The Secret Spice In The Pioneer Woman's Potato Soup Recipe

Potato soup is one of our favorite meals to eat during the winter thanks to how hearty, satisfying, savory, and flavorful it is. Top it off with some crunchy bacon and a little cheddar cheese or serve it with a crusty piece of French bread and we are talking nirvana. The use of potatoes goes back a long way, and as reported by ifoodTV, potatoes have been around for 7,000 years and can be traced to Peru. According to Healthline, this naturally gluten-free tuber may be the most filling food we can eat. Perhaps that's why it makes such a great base for soup.

ifoodTV also notes that potato soup is a fairly simple dish with potatoes and milk serving as the foundation. Sure, you can add in some garlic and bay leaves, onion, salt and pepper, even cheese if you want to really mix things up like Taste of Home does. But it really doesn't take much to make potato soup perfect. Or does it? Leave it to our favorite down-to-earth Oklahoman cook, aka The Pioneer Woman (aka Ree Drummond) to add a spice to this soup that takes it to the next level. In fact, this secret spice adds a little bit of a kick to your potato soup that will get you coming back for a second bowl it's so delicious — okay, and maybe even a third.

Ree Drummond openly admits on her blog that she is pretty particular about her potato soup. She doesn't like it lumpy or too creamy. And it has to be brimming over with flavor or Drummond will "die a thousand deaths." We're with The Pioneer Woman on that one; flavor is key to this soup. You will find the usual suspects on the ingredient list for Drummond's potato soup: potatoes, heavy cream, chicken or vegetable stock, chopped onion, and celery. But in addition to the salt and pepper to season the soup, Drummond adds a Cajun spice mix.

Thrive Cuisine describes Cajun spice mix as adding elements of smoky garlic and pepper to your dish and notes that every mix has its own level of spiciness, but they all provide a little cha-cha-cha for your taste buds. But what exactly is in a Cajun spice mix? Gimme Some Oven says everyone has their own take on this Louisiana born seasoning, but in general, a Cajun spice mix consists of paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano. Sounds pretty flavorful to us. So, the next time you make a pot of potato soup and you want to add a little oomph to it, sprinkle in a little Cajun spice mix.