Can I save this soup?

[RedTop]

I made an elaborate Red Skin Potato Soup yesterday...fussed with it for literally hours before serving it for dinner.

It was a disaster. Instead of it turning out rich and creamy--and delicious, is was chalky and bitter. Mulled this over for quite some time before deciding I had used TOO much flour in the white roux I used as the soup base.

I now have more than a gallon of this mess sitting in a stock pot in our refrigerator. Any help redeeming this mistake would be appreciated!

[RedTop]

Well. The saga is over. I appreciate ALL the suggestions given here. I REALLY do. Talked them over with my wife, and we decided to grit through the taste issue, and not try to re-invent the soup. Bottom line: she thought I was being hyper-critical of the taste and consistency. So we finished it as is. Or, as was. I coped. Thank you all for your observations and help.

[alkapal]

after all this? you just ate as is? you should've at least cooked it longer, maybe with a little more broth....

[RedTop]

I apologize. My take, v. my wife's take on the soup were diametrically opposed. So, I chose to do nothing to modify the soup. It's gone. Lessons learned.

[Quine]

I did agree with alkapal and also, may I say, disappointed. Flour in a roux MUST be cooked and I honestly do think the skins on those potatoes made it bitter.

We tried, we all did, Bet cha next time you ...well you, well you know.

It was fun.

[runwestierun]

I would practice on a small part of it. Thin the soup with chicken stock and heat. In a separate saute pan, saute some onion. Add cubed ham steak, saute. Add some green beans. Add this to the soup and simmer until beans are tender. Add cream or half and half and lots of black pepper. I usually make this soup with cubed potato in it, too, but it's fine without it.

[John E.]

Instead of just throwing it away, I'd water it down and then add chicken soup base or salt and see what happens. It would be a way to attempt to salvage the soup without spending any more money. Who knows, it might work? If the taste comes back you can always add more potatoes or remove some of the liquid once the flavor is back.

[weezycom]

I haven't found flour to be a culprit in bitterness, and a bitter flavor makes me think that smartie is right to advise not throw good food after bad into the pot.

[ipsedixit]

Can you tell us what you put in it (or the recipe)?

This would help us in helping you rectify the problem.

[RedTop]

1. Boiled the Red Skins in water--retained the water.
2. 16 tbs butter (two sticks) heated for roux base. Added one cup flour stirring into the butter.
3. Brought the water back up to temp. Added 32 oz., Kitchen Basics Vegetable Stock. Added six sprigs of Rosemary. Added two tbs minced onion. Added 3 tbs sea salt, one tbs ground black pepper. Brought everything back up to heat.
4. Added roux stirring to mix.
5. Added Red Skin potatoes.
6. Added eight rashers of thick cut bacon, cooked.
7. Simmered for about 40 minutes. Served.

[ipsedixit]

I would bring it back to a boil and add some milk, or heavy cream.

[RedTop]

Thanks for the hint / tip, ipsedixit. I'll try this before supper tonight.

I forgot...after I added the potatoes, I spliced in a pint of heavy cream.

[greygarious]

I agree with adding some cream. IMO, that's an awful recipe and I wouldn't expect it to be "rich and creamy". Flour is not the culprit, unless you burned it. Could be chemicals on the potato skins, or more likely the stock. Storebought vegetable stocks are notoriously disappointing and unless you are a vegetarian, it's wise to use chicken instead. Plus, if you have a gallon of the soup you must have had at least 2 qts of potato water. You should have used at least one large onion and a half pound or more of the bacon, if you wanted any kind of flavor. If the potatoes are still in chunks, scoop them out, reduce the liquid, add a cup or more of heavy cream and a tbsp of chicken base. Sautee an onion and more bacon separately and stir into soup. Then return the potatoes. Finally, throw away the cookbook. I wouldn't trust the author's other recipes.

[Quine]

I am not seeing the step where the roux was cooked before used. Does it taste like uncooked flour?
Personally, I find the recipe suspect, but hey that's me. Also, if it was me/mine I would decide on the toss it was a better value than trying to save it.
I would reheat and taste first tho. And if it still was bland, I might try some kitchen experiments on it. What that would mean, was (since you certainly have enough) after the re heating, I would remove a half cup or so and to that first try a bit more salt, and maybe a dash of nutmeg. It that half cup worked I would do that to rest, would also try some roasted garlic test sample, a addition of cream cheese/sour cream sample, an addition of a cooked roux sample, a sample that I roasted a while, one that you add a bit of sugar (oooh maple syrup) etc. I forget who taught me this, but most often to correct a 'taste" try adding the "opposite". Be sorta surprised how true that is.

Use it as a learning experience. Around folks I know and when I worked in the food business, I was the GoTo person for the question "What does this need?" It wasn't because I am psychic but because I did many kitchen experiments on my "concoctions" while growing up.

[alkapal]

uncooked flour is what i instinctively thought, too. that one cup is a LOT of flour.

[Nocturnalbill]

I agree, my thoughts were that it's usually 1/1 for a roux...and that seemed a bit off at that volume.

[smartie]

sometimes you just gotta do the math and say it's not worth trying to fix a mistake. Adding more ingredients will cost more, plus more time fussing. I dunno maybe file it under T for Trash!
I made a lamb curry Saturday that I am less than thrilled with, gonna see if 2 days in the fridge will improve it otherwise it's going to be trashed. I am also irritated because I spent a few hours hopping up and down adding this and that but it hasn't been my biggest success story.