potato.
For creamy soups that are meant to be blended, Yukon gold potatoes are hard to beat.
They blend into a smooth, rich texture and bring a buttery flavor without needing as much butter or cream.
Russet potatoes can also be used in blended soups, especially if you want the potato to help thicken the broth.
Just remember that russets absorb more liquid and break down more easily, so you may need a little extra broth to get the texture you want.
For potato leek soup, baked potato soup or creamy cauliflower potato soup, Yukon golds and russets are both good options.
For minestrone, vegetable soup or chunky chicken soup, I would lean toward red potatoes or Yukon golds cut into even pieces.
And for sweet potato soup, well, that one takes care of itself.
Sweet potatoes pair especially well with warm spices, beans, lentils, kale, chicken broth, vegetable broth or a touch of coconut milk.
Quick Potato Soup Guide
- Best for creamy blended soup: Yukon gold, russet or a mix of both.
- Best for chunky soup: Red potatoes, fingerlings, new potatoes or Yukon gold.
- Best for chowder: Yukon gold or red potatoes.
- Best for thickening soup: Russet potatoes.
- Best buttery flavor: Yukon gold potatoes.
- Best for holding shape: Waxy potatoes, such as red or fingerling potatoes.
A good rule of thumb: use waxy potatoes when you want potato pieces, and use starchy or all-purpose potatoes when you want creaminess.
That alone will keep you from turning a chunky soup into accidental mashed potatoes with broth.
For more soup-specific ideas, you can also read about the best potatoes for vegetable soup.
Golden Potato-Cauliflower Soup Recipe
This is the kind of soup where Yukon gold potatoes really shine.
They make the soup creamy and smooth, while the cauliflower keeps it light enough that you do not feel like you just drank a bowl of mashed potatoes.
What You’ll Need:
- Olive oil: 2 teaspoons
- Shallots, finely chopped: 1/3 cup
- Cauliflower, sliced: 2 1/2 cups or about half of a small head
- Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced: 3/4 pound
- Chicken broth: 28 ounces, preferably lower sodium
- Salt: 1 teaspoon, or to taste
- Cayenne pepper: 1/4 teaspoon
- Lemon juice: 1 teaspoon
- Chives, chopped: 2 teaspoons
What To Do:
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the shallots, cover and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potatoes, cauliflower, broth, salt and cayenne pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Add the lemon juice.
- Carefully blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or transfer it in batches to a traditional blender.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Top with chopped chives before serving.
You can also make this with vegetable broth if you want a vegetarian version.
For a little extra protein, plain Greek yogurt can be stirred in at the end, off the heat, or added as a topping.
Bottom Line
The best potato for soup depends on the soup.
For creamy blended soups, Yukon golds and russets are your best friends; for chunky soups and stews, red potatoes, fingerlings and other waxy potatoes are usually the smarter choice.
Use this guide to help you decide what potato you should use for everything from French fries to casseroles to mashed potatoes to soups.
You definitely don’t want to try and make French fries from an Adirondack blue potato, unless purple fries were your plan all along.
Further reading: what goes with French onion soup?
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