Product Reviews and Tips

Watkins Baked Potato Soup Mix

My parents would attest that I make a pretty mean everything-from-scratch potato soup, so I was really curious how well Watkins' new Baked Potato Soup Mix would compare.

The directions on the container stated: "Add 2/3 cup / 160 mL soup mix to 3 cups / 750 mL water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Mix well and add diced potatoes, onions and vegetable of choice."

Seemed simple enough, but being the recipe rebel that I am, I didn't exactly follow the directions. I always put potatoes, onions, celery, and carrots in my homemade potato soup, and so know they don't cook to tenderness quickly (especially carrots.) Perhaps Watkins means for us to

use--horrors!--frozen or canned vegetables.

Therefore, I did the recipe backwards. I simmered the diced--fresh--vegetables in the 3 cups of water until they were tender. I then added the 2/3 cup Baked Potato Soup Mix directly into it and stirred.

Bad idea!

I discovered the Mix doesn't mix well into hot water. Instead, it sort of cooks in clumps. My soup was in danger of being a lumpy mess! However, I have experienced this sort of thing before, so knew what to do.

I scooped out the clumps as best I could, and since it appeared about half the mix had been thus rendered, I stirred a new 1/3 cup or so of the dry Soup Mix into about a cup of cold water. I had no problem getting it to blend smoothly in the cold water.

I then poured the mixture into the vegetables, and stirred. Success! No clumping at all, and the soup thickened as it simmered.

Then for the taste-test. I ate a whole bowl-full but couldn't quite make up my mind about it. It was good, certainly, but was it actually better than my homemade soup?

Well...the past few years when I've made potato soup it's been on behalf of my parents. That is, I made the soup to suit their tastes, and being ages 87 (Mom) and 91 (Dad) that taste runs severely towards the bland. Therefore, I didn't spice up my soup anymore.

Watkins' Baked Potato Soup, however, is filled with just the right blend of herbs and spices, and so tasted much more zesty than my own recipe. I was still on the fence about whether this made it better than my homemade soup when my husband (who knew nothing of my experiment) came home and ate some. Without any prompts whatsoever he immediately exclaimed, "This is the best potato soup you've ever made!"

Um, thanks, dear.

I explained I'd used Watkins' new Baked Potato Soup Mix, and he said we need to continue to buy it. So, I will have to admit that Baked Potato Soup Mix is better than my old recipe for potato soup.

I tried it out on my parents, and the only complaint was that the soup was too salty. Baked Potato Soup Mix does have a high sodium content--1020 mg per 3½ Tbl--so I've since tweaked the recipe to suit all of us.

One thing hasn't changed--whenever I even mention making potato soup, my dad immediately sets to peeling the potatoes.

Watkins Baked Potato Soup Mix

USA $8.49 Add to Cart

Canada $9.99 Add to Cart