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Potato Soup

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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.

The BEST Potato Soup Recipe

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

The BEST Potato Soup

How To Make Potato Soup:

To make this potato soup recipe, simply:

  1. 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.)
  2. Sauté the veggies. Sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon grease until softened. Then stir in some flour, to create your roux.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. Serve warm. Then serve it up, loaded up with all of your favorite toppings!

Homemade Potato Soup with Bacon and Cheddar

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!

Loaded Homemade Potato Soup Recipe

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:

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The BEST Potato Soup Recipe

The BEST Potato Soup!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 591 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x

Description

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.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 slices bacon, diced
  • 3 tablespoons (reserved) bacon grease or butter
  • 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 2 cups milk, warmed
  • 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced
  • 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream

Instructions

  1. 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.)
  2. 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.
  3. 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.)
  4. 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.
  5. 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 post contains affiliate links.

The BEST Potato Soup Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

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1,351 comments on “Potato Soup”

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  1. I love that you added cheese to this – delectable!
    Your photos are stunning.

  2. Wow! This looks incredible.  I totally agree that there’s no need for cream here. Totally decadent and fantastic without it.  

    I loved the relaxing weekend–we all need that sometimes.  Monday came, though, and it’s back to the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  *Sigh*

  3. Oh my, this looks and sound so insanely amazing! I love love love potato soup!

  4. Sounds like I need to take some lunch tips from you! I always eat so fast I barely taste it, because I feel like there is SO MUCH TO DO.
    But, if this potato soup is in the cards, I definitely will take some time to get my slurp on. Love this comfort food! Pinned!

  5. I totally agree- this long weekend was so rejuvenating and we’re headed to Chicago on Thursday for another long weekend and I can’t wait to check out again! It felt so good. Although I’m ready to get back in the salad a bit. ;-) Love that this isn’t full of butter and cream. I bet my boys would devour this!! 

  6. Long weekends definitely improve my mental health! Looks delicious!

  7. One of our favorites — will definitely be trying your version!!

  8. great recipe! i love your posts and look forward to them! you are delightful and uplifting! 

  9. Can I freeze this in a jar?

  10. How awesome does this look?! I love potato soup, but I agree…so many extra calories! This variation would be perfection.

  11. potato soup is so cozy and delicious

  12. This looks so creamy and comforting! I love the toppings. Soup season is my favorite. I felt so relaxed this long weekend and even after working some, it was awesome to be home so much! 

  13. This looks soooo great! My mouth is watering! Love a bowl of comforting potato soup during these cold months.

  14. This soup looks so cozy and delicious!

  15. Potato soup has always been my favorite…with peeled potatoes ;) Love that you made this so customizable! There’s no better time of year than the holiday season! Obsessed with your bowls btw…gorgeous color! 

  16. I usually don’t take the time to leave a comment but felt compelled to for this recipe because it was easy and absolutely DELICIOUS!  My family loved it and I loved the fact that the recipe is made without cream.  Amazing recipe!!!  

  17. I’ve been working on disconnecting at work too, to make sure I refresh and take a break. We all need to recharge. This soup looks out of this world!

  18. Loaded potatoes are my absolute FAVOURITE! I love this soup version, just wonderful! :)

  19. Made this soup over the weekend and it was SO good. Didn’t change a thing, but next time I was thinking it would be good to add chunks of ham along with the bacon! Thanks for the delicious recipe :)

  20. Wow….made this tonight and it was fantastic! Thanks for the great recipe! 

  21. Two thumbs up all around my dinner table! Thanks for the great recipe.

  22. This soup looks so cozy and delicious! I can’t wait to try it! Love the photos, too. So bright and beautiful.

    xoxo
    emilie

  23. My husband is currently heading in to the kitchen for his 3rd helping of this soup. It is delicious on a cold Mn winter night. We had some broc for a side dish. He unceremoniously dumped it in the soup- also delish. Thank you for the recipe. He just asked me to include in the “rotation”

  24. I don’t eat potato soup at restaurants not because of the cream but because it’s always so bland and they never add enough bacon! 

  25. This was fantastic! I added some chipotle chili pepper (to taste) for an a added kick. My husband loved it and said how much it tasted like a southwestern style potato skin! Success! Also, I used Greek yogurt vs sour cream and you’d never tell (my husband hates Greek yogurt and he didn’t notice! Haha).

    Delicious and filling! 

  26. Your recipe is making me think—–and I think that potato soup is probably one of my top 3 favorite soups. I love soup. So this is a MAJOR announcement. Ha. Good selection of ingredients and I like the yogurt idea.

  27. I picked this recipe for my new recipe for the week–I made it last night since I knew I would be too busy tonight to make dinner–trying it at lunch for the first time and I can’t wait! Having a yummy lunch packed makes the day that much better! Thanks for the recipe :)

  28. Made a double batch this week-took some to a friend with small kids. They all loved it, even the toddlers. I’ll put a star beside this recipe. Thanks!

  29. So great. I added half a bottle of beer (Lagunitas Pale Ale) to the soup as well, which complimented the cheese flavor quite nicely. Drank the rest of the beer while cooking!

  30. Delicious looking soup!! It is perfect comfort food for the very cold weather. xo Catherine 

  31. Just made this as written (except no chives as I didn’t have any) – yum!  Took a little longer than I expected, but could be the high altitude (over 7000 feet) and my non expert knife skills…  ;)

  32. Is this easy to freeze

  33. I made this yummy potato soup when I wasn’t feeling well and its great! Thick and rich and has bacon in it. … you can’t go wrong.

  34. sounds so good!   Would want to add thinly sliced celery.   and I may have to use hash browns from — gsdp — the freezer.  sorry.   but my time is very minimal these days.   

  35. OH MY GOODNESS!!!!  I have made a lot of potato soups in my days but this is, by far, the best ever!!!  I love that it’s not loaded down with heavy cream but still comes out smooth, thick, rich & velvety!  It was super easy & quick and I usually have all the ingredients in hand, so no trip to the store. YUMMY!  YUMMY!!  YUMMY!!!

  36. do you think I could substitute almond milk for regular milk? 

  37. I made this and it’s sooo good! :) Thanks for this recepie, will definitely make it again! I actually put corn in there as well! Just because I love corn in baked potato, so I tried it! 

  38. What is the nutritional breakdown of this recipe?  Want to know how many points it would be on Weight Watchers.

    Thanks!

  39. I love potato soup. It is very silly however when one says that it’s healthier for the lack of cream when one uses lard (bacon grease.) When using real whole cream, it is a lot less harmful than animal fat which clogs the arteries among other things. I prefer to create a delicious potato soup without using meat or dairy but when I do use dairy in my food, it is wholesome and real. Thanks for sharing your version

  40. I just made this.  Absolutely delicious!

  41. Looks fantastic. I’ll get  back to you after I try it out tonight. Thanks.

  42. Can you leave out sour cream and yogurt im out of both 

    • Sure, you could omit the sour cream/yogurt, you might want to add a little milk or half and half though, to make it more creamy. Good luck!

  43. I have been enjoying your recipes every week for myself and my family!
    I would live to have my own soup bowls like the ones in this recipe. They make happy! Do you know where they can be purchased?

  44. Delicious,  made without the sour cream or yogurt.

  45. I’ve tried many potato soup recipes since I love it so much. This is my new favorite! It’s just SO delicious. Thanks for sharing this great recipe. 

  46. Just tried this soup for the first time.  Absolutely wonderful! The  best potato soup recipe i have tried. I especially like that there is no heavy cream. My husband said not to change a thing. He loved it as is. This is a keeper.

  47. Made it last night and it was amazing! I would say it’s only 3-4 servings though, still, it was yummy!

  48. Ya know when you mentioned in your post about how we didn’t need all the cream/1/2 and 1/2 I thought we don’t?? Really?? And ya know what……we don’t. This is a wonderful tasty soup. We used to have a tradition of potato soup on Christmas Eve……….think I’ll bring that tradition back with this recipe. Thanks

  49. I made this soup today and just finished my first bowl of it.  It was delicious!  I chose this recipe because it didn’t require cream or half & half.  I used skim milk and it came out thick and creamy and the flavor was perfect. I’m counting calories these days and have been using the my fitness pal app.  I plugged this recipe into the app, and it calculated the calories to be 350 for 1.167 cups of soup.  I was surprised to find that 1 cup of Chili’s restaurant loaded potato soup had less calories than this recipe.  it came in at 270 per cup.  I’d still prefer this homemade version, but it’s curious how the restaurant version has less calories. Maybe I entered it wrong?  Has anyone else calculated something different? Thanks! Amd thank you for this fabulous recipe.