This easy potato soup recipe is creamy, comforting, and always a crowd favorite.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this delicious, creamy potato soup! It’s simple and easy to make and so perfect on a chilly, damp day.”
– Katrina
Like A Warm Hug In A Bowl
Love a cozy bowl of homemade potato soup. ♡
It’s the kind of comfort food I grew up eating on chilly Midwestern nights — simple, hearty, and always so nostalgic. I spent years tweaking this recipe, and it’s now a forever favorite in our house. And after tens of thousands of you have made it (and raved about it!) over the past decade, I’d say it’s officially a reader favorite here too!
This homemade potato soup recipe is wonderfully creamy (without needing heavy cream), layered with cozy garlic and cheddar flavor, and easy to customize to your taste. Even better? It’s quick and unfussy and ready to go in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sunday dinners or anytime you’re craving a cozy bowl of soup. One batch never lasts long in our house!
So if you’ve been searching for a tried-and-true potato soup recipe to keep on repeat, this is it!
Cheers,
Potato Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Potato Soup Tips
Before you get cooking, here are a few simple tips to help your potato soup turn out extra creamy and delicious:
- Dice potatoes evenly: Smaller, uniform pieces will cook more quickly and evenly.
- Warm your milk: This helps prevent curdling and keeps the soup smooth.
- Grate cheese by hand: Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with anti-caking agents that can make the soup grainy — freshly grated melts much creamier.
- Add cheese slowly: Stir it in a handful at a time off the heat to avoid clumping.
- Storage tip: Cool leftovers before refrigerating in a sealed container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently to keep the texture creamy.
Recipe Variations
This homemade potato soup recipe is endlessly flexible, so feel free to try one of these fun twists:
- Make it vegetarian: Skip the bacon and use butter or olive oil instead of bacon grease. For extra flavor, stir in 2–3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning.
- Make it gluten-free: Omit the flour and instead whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the cold milk before adding it to the soup. Or skip thickener altogether and simply puree half the soup to create a naturally creamy base.
- Lighten it up: Reduce the grease/butter by 2 tablespoons, skip the flour, and puree half the soup to thicken. Use skim milk and turkey bacon (adding a drizzle of olive oil or butter for sautéing if needed).
- Add extra seasoning: Stir in 1 tablespoon of your favorite blend for a new twist — Cajun, Italian, za’atar, or taco seasoning all work great here.
- Mix up the potatoes: Try a blend of Yukon gold and sweet potatoes for a sweet-savory spin.
- Add more veggies: Toss in chopped cauliflower and/or broccoli with the potatoes for extra nutrition and texture.
More Potato Soup Recipes To Try
Love a cozy bowl of potato soup? Here are a few other reader favorites you might enjoy next:
The BEST Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 –8 servings 1x
Description
This easy potato soup recipe is creamy, comforting, and always a favorite for chilly nights.
Ingredients
- 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
- 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.
Came across your post at the perfect time! I want to make soup for lunch today and this looks so creamy and delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks for sharing Mary, we hope you enjoy the soup! :)
Oh, why did I had to find this during work hours… I’ll add this to Evernote for a reference for tonight’s dinner. We had a few rainy days and this soup will be perfect to add warmth in the evening. Thank you, Ali, you’re the best!
Haha! We hope you love the recipe Emily!
hi!!
This looks amazing !!!
I’m wondering if this will work with unsweetened almond or cashew milk instead of milk?
What do you think ?
Thanks Annette! And sure, either one of those would work great. We hope you enjoy!
I wasted a half day on this soup. I used the yellow Yukon potatoes and diced them fairly small and they never got soft even after 3 hours – ended up giving up and throwing out. Potatoes do not cook when you only simmer, especially not in the 10 to 15 minutes that the recipe said to simmer.
So sorry to hear this, Shirley! The potatoes should cook at a simmer — which I define as that heat level JUST below a rolling boil — so it’s still hot enough to cook the potatoes but not totally boil/curdle the soup. I imagine maybe the heat on your simmer was just enough lower than mine that they didn’t cook. Sorry about that.
I was wondering if diced hashbrowns could be used if you are in a hurry?
Good question Chrissy! We think that should work just fine, the only thing is the potatoes most likely won’t need as long in the soup (since they were previously cooked). We hope you enjoy the recipe!
Can you take the leftovers and can them in pint or quart jars? And if so, how long in pressure cooker?
I wouldn’t recommend canning this soup since it has milk, and unfortunately I have no experience with pressure cookers. If possible, I recommend just eating this soup immediately or within a few days if it is refrigerated.
I have a silly question…….is it possible to use onion powder instead of the onion? And if so do you have any idea how much? I have 2 picky none onion eaters in my home…….if they see a hint of what could be onion they won’t touch it, and I REALLY want to try this recipe! Especially after all the raves on your recipe! Any help is greatly appreciated! Take care! ♡
Not a silly question at all Kim! You can totally use onion powder instead of the onion. We’d recommend using 1 Tablespoon. We hope you enjoy!
Another win. Two for two, two nights in a row! High five! I again threw some diced Thai green peppers in with the onions to sauté, and I used cream cheese instead of sour cream cause I had it lying around. At the end it needed some acid I thought, and a coupla squeezes of lemon later, perfection!!! I’m certain it would have been every bit as good if I hadn’t modified.
Thanks Bethany, we’re glad you liked this, and we love the additions you made! :)
What other stocks could you use for this recipe my dad is allergic to poultry and would loves potato soup and we can’t find one with out chicken stock.
Hi Jessica! You could use vegetable stock or beef stock instead. We hope that helps!
I bet the left over are so good! I’m a huge fan of potato soup and love making it at home too! I’m with you, I’d much rather make this at home and splurge on bacon!
Angie, they get better with each day! ;) We hope you enjoy the recipe!