Frozen Hash Browns Are Your Easy Hack For More Filling Soup

Soup is a great way to add some healthy calories to your day, along with protein and other valuable nutrients. However, given that soup is generally a liquid-based meal, it's not always the most filling option. Luckily, if you've got hash browns in the freezer, you can use them to add some substance to your soups.

You might never think to do this with hash browns, but adding them to a soup can have many different benefits. First, the texture will be improved because the starch from the potatoes may seep into the broth, creating a thicker soup overall. This will benefit a chowder or something that already contains potatoes, but be careful not to add too much, as this can overload it with starch. That thickness will also help you to feel fuller when you're finished eating.

The flavor of your soups will also be greatly improved with the addition of frozen hash browns. Not only will you get some of the oils that were present prior to freezing, but you'll also get much of the seasonings and saltiness that they offer. If you choose to heat and season them before adding them, reheating the hash browns in an air fryer will give you an extra bite and crunch that's often lacking in a soup.

Whether you have a homemade soup or one straight from a can, adding frozen hash browns can make a great addition. Just make sure you choose the right soup for the job, but really, any popular brand of frozen hash browns will do. A standard Campbell's chicken noodle soup might not be the best choice, given that the ingredients blend together so nicely already, and the broth is somewhat watery. However, one of the chunky ones with more ingredients could benefit nicely from the addition.

Any thick soup or chowder would be ideal for adding hash browns to, as the starch from the potatoes can further enhance the texture. Something like a New England clam chowder that already includes potatoes could be improved with the addition of hash browns, but a potato soup can also benefit from even more potatoes. The taste won't clash, and it'll provide some extra depth to the broth, which might be a bit empty otherwise.

An Italian soup, such as minestrone or zuppa toscana, would be another good choice for adding frozen hash browns. They're usually packed with flavor, so the addition of some more spices from the hash browns will be more than welcome and shouldn't stand out much against the other flavors. Not to mention, many Italian soups already are made with potatoes, so rather than spending your time peeling and cutting, you can spend more time enjoying your meal.