Ina Garten Keeps Her Potato Soup From Being ‘Boring’ by Adding These Fun Treats as Toppings

Although there are a lot of upsides to a pureéd soup — creamy and smooth texture, flavors that coat your mouth, and a super-filling consistency to name just a few — Ina Garten admits that these kinds of soups can be a bit “boring.” So, to remedy this, Garten jazzes up her Creamy Potato Fennel Soup recipe with a handful of delicious toppings that make this dish exciting and fresh.

“My Creamy Potato Fennel Soup is full of flavor—but puréed soups can be a little boring when every spoonful is exactly the same,” Garten wrote in the caption of a Jan. 28 Instagram post. “Instead, I put creamy goat cheese, crisp croutons, and drizzle olive oil in the middle of the bowl to scoop up with every bite. So satisfying!”

Not only are these toppings delicious on Garten’s potato soup, but you can add these to broccoli cheddar soup or even an earthy cream of mushroom to add a bit of tang and texture.

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Even though the toppings are delightful, it helps that Garten’s soup is super delicious to begin with. Her creamy potato soup starts with a base of sauteéd fennel and onions, to which peeled and diced potatoes are added — Garten likes Yukon Gold. Everything is covered in chicken broth and left to simmer until the potatoes are tender.

Once everything is cooked and pureéd, Garten adds a splash of Pernod liqueur and half and half to bring out the anise flavor of the fennel and thicken the soup, respectively.

Then, when it’s time to serve, the garnishes are first placed in the bowl and the soup is poured around them to create a masterpiece good enough to eat.