The Reason You Should Be Using Yukon Gold Potatoes For Stews And Soups

Potatoes: Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew. But wait — don't just stick any old potatoes into that stew! Potato varieties differ in a number of ways, from taste to texture, and not all spuds are fit for the same dishes. You want to choose your potatoes carefully depending on what meal you're whipping up, and when it comes to soups and stews, there's a clear winner among the pack.

Yukon Gold potatoes fit the bill perfectly for these long-simmered dishes due to their firmness. Unlike starchier potatoes like Russets, Yukons have a waxy quality to them that helps them stand up to longer cook times and soaking in broths or gravies. They'll still hold their shape and offer a bit of a bite where other varieties cook down into mush. Any dishes that require a potato with a little firmness to it, including potato salads, benefit from using Yukon Golds.

Yukon Gold potatoes are cross-bred from South American yellow potatoes and white potatoes from North America. Originally created in Ontario, they're a relatively recent variety, dating back to the 1960s. They're naturally yellow in color and have a smooth, buttery flavor and texture. These potatoes are perfect all-purpose spuds, possessing both the sturdiness for roasting and boiling, and the creaminess that lends itself to a good mashed or whipped potato full of rich potato flavor.

Cook with Yukon Golds the same way you would cook with any other potato: Scrub and rinse right before cooking, then use in whatever recipe you'd like. The versatility of Yukon Golds means they can substitute in for other potato varieties in most recipes. You can either leave the skins on or remove them; the skins are full of nutrients such as potassium and magnesium, but they're thin and peel off easily. 

With their buttery flavor, Yukon Gold potatoes work well in rich, hearty dishes such as meaty beef stews, spicy curries, and comforting soups. Use them in smooth, creamy baked potato soup, blending some into the broth and leaving some chunks. Or mix them into your favorite beef or chicken stew to bulk out the dish and add some starchy balance to an otherwise rich and heavy meal. Whether diced up small or left quartered and rustic, they'll be sure to hold shape.

Yukon Golds make great baked potatoes and fantastic french fries, are delectable when roasted, and serve as the perfect base for scalloped potatoes. They hold up well in casseroles, and scalloped — whether layered with creamy sauces or handfuls of melty cheese. Whether serving as the star of the show or playing a smaller part in a larger recipe, if you can think of a dish that needs potatoes, you can likely use Yukon Gold for it.