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Potatoes are a great source of carbohydrates, fibers, potassium, protein, and various other minerals. You use this versatile vegetable in a variety of different dishes, such as French fries, potato soup, potato salad, potato dumplings, and a whole lot more.
A medium-baked potato contains almost 36 grams of carbohydrates, so it’s going to fill you up pretty fast, especially if you consume it in another dish. However, many people love potato soup because it’s so easy to make and doesn’t require a whole lot of effort.
Potato soup is full of energy, and you can easily add a whole bunch of healthy ingredients to make it tastier. The problem with a soup containing potato as an essential ingredient is that such a soup will have a generally higher carbohydrate content.
Now, what should you do if you want to limit your carbohydrate consumption while still enjoying potato soup? An easy method to cut down on the carbs is to try something else instead of potatoes in your soup.
Now, regardless of whatever you choose, it’s important to understand that almost everything you consume is going to have a certain percentage of calories.
However, if you don’t want to fill yourself up with lots of carbs that are found in potatoes, there are other alternatives that are better and a much more efficient alternative.
Several vegetable options can be used in soup, which generally contains a considerably lower percentage of carbohydrates. So, if you are looking for decent alternatives that you can add to your soup instead of potatoes, here are the most popular options that you can choose from.
Substitutes For Potatoes in Soup
- Turnips
Turnips are a great option if you are making a soup and want to avoid using potatoes a whole lot. You can use turnip while making stews, potato soups, or any other kind of dish to quickly replace potatoes.
The use of turnips as a substitute for potato in the soup will give almost the same thickness to the dish. Mashed turnips should be used to make the soup.
However, one important thing that you need to know here is that turnips have a considerably sharper taste as compared to potatoes. Therefore, you might have to use some other vegetable to neutralize the taste of the turnips.
The benefit of using turnips is that they retain their shape and form even after the recipe has been properly prepared.
Another important thing is that both are root vegetables, so if you are looking for that classic earthy taste from your dish, you simply can’t go wrong with turnips as a direct substitute for soup.
- Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another fantastic substitute to replace potatoes in a recipe. It makes a delicious substitute, especially if you are going to replace it with mashed potato soup. This vegetable has a very low carbohydrate content, making it a fantastic addition to most types of soups.
A half-cup serving of cauliflower contains almost 3 grams of carbohydrate in it. Therefore, if you are on a diet or are just looking for a healthy alternative to potatoes in a soup, you can’t go wrong with cauliflower. Cauliflower has low fat, sodium, fiber, and minerals.
Cauliflowers have fewer calories in comparison to potatoes. Hence, the addition of cauliflower in potato soups will reduce the overall calorie content by almost three-quarters.
If you are looking for a healthy alternative that doesn’t have a sharp tinge to it, you should absolutely consider going for cauliflower. It can be used as a replacement for potatoes as both are white and neither of them has a sharp tinge to it.
It looks the same as a potato, so it can be used without altering the color of the recipe. Additionally, the carbohydrate content of this vegetable is also lesser than potatoes. More importantly, you should know that cauliflower is incredibly versatile.
Cauliflower soup can be paired with a myriad of different vegetables, and it’s a fantastic choice for people who are looking to experiment with their soup or create something interesting.
- Jicama
It is a globe-shaped root vegetable belonging to the potato family. Jicama has white crunchy flesh with a sweet and nutty flavor. It has a mild flavor naturally due to which Jicama makes a great substitute for potatoes in the soup.
A half-cup of Jicama contains 6 grams of carbohydrate and 25 calories. Essentially, what this means is that you won’t ever feel full after having a Jicama soup. Jicama can be used as a substitute for potatoes in a soup.
Both belong to the same potato family and have a similar texture. The carbohydrate percentage of Jicama is less than potatoes. Hence, if you are looking for a low carbohydrate substitute for potatoes in soup, then it is the best option.
If you haven’t tried Jicama in your recipes, then I suggest you try this as an alternative because it will reduce the intake of carbohydrates. More importantly, you should know that Jicama is generally not as readily available as potatoes.
Because it’s not as popular, you might have to search around for a bit in order to find fresh Jicama from your local store. It might be available in supermarkets, or you will probably want to check a local vegetable supplier to find what you need.
- Rutabaga
Rutabaga is a root vegetable that has a brownish white color and belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables. You can substitute potatoes with Rutabaga in a variety of different recipes. Rutabaga is useful because of its lower carbohydrate content.
This characteristic makes it an attractive option for a low carbohydrate substitute when you are making potato soup. Just like potatoes, Rutabaga can be used in soups or stews either baked or boiled form.
It has a delicious taste and contains only 6 grams of carbohydrate in a half-cup serving. The color of Rutabaga is not similar to potatoes as they are slightly yellowish, and its color turns light orange once you cook it.
One of the best options available to you is butternut squash, especially if you are looking for a direct alternative to potatoes. Butternut squash has a relatively silky and smooth texture, and it looks absolutely wonderful.
It’s incredibly flavorful, and it goes wonderfully well with a variety of other vegetables. If you are interested in something that’s not only going to taste wonderful but is also readily available, you can’t go wrong with butternut squash.
Another major benefit of butternut squash is that it’s readily available, so you won’t have to make a lot of effort to find it at your local stores.
- Cassava
Another root vegetable that you can find in your local markets is cassava. While it’s generally quite popular in certain parts of the world, especially Polynesia, Africa, or Brazil, you might have a bit of trouble in finding Cassava at your local stores.
Cassava is actually quite similar to potatoes, both in terms of appearance and taste. However, it’s much denser and contains a lot more starch as compared to potatoes. Therefore, unlike most other dishes on this list, you should know that Cassava is going to fill you up very quickly.
If you are looking to eat something that’s healthy and not as dense as potatoes, adding Cassava to your soup might not be such a good idea. Instead, you might want to consider any of the other alternatives mentioned in this blog.
Try adding any of the above substitutes for your soups that require potato as an essential ingredient. Enjoy soups with these vegetables and give your mouth a slightly different taste by using these fantastic alternatives.
However, you will only like any of these vegetables when you first like veggies. If you don’t like veggies in the first place, you are going to have a hard time substituting potatoes and liking the soup in any way.
