This creamy potato soup recipe is a cozy meal that’s easy to make!
Filling, flavorful, and easy to make, creamy potato soup uses ingredients you likely have on hand to make a quick and creamy soup.
Cozy and Creamy Potato Soup!
- Budget-friendly and hearty, this soup is a great meal for lunch or dinner.
- Simple and ready in minutes with potatoes and other ingredients I always have on hand (like onion, flour, milk, and broth).
- Potato soup is a great way to use up leftover meat and veggies, chop them and stir them in.
- Make it in advance and serve it all week!
Potato Soup Ingredients
- Potatoes: Any spuds will do, but Yukon gold or red potatoes have a smooth buttery texture while russets are a bit more grainy. You can leave a bit of skin on red/Yukon potatoes but russets should be peeled due to their tougher skin.
- Bacon: Fresh fried bacon is key for flavor – it’s not just about the crispy bits (yum!); the bacon grease left behind is used to sautée the onions, adding a delicious smoky taste.
- Soup Base: Flour is used to thicken this soup and the base of this soup is chicken broth and milk. Broth adds flavor and using milk in place of heavy cream makes it creamy without being too heavy.
- Add-Ins: Adding sour cream adds a little tang while bacon and cheese make it taste like our favorite loaded baked potatoes.
Variations
Here’s where you can get creative.
- Stir in finely chopped vegetables like carrots or celery along with the onion.
- Chopped herbs like parsley or chives/scallions/green onions add a fresh flavor.
- Additional cheeses can change the flavor and add richness
- Leftover ham or turkey can be added.
How to Make Creamy Potato Soup
- Crisp the bacon in a dutch oven or large saucepan. Set aside.
- Cook the onions in the bacon fat per the recipe below.
- Add the liquid whisking until smooth, stir in the potatoes and simmer.
- Mash the potatoes in the pot until the soup is creamy (or leave some chunks). Stir in cheese, sour cream, chives, & bacon pieces.
Tips for Potato Soup
- Red potatoes or Yukon golds will make the best potato soup recipe as they have a smoother texture than russets.
- To thicken the soup further, make a slurry by combining a 1:1 ratio of cold water and cornstarch in a bowl. Mix well and slowly add to the pot of simmering soup while whisking to reach the desired consistency.
- Soups with dairy don’t freeze well as they can change consistency. If you do freeze this soup, freeze it before adding the extra sour cream. Reheat slowly over medium-low heat so as to not curdle the milk.
- Leftover soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
More Cozy Soups We Love
Did your family love this Creamy Potato Soup? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Creamy Potato Soup
This creamy and cozy potato soup is comfort food in a bowl!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- ½ white onion finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 pounds red potatoes or Yukon gold
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
- Kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into ½-inch cubes.
- In a soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onions to the bacon fat and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften without browning, about 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute longer or until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and whisk to combine (the mixture will be thick). Cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Whisk in chicken stock and milk, a little bit at a time whisking until smooth after each addition. Add in the potatoes and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the temperature to medium-low and gently simmer the potatoes, stirring occasionally until softened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Ensure the mixture doesn't boil as the milk can burn.
- Once tender, use a potato masher to gently mash some of the potatoes to create a creamy consistency.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese, sour cream, chives, and ½ of the crispy bacon. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with the remaining bacon.
Notes
Uncooked bacon is best in this recipe. If using pre-cooked bacon, cook the onions in salted butter.
Yukon gold potatoes are another great choice in this recipe. Russet potatoes will work however they have a grainy texture and will change the consistency of the soup slightly.
You can mash the potatoes or slightly blend some of them with an immersion blender to get a creamy texture.
The soup can be thickened by mashing more potatoes or stirring in potato flakes.
Store potato soup in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 484.87 | Carbohydrates: 55.69g | Protein: 20.02g | Fat: 20.88g | Saturated Fat: 12.03g | Cholesterol: 60.41mg | Sodium: 464.61mg | Potassium: 1419.29mg | Fiber: 4.36g | Sugar: 12.64g | Vitamin A: 784.52IU | Vitamin C: 23.41mg | Calcium: 408.04mg | Iron: 2.56mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Main Course, Soup
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Great recipe. Easy ingredients and come together quickly. Perfect for a wintry day. I might add some chopped green chilies next time I make it to add a little kick. But if not, it was perfect as is.
Hi! Can whole milk be substituted for Oat Milk when making your creamy potato soup recipe? Thank You!
Hi Judy, I have never tried this recipe with oat milk but I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Really easy recipe. I added a tsp of dried rosemary and added a bit more stock & milk than called for as it didn’t seem like enough liquid to soften the potatoes.
I also didn’t peel my potatoes as we prefer it this way.
Next time I’ll carrots & celery
My husband is not a fan of soups. I made this last night using a jar of Yukon gold potatoes that didn’t seal in my pressure canning process the day prior and he could not stop talking about how good it was. I will leave my potatoes a little more chunky next time as a personal preference for myself (I used the immersion blender too much). This is a keeper recipe for my family.
love this recipe
Thanks so much Teressa!
Just made this recipe and I took the chance of making 3x for a potluck tomorrow. I added celery, carrots and used vegetable stock instead of chicken because we are vegetarians. WOW, the best potato soup I’ve ever made and had. It came out perfect after following the recipe to a T. Great Job. God bless!!
So glad you enjoyed it, Carissa!
On this potato soup do you do the broth first then add the milk or combine those and add?
You can do either or, Michelle!
Awesome recipe! I love it. I added celery & carrots & I liked the addition.
Very good soup!
I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Bonnie!
Easy to make, usually with ingredients you already have on hand and very hearty and tasty.
Thrilled to hear you loved this soup, Amy!
This soup was fabulous.
My family was disappointed that there wasn’t more. Instructions were great. made my job easier!!!!!! Thank you for sharing this recip
e with the world!