The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published March 2, 2021

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Potato Soup loaded with chunks of tender, hearty potatoes and made with a rich and creamy soup base. This soup is a reader favorite and for good reason – it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Top it with cheddar and bacon and no one will be able to resist.

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (1)

The BEST Potato Soup!

This is my idea of the perfect homemade potato soup! It’s creamy, it’s amazingly filling and it’s packed with goodness.

Growing up we had a lot of potato soup. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandparents were potato farmers so that just got passed down. My mom made it probably twice a month and now it’s the same for me, especially during cold winter months.

You’ll love that it’s something everyone in the family can agree on, and even get’s excited about when announced it’s what will soon await for dinner.

It’s also a very convenient recipe. Most of the ingredients are food staples you can keep on hand that don’t spoil quickly. The potatoes, carrots, celery and onions store well for weeks (and if you opt for bacon that keeps great in the freezer).

This easy potato soup recipe is one I would deem worthy of your recipe book! It’s an ultra comforting and cozy dish you’ll turn to time and time again.

Plus it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day if you happen to have any left.

Watch the Potato Soup Video!

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2)

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (3)

Creamy Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients

  • Russet potatoes
  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Sour cream
  • Optional toppings (cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions)

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How to Make Potato Soup

  1. Add veggies and broth to pot: Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Bring to boil: Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).
  3. Let simmer until tender: Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 – 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.
  4. Prepare white sauce in separate pan: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.
  5. Combine mixtures: Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup, if not cook a few minutes longer).
  6. Stir in sour cream: Add sour cream and mix well.
  7. Finish with toppings if desired: Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (5) The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (6)

Helpful Tips

  • Stick with russet potatoes. They aren’t firm and waxy like the red and yellow and they’ll start to break down and make the soup creamy.
  • Measure out the ingredients. If you have too many or too little potatoes it will change the consistency.
  • Don’t add other herbs or spices. I know that can be tempting but the simple flavors are perfect here.
  • Monitor texture of potatoes as they cook. You want potatoes that are tender but not completely mushy or you’ll have mashed potato soup.
  • For extra complimentary flavors add toppings. Cheddar and bacon are the flavor pairing to potatoes.
  • Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.

Variations

  • Try adding a few large handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese right into the soup (at the end off heat) for a cheddar potato soup.
  • Up the veggies. Include others such as peas or corn.
  • Make it meaty. Add cooked sausage (ground or slices of kielbasa) to the soup. Or go with the ham or bacon option, which you can mix right into the soup as well.
  • Serve with homemade dinner rolls for dipping, making it the ultimately hearty meal!

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More Ways to Make Potato Soup

  • Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup
  • Ham Potato and Corn Chowder
  • Instant Pot Potato Soup
  • Slow Cooker Potato Soup
  • Potato Sausage White Cheddar Soup

More Delicious Soup Recipes You’ll Love

  • Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Vegetable Soup
  • Corn Chowder
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (8)

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Potato Soup

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One of my go-to soup recipes and a reader favorite! It's such a creamy, hearty, comforting soup. While the toppings (cheddar, bacon, and green onions) are optional I highly recommend them for that loaded baked potato style flavor!

Watch the video

Servings: 5 servings

Prep20 minutes minutes

Cook30 minutes minutes

Ready in: 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Optional Toppings:

  • Cooked chopped bacon or chopped cooked ham, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions or chives

Instructions

  • Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).

  • Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 - 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.

  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.

  • Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup).

  • Add sour cream and mix well.

  • Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

Notes

  • *Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.
  • Toppings not included in nutrition estimate as these are optional.
  • Note that the soup will thicken as it rests so if you happen to have left overs you can thin with a little water or milk).

Nutrition Facts

Potato Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 441Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 56mg19%

Sodium 486mg21%

Potassium 1177mg34%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 6155IU123%

Vitamin C 16.5mg20%

Calcium 220mg22%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Best Potato Soup Recipe, How to Make Potato Soup, potato soup

Author: Jaclyn

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to potato soup to add flavor? ›

Cheese: I recommend a good sharp cheddar cheese here for maximum flavor. Greek yogurt or sour cream: To make the soup extra-creamy. Salt and pepper: Add in as much as you need at the end to season your soup well.

How do you make potato soup not taste bland? ›

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

What is a good thickener for potato soup? ›

Tip: Cornstarch will thicken your soup more than flour, but both are a good option if you need to thicken a very thin soup. Pour in 1 cup (60 g) of instant potato flakes for a quick fix. This will add extra potato flavor to your soup, so you don't have to worry about changing the taste.

Why does my potato soup have no flavor? ›

Perhaps the simplest approach is to flavor your soup with salt throughout the cooking process. Instead of waiting until the end of cooking to realize your soup lacks taste, you can add a bit of salt during each phase of cooking. Doing so will help bring out the flavors of each of the ingredients.

How do you make soup taste richer? ›

Add acidic ingredients.

Foods that have a great deal of acidity, like lemon juice, vinegar, white wine, and tomato puree, can help liven up the flavor of bland-tasting bone and other broths. "The acidity of these ingredients works to complement and enhance the broth's flavors, not mask it.

What is the key to flavorful soup? ›

All soups and stews must have three major components in order to be tasty: an undercurrent liquid, aromatics, and volumizing ingredients.

Which type of potato is best for soups? ›

Russets or all-purpose baking potatoes are high in starch and low in moisture. In soups, they will soak up the liquid and lose their shape. This makes them the ideal choice for making creamy soups or thickening a runny soup. Try using Russet potatoes to create the perfect Loaded Potato Soup.

Why is my homemade soup so bland? ›

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Start with the basics. Ensure you've added enough salt and black pepper.

How to improve bland potato soup? ›

Some ingredients I like to include in potato soup:
  1. Cooked, chopped bacon.
  2. Corn.
  3. Shredded cheddar (or similarly medium strong cheese)
  4. Cabbage or broccoli.
Jan 17, 2013

Does cream cheese thicken up potato soup? ›

It's especially appropriate in potato soups as it adds some fat and body to accentuate the starchiness of the spuds. Cream cheese also adds that all-important tang, imparting brightness and a touch of salty-sweetness that provides a depth of flavor to your simmering soup.

Can you use instant potatoes to thicken potato soup? ›

Honestly, if you just stir in a little instant mash, like Smash, your soup will thicken up in no time at all. Now, you may end up needing more than a spoonful, but it's best to add a little at a time, because remember, you can always add more of it, but you can't take it away.

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

Does soup taste better the longer you cook it? ›

Originally Answered: Does simmering soup longer make it taste better? If you're simmering a thing for hours, you will intensify the flavor by cooking off some of the liquid. This might make it taste better, but if cooked too long, it may end up too salty or otherwise be over-seasoned.

What vegetables can you not put in soup? ›

any veggie can be used in soup, but unless you're making a very delicate, exceptional soup, I'd steer clear of lettuce. some veggies have a strong flavor, so you may enjoy using them, but in moderation. For me, parsnips and rutabaga fit this category.

How to jazz up canned potato soup? ›

Add swirls of pesto, chili crisp, hot sauce, sour cream, or salted yogurt. Garnish your bowl with fried shallots, garlic chips, croutons, or a mish-mash of toasted seeds. Douse tender, fresh herbs—like cilantro, dill, parsley, or basil—in good-quality olive oil and vinegar and pile them on top.

How to spice up store bought potato soup? ›

A pinch of seasoning can make all the difference to freshen up the flavors in a ho-hum soup. Most canned soups have plenty of sodium, so skip the salt and stick with spices like cumin or curry powder or try dried herbs like basil or rosemary.

What can I add to soup to make it less bland? ›

Use fresh, good quality ingredients like vegetables and herbs. Add a little bit of vinegar or lemon juice to your soup to make it taste better. Use a high-quality broth or stock as a base for your soup. Roast or caramelize your vegetables before adding them to your soup to bring out their natural sweetness.

How do you spice up boring soup? ›

The key here is using the right herbs. Choose tender, leafy herbs for topping soup, like parsley (flat leaf or curly), cilantro, chives, or even mint. Skip the woody herbs, like rosemary and thyme — or add them in the beginning of the cooking process — otherwise they will dull, rather than brighten, the flavor.

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