What Makes Frozen Hash Browns The Best Base For Potato Soup

Now that winter has settled in, there's nothing better than a warm bowl of creamy soup. Potato soup is one of the most economical soups you can make at home. Healthline writes that potatoes are about $0.56 per pound on average. There aren't many things in this world that are that inexpensive anymore. On top of that, potatoes are full of fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin B.

Potato soup is the perfect way to use up potatoes or make a quick meal that feeds a crowd. The ingredients are usually pretty simple and include potatoes, cream or milk, butter, some salt and pepper, and other additions according to taste, such as veggies or poultry seasoning, per Masterclass. Its simple and rustic roots date way back, and the Irish are known for making potato soup (as well as for growing potatoes in general). Tenon Tours explains that long ago, the poor people of Ireland grew potatoes because they were easy to grow, simple to cook, and could fill hungry tummies when there was little-to-no money.

Even though potato soup is economical and simple to make, it does take some time to peel, dice, and cook pounds of potatoes for it. Thankfully, there is a quicker way to get the soup done and it still involves potatoes.

Life is busy, and sometimes there isn't time to make everything from scratch. Still, you don't have to give up a delicious homemade potato soup if you don't have the time. The perfect base for a potato soup is in your freezer. You probably keep them on hand for things like a cheesy hash brown casserole or a quick breakfast. Yes, it's hash browns. They are a bag of potatoes, ready to go, and the perfect addition to your potato soup.

The biggest difference between frozen hash browns and fresh ones is a simple one — fresh hash browns are a lot of work to create, and frozen ones are convenient. Lifehacker writes that when making potato soup, just find out how many cups of diced potatoes are required in the recipe and measure out your frozen hashbrowns instead. Use all other ingredients as you normally would. They cook up quickly and, if you like to puree your potatoes for potato soup, they puree in no time. Homemade soup minus peeling and chopping potatoes is definitely a win.