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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 made this tonight for dinner and it as sooooooo good! Great recipe and it was so rich … no need for cream. Thanks!

  2. Great recipe! Was the first time I’ve made homemade potato soup and it was sooo good! I did sub the milk for heavy cream and added extra cheese ;-)

  3. Have tried this. It’s delicious! An easy soup to make. May change it up next time and make it with a spicier cheese. I did take an ingredient from the vegan crock pot version and added Bay Seasoning with the cheese. Turned out great! Thanks.

  4. I have been sick with pneumonia. I was looking for some comfort food and a former student sent me this recipe. It took me a couple of days to feel good enough to make it but WOW, this is absolutely the best potato soup I ever had. I made it exactly as printed. Perfect. I ate it, my husband ate it and my step-son happened by and he ate it. We were all giving it a big thumbs up!

    • Oh no, we’re so sorry you had pneumonia, Julia! We’re happy to hear you and your family loved this soup though — thank you for sharing with us! :)

  5. I made this today, a cold & rainy day,the soup is perfect! Will make again. Thank you for sharing. 

  6. This looks so good! I want to make this for work…we have soup day.  I need to feed about 12people. How much is this serving for? 

    • Thanks, Trish, we hope you enjoy it! The recipe makes 6-8 servings, so you might want to double it.

  7. OMGI made this today. It is awsome! I followed the recipe to a tee and my husband and I love it! He is a very picky eater.

  8. Ohmygosh, tried this soup and it is like eating a bowl of cheesy and delicious sunshine! A simply perfect recipe for comfort food. 10/10 would make again!

  9. Can half & half or heavy whipping cream be used? I have an abundance of both and need to use it up

    • Hi Selena! Yes, you could definitely use either one of those. We hope you enjoy the soup!

  10. Really tasty & fast, i added a couple tablespoons of cream cheese to ours, we really enjoyed this one!

  11. I love this soup! I omitted the sour cream and cheese because of calories and a child who adds too much cheese to her food, no matter how much is already in it. It was a huge hit. Hubby asked for it to be on permanent winter rotation. Made with red potatoes (his fave) and skin on, this was a perfect winter meal. The ratio of butter, flour, milk and chicken broth makes a perfectly thick consistency for potato soup. Thanks so much!

  12. It’s a great recipe!  I substituted milk with almond milk (left out the sour cream) and all-purpose flour for gluten free flour to make this work for our gluten-free, dairy-free family.  It was thick and so yummy!  My 5 girls devoured it!  

    • Thanks for sharing, Jodee — we’re so happy it was a hit with you and your girls!

    • Did the almond milk affect the flavor of it at all? I am wondering if I need to try cutting milk out of my diet but I LOVE potato chowder just not how I feel afterward.

  13. I made this soup last night and wow was it good!! I followed your recipe to the T and added a little more salt and pepper at the end to my taste, this recipe does not disappoint! I had the leftovers today for lunch and it was even better today! Will be making this soup again and again!

  14. Ok I plan on having friends over for this soup. I want to  make twice as much. Should I double all the ingredients?

  15. This soup is delicious. Made it once and going to make it again tonight. Perfect for a rainy day.

  16. I thought the potatoes would never soften, it took at least 45 min. I think it was cooking them in milk,as all the other potato soup recipes I found said boil the potatoes in water, drain, then add to the soup.
    Once the soup was done, it was very good. My family had to eat something else since this took so long, but we will eat the potato soup tomorrow night.

    • We’re sorry they took so long, Suzan — we haven’t had that issue before! :( We apologize for the inconvenience, and we hope you and your family enjoyed it though!

  17. I have a lot of red potatoes that need to get used up, would that taste okay in this dish?? 

  18. This is an incredible recipe, got many compliments and thanks for sharing it. Added some left over ham from a ham bone I previously froze. Definitely awesome ??

  19. Delicious and easy recipe. I omitted the bacon and used sour cream. My husband enjoyed it. I was surprised, he generally doesn’t like my cooking. I’m glad I found this recipe.

  20. Hi, I love this recipe and follow it frequently as my go-to potato soup recipe. I follow the steps pretty closely, aside from accommodating for personal tastes and cutting the measurements down for only myself. When I get to the step of adding the broth and warmed milk, they mix really well and it looks uniform and creamy. When I get to the part of adding the yogurt, however, the last couple of times I’ve noticed the broth ends up looking slightly lumpy/not uniform/creamy. Maybe it’s a matter of mixing the cheese *first* instead of the yogurt? I mean it still tastes amazing just doesn’t seem to have the consistency of your photos! Any suggestions? – Kim

    • Hi Kim! Thanks for sharing with us. When you’re mixing, you could try using a whisk. That should help break up the lumps. You should be able to add the cheese and sour cream/Greek yogurt at the same time. You may need to cook your soup a bit longer to get it a little thicker and creamier. We hope this helps!

  21. Didn’t have any bacon, so made it without and used butter instead of grease. Husband still said this is the best potato soup I’ve made. Delicious! !

  22. I just had to come here and comment. I’ve made this soup multiple times now and it is both mine and my boyfriend’s favourite. It is so easy and quick and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand so it’s my go-to last-minute supper! It’s great leftover too. It tastes a lot like hashbrown casserole in soup form, another one of my favourite meals!

  23. If I were to make a large batch would this freeze well?

    • Hi Lori! Technically you can freeze this but unfortunately it’s not really ideal due to the amount of dairy in it (it will likely alter the texture of the soup).

  24. I have made this recipe several times and my family loves it!! I love it because it does not call for canned milk or heavy cream. But, it taste great!!






    • Thanks for sharing with us, Paula — we’re so glad to hear that! :)

  25. Made it by starting with butter instead of bacon grease and using microwave bacon pieces instead to eliminate the frying of the bacon. I’ve also left out the bacon entirely. We love it both ways!






  26. I love this soup but have made a few changes..I add carrots and use skim milk and had a few potatoes..then puree the whole thing…then add more potatoes I feel it’s a slightly lighter version and no one is the wiser.

    But the original is amazing my husband just wanted a skinner version.

    • We like that you added carrots to this, Diana, and we’re glad you enjoyed it!

  27. Easy recipe, delicious! I used half whole mile and half heavy whipping cream, instead of all milk! A new family favorite!






  28. Why throw away the extra bacon grease? It’s easy to freeze and use in other cooking.

  29. I made this soup for dinner and it was excellent. The only change I made was using half milk and half heavy cream. I will definitely be making this again.






  30. My family and I love this recipe! I’ve made it many times as is, and have also added carrots, garlic, and leftover ham for another tasty version! Tonight I am making it again, on an cool August evening, pretending that it is already fall ;)!






  31. Simply the Best and Easiest potato soup I have ever made!! I did not nor would I change a thing. this has become a regular at the dinner table! Thank you for sharing.






  32. Amazing! Used sour cream and added a bit more cheese. I let my friend have some and she loved it. Will definitely make again!






  33. I made this soup last year and it is wonderful. We do not have cold weather yet, but this is on the menu tonight. I love to share this soup! Best potato soup I have ever had.






  34. My family loves this recipe, even my picky 8 year old. I am thinking of making this for a pot luck. Would it work if I made it the day before and reheated in a crock pot? Or would that change the creaminess of it?






  35. A fabulous recipe–easy and delicious, nutritionally sound. I only added a stalk of celery and enjoyed it on the first cool night of the season.






  36. This soup is as good or better than any I’ve ever tasted in any restaurant. Thick, creamy, and delicious. I served it with homemade bread fresh out of the oven, and my husband was in heaven! I used sour cream instead of greek yogurt, and topped it with chives.






  37. Delicious!!!! Loved it, and super easy!!






  38. I made this recipe today, and it tuned out very good! However, I used greek yogurt instead of sour cream and would not do that again since the yogurt curdled and made it look less attractive. Also, I added some Marjoram.






  39. As I am sitting here eating this incredibly delicious potato soup and not feeling bad because there is no heavy cream in it and it still taste heavenly, I think to myself I have got to leave a message and say THANK YOU!!! I am so glad I happened across your blog. Keep on cooking and sharing.!






  40. Does this recipe freeze? If so, how long? I just made it and love it! Super easy for my meal prep for work, would be nice to have some frozen on hand for days I’m low on time!

  41. Made this and it was very easy and turned out great was very delicious will make it again it makes great left overs. Thank you!






  42. I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I’ve made this several times now since Winter 2016 and it’s always a hit!! My family loves it. Usually doubling the recipe plus extra bacon and cheese for my two teenage sons and husband. Waiting for the next cold spell. . .this is the perfect “warm me up” comfort food! Come on cold weather!! ;-)






  43. I want to make this recipe for my roommates but one of them is gluten intolerant! Do you know a good substitute to use for the flour?

  44. Made this for dinner tonight and it came out fantastic!! I always have trouble making potato soup the proper consistency for some reason, but not with this recipe! Super delicious!! I’ll definitely be making it again soon!






  45. This was absolutely delicious!! My whole family agreed that this recipe is a keeper!






  46. Hi!

    Is there a way to print the recipes without the clip of the video on the first page? For now, I’ve just been copying/pasting the words onto a Word Document. I love your recipes; especially this potato soup!

    Thanks!

  47. I’ve made this a few times now, and it’s always good, but it’s best by far when i use pepper jack cheese instead of plain cheddar. that extra spice takes the flavour up a notch and makes it amazing! i just picked up me habernaro cheddar, I’ll try it next. thanks for the recipe!






  48. I have been looking for a great potato soup recipe for years and I think I’ve finally found it. I made this last night and was soo pleased with the way it turned out. Definitely use the bacon grease, added so much more flavor. It took me longer than 30 mins to cook though, my husband’s only complaint :)

  49. This recipe was easy and filled the house with great smells the family couldn’t wait to eat it