How to Turn Frozen French Fries into a Soothing Soup

Show: Chopped
French Fry Soup - Chopped Dinner Challenge

Watch any episode of Chopped and you're bound to find one competitor who's blender-happy — he or she will puree anything, oftentimes most of the basket ingredients, into a dish. Although that isn't always the best method for impressing the judges, sometimes it works, as in the case of the recipe in this week's Chopped Dinner Challenge. The chefs of Food Network Kitchen chose frozen french fries as the basket ingredient, and they wanted to transform them without the typical frying, so this French Fry and Scallion Soup was born. It's a comforting potato soup in half the time, because you've just skipped the peeling and cubing.

Before starting the recipe, make the infusion for your garnishing oil by simmering lemon zest and rosemary sprigs in olive oil over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Strain the oil once it's cooled.

Begin the soup by melting butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic, cooking until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, water and the defrosted french fries. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes have softened, and puree with an immersion blender.

Brush a halved baguette with some oil and set under the broiler until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

Serve the soup garnished with sour cream and a drizzling of the lemon-rosemary oil, and serve sliced baguette on the side.

The Chopped Dinner Challenge is a series of recipes showing you how easy it is to cook like a winning Chopped competitor. Every week, FN Dish will showcase a recipe created by Food Network Kitchen that uses at least one of the Chopped basket ingredients, plus basic grocery goods and simple staples. Consider it your very own Chopped challenge. Just take this frequent tip from the judges: Don’t forget to season!

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