If you need a tried and true potato soup recipe that your whole family will love, then this recipe is for you. This soup is the definition of comfort food and is always a crowdpleaser. You can make this soup as chunky or smooth as you’d like to fit your family’s taste. Even better, this soup uses a lot of kitchen staples, and you can whip up this soup whenever you’re craving it.
This potato soup is creamy, filling, and loaded with all the fixings. Serve it with some dinner rolls or garlic bread, and everyone will be reaching for seconds. If you want to make another hearty soup, try my butternut squash soup recipe, taco soup recipe, or tortellini soup recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Bacon — the bacon adds a ton of flavor to the soup. Thick cut or regular cut bacon will work for this recipe.
Potatoes — I like to use Yukon gold potatoes for chunkier soup because they hold their shape well during cooking, but you can also use russet or red potatoes.
Flour — cooking the flour with the potatoes will thicken the soup. No need to get fancy, regular all-purpose flour is perfect.
Chicken broth — broth adds more flavor to the soup than water does. If you’re worried about the soup being salty, you can use low-sodium chicken broth and add salt as needed.
Dairy — this potato soup uses a combination of milk, heavy cream, and sour cream to make the soup creamy and flavorful. The sour cream also adds a nice tangy flavor that will make you reach for a second bowl of soup!
How to Make Potato Soup
1. Chop all your ingredients so they’re ready to go.
2. Place the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set aside.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Remove and reserve half of the bacon drippings. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some reserved bacon drippings if the potatoes start to stick. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
5. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring, scraping the bottom of the pot with the spoon to loosen any stuck-on flour or vegetables.
6. Add the milk, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat just high enough to maintain a low simmer, low to medium-low. Partially cover and continue simmering until the potatoes are very tender. Stir in the cream and sour cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve the potato soup immediately topped with sour cream, cheese, chives, and cooked bacon.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- Keep an eye on the potatoes as they cook. You want the potatoes to be tender but not completely mushy as you want some texture in the soup.
- Make sure you dice the potatoes to a similar size. Doing so will ensure they cook evenly and you don’t bite into a large chunk of potato that’s raw in the middle.
- You can puree half or all of the potato soup with an immersion blender for an even thicker, creamier soup instead of just mashing some of it.
- Be sure to hold onto the bacon drippings! Sauteing the onion and potatoes in the bacon drippings adds a ton of flavor to the soup.
- If you want to make this gluten-free, whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk before adding it to the soup. This will thicken the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this vegetarian?
For a vegetarian option of this potato soup, omit the bacon and replace the bacon drippings with 4 tablespoons olive oil, butter, or vegetable oil. You can swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
How do I store and reheat the soup?
You can store the potato soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can reheat the soup in the microwave (stirring between 1-minute intervals) or on the stovetop over low heat. I do not recommend freezing this soup as potatoes become grainy when defrosted. The dairy can also separate and lose its creamy texture.
Can I add more vegetables?
If you want to add more vegetables to the soup, you are welcome to. Chopped broccoli, cauliflower, peas, corn, and carrots are great additions to the soup.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Potato Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Potato Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped (about 8oz/225g)
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3 pounds gold potatoes peeled and chopped into 1” pieces (1350g)
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
- 4 cups chicken broth (960ml/907g)
- 1½ cups milk (360ml)
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream room temperature (240ml)
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature (120g)
Toppings
- shredded cheddar cheese
- chopped chives or green onion
- sour cream
Instructions
- Place the bacon in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until crisp, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon pieces and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set aside. Reduce the heat to medium.
- Remove and reserve half of the bacon drippings. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some reserved bacon drippings if the potatoes start to stick. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring, scraping the bottom of the pot with the spoon to loosen any stuck-on flour or vegetables.
- Add the milk, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat just high enough to maintain a low simmer, low to medium-low. (Try to keep it from boiling hard.) Partially cover and continue simmering until the potatoes are very tender, about 40 minutes. For a thicker and less chunky soup, mash the potatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher to your desired consistency. Stir in the cream and sour cream. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately topped with sour cream, cheese, chives, and cooked bacon.
Notes
- Keep an eye on the potatoes as they cook. You want the potatoes to be tender but not completely mushy as you want some texture in the soup.
- Make sure you dice the potatoes to a similar size. Doing so will ensure they cook evenly and you don’t bite into a large chunk of potato that’s raw in the middle.
- You can puree half or all of the potato soup with an immersion blender for an even thicker, creamier soup instead of just mashing some of it.
- Be sure to hold onto the bacon drippings! Sauteing the onion and potatoes in the bacon drippings adds a ton of flavor to the soup.
- If you want to make this gluten-free, whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the milk before adding it to the soup. This will thicken the soup.
