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
Potato soup will forever hold a soft spot in my heart. ♡
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 the 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.
I just made this for dinner tonight, and everyone loved it! My boyfriend’s grandpa went back for more FOUR times (he couldn’t get over how great it was to add bacon to potato soup…silly Germans, bacon should go in everything!). Since we live in Germany, I had to convert this recipe (mostly) to metric units. I figured I’d share if anyone else using the metric system wanted to avoid doing the calculations. However, I increased the size of the recipe to allow for leftovers for 3-4 people. Additionally, my boyfriend has celiac disease and I am lactose intolerant, so I substituted a gluten free flour mix and lactose-free cow’s milk and yogurt in the recipe, but it’s the same amount as you would use for regular flour and milk.
I used 300 g of bacon (could do more, it’s just what I had), 700 ml broth/stock, 700 ml milk, 46 g flour, and 1 kg of potatoes; the onion, cheese, yogurt, and salt/pepper I just guestimated, sorry! Can’t really go wrong there anyway.
Thanks for this delicious and classic recipe!
Great tips!! Thanks, Taylor!
This was so good! Thanks for the recipe. Curbed my cheese + potato craving, and it’s so perfect for this cool weather in Amsterdam. I posted it on my blog too to share with more people. https://www.talesfromafork.com/cheesy-potato-soup-wbacon/
You’re so welcome Sarah, we’re happy to hear you enjoyed it! Also, thanks for sharing your blog with us, and for the sweet words! :)
This potato soup was AWESOME! It was easy to make and very quick to prep and cook. My husband and kids absolutely loved it. Bacon adds a nice flavor and the Greek yogurt makes it super creamy. I can’t wait to make it again!
Thanks Kristin, we’re happy to hear you and your family enjoyed it! :)
Just made this and it is comforting and delicious! I didn’t even include the bacon. But don’t worry I love bacon and will crumble some over the top. Thanks for an easy recipe. It’s going on my remake list!
I love this potato soup recipe! Easy and take no time at all to make. My family loves it so much there are no leftovers on potato soup night!!!
Thanks for sharing Molly, we’re so happy you and your family love it! :)
Good Lord, this soup looks downright amazing! It’s even cooler because it’s like a cream soup, yet still doesn’t have all its ingredients mashed and blended. I’m all about soups, especially vegetable cream soups and fish soups. This one really does look fantastic. I would skip the bacon though :)
Thanks Nikolay, we hope you enjoy it! :)
This looks so good, cannot wait to try it next week. I think I’ll be adding some shredded carrots to it and some corn.
Thanks Amanda! We think some carrots and corn would be a yummy addition — we hope you enjoy!
Has anyone used a wheat free flour?! If so which one and did it turn out as well?
Wow, this looks really good! I can’t wait to try and make it with my mom. I think I’ll make it tonight! My mom and I love making new things! Do you have a chicken and dumpling recipe? I would love to try and make that. Thank you :)
Thanks Emme, we’re happy you stopped by, and we hope you and your mom enjoy the potato soup! Unfortunately we don’t currently have a recipe for chicken and dumplings, but we might be able to come up with one sometime (as we do love chicken and dumplings)! ;)
Love this potato soup, Ali! You made a simple soup looks so gorgeous! A must try for me!