Your Potato Soup Is Missing A Crispy Topping That's Already In Your Pantry

Perhaps the most comforting dish derived from potatoes is potato soup. It's creamy, rich, and perfectly delicious. Still, sometimes a simple bowl of potato soup can seem a bit bare. Like any good potato dish, it needs some toppings to make it really pop. We suggest looking beyond the usual set of adornments, such as green onions and shredded cheese, and turning your attention to your pantry, where you may find a bag of crunchy, salty potato chips.

Not only do potato chips help double up on potato flavor, they also add a good, crunchy contrast to that creamy bowl of soup. You needn't be intricate or fanciful with this addition; simply prepare your soup as usual, then sprinkle potato chips on top straight from the bag. If you want an easier bite, crumble your chips before sprinkling, et voilà! You have two layers of potato flavor in one bowl, and a perfect combination of smooth and crunchy to boot.

Consider flavor when picking your ideal soup chip. You can absolutely go for a plain, salted chip for this hack — it still adds that essential crunch and a robust, fried potato flavor. However, using a flavored chip adds even more pep to your bowl of potato soup. If you're a little wary about adding more flavors to your soup, start simple with a sour cream and onion chip. Since these flavors are often added to the creamy soup, they blend right in with the base and don't throw off the flavor profile that you worked so hard to make.

You can also go the creative route and try a few out of the box chip flavors, such as salt and vinegar (a favorite potato soup pairing for me), which gives a sharp tang that really helps your potato soup flavors pop. A cheese-flavored chip also works well, and a barbecue chip adds some welcome sweetness to the mix. You could also try a dill pickle chip, which is great for any of the pickle-and-potato enjoyers out there. Feel free to play with flavor combinations. It just might turn your next bowl of soup into something more exciting.