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This easy Potato Soup recipe is truly the best! It’s quick and easy to make on the stovetop, it’s nice and creamy (without using heavy cream), and it’s always so cozy and comforting and delicious.
Do you have a favorite potato soup recipe?
If not — psst — bookmark this one! ♡
This easy potato soup recipe has been my tried-and-true, back-pocket, all-time-favorite for over a decade now. It’s perfectly rich and creamy (without using heavy cream), it’s full of flavor (because bland potato soup is the worst), it’s easy to adapt to be vegetarian and/or gluten-free (see below), and it is always, always a crowd fave. I promise it won’t let you down.
Let’s make some potato soup!
Potato Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Potato Soup Ingredients:
To make this easy potato soup recipe, you will need:
Bacon: I recommend using center-cut bacon here, to keep it a bit more lean. But any kind of bacon you love will do. We will also use its leftover grease (or butter, if you prefer) to sauté the veggies for extra flavor. That said, if you would like to make this soup vegetarian, see my recommendations below for a delicious meatless version.
Veggies: Onion and garlic.
Flour: We will use flour to make a roux to thicken the soup. Or if you would like a lighter soup, you can skip this step and just puree part of the soup to thicken it. (See tips below.)
Chicken stock and milk: These will form the broth of our soup. Feel free to use chicken or veggie stock, and then whatever kind of milk you prefer (I used 2% cow’s milk).
Potatoes: I highly recommend making this soup with buttery Yukon gold potatoes. But russets or red potatoes would also do.
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.
And finally…toppings! I’m a big believer that the more, the merrier when it comes to toppings and potato soup. Some classic options could include
Extra bacon, extra shredded cheese, thinly-sliced green onions or chives, sour cream, fresh thyme, sprinkle of Cajun seasoning
How To Make Potato Soup:
To make this potato soup recipe, simply:
Cook the bacon. Dice and then sauté it in a large stockpot until it’s nice and crispy. Then transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, and reserve a few tablespoons of leftover grease in the stockpot (discarding the rest.)
Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon grease until softened. Then stir in some flour, to create your roux.
Add broth and potatoes. Then add the stock, milk and potatoes. Cook until the potatoes until softened, being sure to stir the soup regularly so that the bottom does not burn.
Add remaining ingredients. Then stir in the cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and crispy bacon bits. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper.
Serve warm. Then serve it up, loaded up with all of your favorite toppings!
Possible Variations:
Guys, there are so many ways to customize this soup! Some possibilities could include:
Make it vegetarian: Nix the bacon. And in its place, add in 2-3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning for a bit of extra flavor. (Plus, use butter or olive oil in place of the bacon grease.)
Make it gluten-free: You could either:
omit the flour, and instead, whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the cold milk and then add it to the soup
don’t worry about cornstarch/flour at all, and instead, puree half of the soup to thicken it
Lighten it up: Feel free to:
omit the flour and 2 tablespoons of grease/butter, and instead, puree half of the soup to thicken it
use skim milk
use turkey bacon (although you may need to add in a little extra olive oil or butter to sauté the veggies)
Add in extra seasoning: If you would like to give your soup an extra twist, feel free to add in 1 tablespoon:
Use a mix of potatoes: For something different, feel free to use a mix of Yukon gold potatoes and sweet potatoes, for more of a sweet and savory blend of flavors
Add in some extra veggies: If you’d like to load this up with extra veggies, feel free to toss in a handful of chopped cauliflower and/or broccoli along with the potatoes. They work well with this recipe too!
What To Serve With Potato Soup:
Looking for some side dishes to serve with this potato soup recipe? Here are a few of my faves:
This easy Potato Soup recipe is quick and easy to make on the stovetop, it’s nice and creamy (without using heavy cream), and it’s always so cozy and comforting and delicious. See notes above for possible variations, including how to make this soup vegetarian.
optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream
Instructions
Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a separate plate, using a slotted spoon, reserving about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the stockpot. (Discard any extra grease, or you can substitute butter in place of the 3 tablespoons of bacon grease. Also, if you are short on time, you can dice the potatoes and onion while the bacon cooks to save time.)
Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic and sauté for an extra 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir the flour into the mixture and sauté for an additional 1 minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the stock until combined, followed by the milk and potatoes.
Continue cooking until the mixture just reaches a simmer, before it begins to boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, being sure to stir the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn. (The smaller you dice your potatoes, the faster your soup will cook.)
Once the potatoes are nice and soft, stir in the cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper and cooked bacon bits. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings. Or, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
Be sure to also check out our Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe too — made easy in the crock pot!
This recipe was originally shared here in December 2014.
This is my first and only potato soup recipe since I started cooking 3 years ago!
I now eyeball ingredients based on how many mouths I’m feeding and what’s in the fridge and it’s honestly very forgiving when it comes to exact measurements. Personal preference is always a sharp cheddar.
I made your potato soup recipe and it by far the best I have ever made.I was so anxious to try it that I left out the sour cream and cheese.I really found no need for the two items.It was just delicious and will sure make again.Thanks so much!
Love your site and recipes.
No way potatoes get soft that quick. Nothing new regardless what recipe I use.
Yes, small pieces of potatoes and still simmering after 3 hours.
This is now our favorite potato soup – perfect flavors without all the heavy cream. Absolutely fabulous and easy to make. Will become a staple in our home – thank you for an amazing “go-to” to have in the rotation.
this soup is delicious!! the instructions were very easy to follow and the end product is so comforting and tasty:) I added celery and bell pepper for more colour and went a little easier on the Cajun spice than what was recommended, and it tastes awesome. thank you!
Very easy, I double the recipe because they eat so much of it! I make the bacon separately and my veggie son eats it and the rest of the family goes crazy with the bacon bits. A family favorite!
This soup was delicious! I used 2cups of diced ham (because I didn’t have any bacon) that was the only thing I changed and it was so good, my husband really enjoyed it also.
i used it and it truly was the best potato soup i have ever had. Without yogurt. i had to add a little extra milk though.
This is my first and only potato soup recipe since I started cooking 3 years ago!
I now eyeball ingredients based on how many mouths I’m feeding and what’s in the fridge and it’s honestly very forgiving when it comes to exact measurements. Personal preference is always a sharp cheddar.
can you freeze this soup
I made your potato soup recipe and it by far the best I have ever made.I was so anxious to try it that I left out the sour cream and cheese.I really found no need for the two items.It was just delicious and will sure make again.Thanks so much!
my go to recipe now!!!! I was wondering what the nutritional information is on this recipe(ex. cals. sodium protein)
Love your site and recipes.
No way potatoes get soft that quick. Nothing new regardless what recipe I use.
Yes, small pieces of potatoes and still simmering after 3 hours.
This is my favorite potato soup recipe! When the weather gets cold, I like to make it every week. So flavorful and filling. It’s good comfort food.
Absolutely loved it and will make again and again. Thank you!
This is now our favorite potato soup – perfect flavors without all the heavy cream. Absolutely fabulous and easy to make. Will become a staple in our home – thank you for an amazing “go-to” to have in the rotation.
this soup is delicious!! the instructions were very easy to follow and the end product is so comforting and tasty:) I added celery and bell pepper for more colour and went a little easier on the Cajun spice than what was recommended, and it tastes awesome. thank you!
This soup recipe is AMAZING! So much flavor and so easy. 10/10 recommend
Made this soup and added a little celery and carrots. Perfect for the chilly fall nights
Easy and tasty recipe. I highly recommend it.
Made this tonight, and we loved it! Thanks for the great recipe
I made this soup and it was delicious but I put the cheese and sour cream on the side.
Great recipe! Family loved it. Only thing I did differently was use my Instant Pot to cook the potato’s to speed up the cooking of the soup.
Truly is the best potato soup ever!!! My go to recipe.
Very easy, I double the recipe because they eat so much of it! I make the bacon separately and my veggie son eats it and the rest of the family goes crazy with the bacon bits. A family favorite!
I made this without bacon and for the cheese I used a velveta block and it’s so good! I have 5 kids and they all loved it as well
This soup was delicious! I used 2cups of diced ham (because I didn’t have any bacon) that was the only thing I changed and it was so good, my husband really enjoyed it also.
I add carrots, extra garlic, and celery if I have it. This soup is always a hit with my family!
No spices at all? No salt or pepper? Dont think so,
Could I use Heavy cream instead of milk for this recipe? Would heavy cream be too heavy?
Turned out perfect, will definitely be making it again.