Asked by
ibiemonstah-deactivated20170126
You absolutely can substitute red potatoes for the russets in potato soup. Red potatoes are waxy, have more moisture, and tend to keep their shape better when cooked, so some people actually prefer them when making soup. In fact, I prefer them in most soups with the exception of this recipe. Waxy potatoes are perfect for potato salad, because they don’t end up like mashed potatoes when you stir them into the other ingredients.
Russets are drier, have more starch, and break down easily when boiled. Their fluffy texture makes them perfect for baking, mashing and French fries. In my opinion, they’re the only potato worth frying.
The thickness of this soup relies on the breakdown of the russets. So if you substitute red potatoes the taste will be really similar but the texture will be different.
And by the way, Yukon Golds are somewhere in the middle of the two types. We still have tons of those (pictured), so you may see a Yukon Gold-version of my recipe in the near future! Let me know how it goes!
