The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published March 2, 2021

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Potato Soup loaded with chunks of tender, hearty potatoes and made with a rich and creamy soup base. This soup is a reader favorite and for good reason – it’s easy to make and absolutely delicious! Top it with cheddar and bacon and no one will be able to resist.

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (1)

The BEST Potato Soup!

This is my idea of the perfect homemade potato soup! It’s creamy, it’s amazingly filling and it’s packed with goodness.

Growing up we had a lot of potato soup. It might have something to do with the fact that my grandparents were potato farmers so that just got passed down. My mom made it probably twice a month and now it’s the same for me, especially during cold winter months.

You’ll love that it’s something everyone in the family can agree on, and even get’s excited about when announced it’s what will soon await for dinner.

It’s also a very convenient recipe. Most of the ingredients are food staples you can keep on hand that don’t spoil quickly. The potatoes, carrots, celery and onions store well for weeks (and if you opt for bacon that keeps great in the freezer).

This easy potato soup recipe is one I would deem worthy of your recipe book! It’s an ultra comforting and cozy dish you’ll turn to time and time again.

Plus it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day if you happen to have any left.

Watch the Potato Soup Video!

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2)

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (3)

Creamy Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients

  • Russet potatoes
  • Yellow onion
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Low-sodium chicken broth
  • Salt and pepper
  • Butter
  • Flour
  • Milk
  • Sour cream
  • Optional toppings (cooked bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions)

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (4)

How to Make Potato Soup

  1. Add veggies and broth to pot: Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Bring to boil: Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).
  3. Let simmer until tender: Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 – 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.
  4. Prepare white sauce in separate pan: Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.
  5. Combine mixtures: Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup, if not cook a few minutes longer).
  6. Stir in sour cream: Add sour cream and mix well.
  7. Finish with toppings if desired: Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (5) The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (6)

Helpful Tips

  • Stick with russet potatoes. They aren’t firm and waxy like the red and yellow and they’ll start to break down and make the soup creamy.
  • Measure out the ingredients. If you have too many or too little potatoes it will change the consistency.
  • Don’t add other herbs or spices. I know that can be tempting but the simple flavors are perfect here.
  • Monitor texture of potatoes as they cook. You want potatoes that are tender but not completely mushy or you’ll have mashed potato soup.
  • For extra complimentary flavors add toppings. Cheddar and bacon are the flavor pairing to potatoes.
  • Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.

Variations

  • Try adding a few large handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese right into the soup (at the end off heat) for a cheddar potato soup.
  • Up the veggies. Include others such as peas or corn.
  • Make it meaty. Add cooked sausage (ground or slices of kielbasa) to the soup. Or go with the ham or bacon option, which you can mix right into the soup as well.
  • Serve with homemade dinner rolls for dipping, making it the ultimately hearty meal!

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More Ways to Make Potato Soup

  • Cheddar Broccoli Potato Soup
  • Ham Potato and Corn Chowder
  • Instant Pot Potato Soup
  • Slow Cooker Potato Soup
  • Potato Sausage White Cheddar Soup

More Delicious Soup Recipes You’ll Love

  • Broccoli Cheese Soup
  • Vegetable Soup
  • Corn Chowder
  • Chicken Noodle Soup
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (8)

4.96 from 313 votes

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Potato Soup

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One of my go-to soup recipes and a reader favorite! It's such a creamy, hearty, comforting soup. While the toppings (cheddar, bacon, and green onions) are optional I highly recommend them for that loaded baked potato style flavor!

Servings: 5 servings

Prep20 minutes minutes

Cook30 minutes minutes

Ready in: 50 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Optional Toppings:

  • Cooked chopped bacon or chopped cooked ham, shredded cheddar cheese, chopped green onions or chives

Instructions

  • Combine diced potatoes, carrots, celery and onions with chicken broth in a large pot and season with salt and pepper to taste.

  • Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat (it will take about 10 minutes to reach a boil).

  • Once it reaches a boil reduce heat to medium and continue to cook about 15 - 20 minutes longer until potatoes are very soft when pierced with a fork.

  • Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook for 1 minute while whisking constantly. While whisking, slowly add milk and cook, stirring constantly until mixture begins thicken.

  • Once potatoes are soft add thickened milk mixture to potato soup mixture and stir (potatoes should start breaking down into soup).

  • Add sour cream and mix well.

  • Ladle soup into serving bowls, top each serving with bacon or ham, cheddar cheese and green onions.

Notes

  • *Try substituting heavy cream or half and half for the sour cream. It is also such a delicious option.
  • Toppings not included in nutrition estimate as these are optional.
  • Note that the soup will thicken as it rests so if you happen to have left overs you can thin with a little water or milk).

Nutrition Facts

Potato Soup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 441Calories from Fat 189

% Daily Value*

Fat 21g32%

Saturated Fat 12g75%

Cholesterol 56mg19%

Sodium 486mg21%

Potassium 1177mg34%

Carbohydrates 54g18%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 6155IU123%

Vitamin C 16.5mg20%

Calcium 220mg22%

Iron 2.3mg13%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Best Potato Soup Recipe, How to Make Potato Soup, potato soup

Author: Jaclyn

Categorized:

  • Beef and Pork
  • Main Dish
  • Soups
  • Videos

Tagged:

  • bacon
  • butter
  • carrots
  • celery
  • cheddar cheese
  • chicken broth
  • chives
  • flour
  • green onions
  • ham
  • milk
  • onions
  • potatoes
  • sour cream

You Might Also Like:

  • Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup
  • Cheesy Bacon Ranch Potato Soup
  • Loaded Baked Potato Soup
  • Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup

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652 Comments

  • Glenda

    I just finished cooking this soup for supper. I’ve tried various potato soup recipes over the years and this one is my favorite. I’m very particular about food that I eat, and I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this recipe. I made it exactly as it was written. Thank you for this wonderful soup recipe.

  • Jennifer Kooy

    Really good, loved by whole family.

  • BARB HEITHOFF

    Love, Love, Love COOKING CLASSY!!!!!!!!

    • Jaclyn

      The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (13)

      I’m thrilled to hear it Barb! Thanks for letting me know!

  • Ruby

    One of me and my girlfriend’s favorites!

  • Joyce

    This soup was very yummy for our tummies! One of the best I have made. This potato soup recipe will definitely be one that I keep for future use. It was easy. May I suggest you buy a pamper chef chopper to help with the chopping of the vegetables if you don’t have one. This made the making of the soup quick and easy. Not that it was difficult. But the pamper chef chopper made it extra quick and helped make the soup a little more creamy due to the smaller vegetable pieces. (I’m not a pamper chef rep) The soups flavor was fantastic!! Next time I make it I’ll probably double the recipe so there will be a bigger portion of left overs! 😊

  • mariajuana

    Girl this soup was sooo good 10/10 will come again 💅

  • Paulina

    This soup is so delicious! I first made it two years ago and have since made it several times, always to rave reviews. For the broth I use Better Than Bouillon, and in lieu of bacon as a topping I dice a ham steak and give it a quick sauté in a hot pan so it gets a little caramelization. The soup keeps well and tastes just as good after a few days. Thanks so much for sharing!

  • Loretta Hilton

    Can you freeze this soup?

    • Jaclyn

      The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (14)

      I don’t like it after freezing potatoes don’t hold up very well but maybe others do?

More Comments

The Best Potato Soup Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

What is the best thickening agent for potato soup? ›

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

How to make homemade soup more flavorful? ›

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

What potato holds up best in soup? ›

ANSWER: Waxy potatoes or those called boiling potatoes stand up well in soups and stews. These have thin skin and are high in moisture and low in starch. Potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better. Yukon Gold potatoes are on the medium-starch side and will hold their shape in soups.

How can I make bland potato soup taste better? ›

Your potato soup is bland? Try adding a little more salt. That's usually the answer to any issue of blandness, no matter the recipe in question. A basic Appalachian style potato soup uses only a handful of simple ingredients, leaning on milk and water and often bouillon to create the brothy soup base.

Why isn't my potato soup creamy? ›

One trick to make your potato soup a little less grainy is to add some form of dairy –- cream, milk, or even cheese. Because dairy is generally creamy in texture, that characteristic will carry over into your soup. Crisis averted.

Do you use flour or cornstarch to thicken potato soup? ›

Absolutely! Cornstarch is not the only thickening agent you can use. Other alternatives include flour, arrowroot powder, instant mashed potatoes, or even pureed vegetables like cauliflower or cooked oats. Each of these options will add thickness to your soup while imparting its own unique taste and texture.

What's the secret to a good soup? ›

To make sure that every spoonful of soup is richly flavored, with juicy meat and/or tender vegetables, follow these kitchen-tested tips.
  • Use a Sturdy Pot. ...
  • Sauté the Aromatics. ...
  • Start with Good Broth. ...
  • Cut Vegetables to the Right Size. ...
  • Stagger the Addition of Vegetables. ...
  • Keep Liquid at a Simmer. ...
  • Season Just Before Serving.
Oct 9, 2022

What is the most important ingredient in soup? ›

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

What not to do when making soup? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  1. Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  2. Not using enough salt. ...
  3. Ignoring water. ...
  4. Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  5. Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  6. Neglecting to garnish. ...
  7. Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

What can I add to potato soup to add flavor? ›

Add milk, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, allspice, celery seed, thyme, seasoning salt, dry white wine, cayenne pepper and chicken granules. Allow to simmer and thicken, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 25 minutes.

How do you make potato soup not bland? ›

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.

What can I add to potato soup for flavor without? ›

Use plenty of cream combined with milk, lots of cheddar cheese, garlic, ground black pepper, salt to taste, creamery butter and parsley. Don't forget the potatoes boiled than baked into the soup.

How do you thicken potato soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

Can you add cornstarch to thicken potato soup? ›

Whisk 2 tbsp (25 g) of cornstarch or 2 tbsp (30 g) of flour with 14 cup (59 mL) of cool water. Once the starch is completely dissolved, pour the slurry into the main pot. Heat the soup to boiling for 1 minute, then reduce the heat and simmer until the soup is as thick as you'd like it.

Does cream cheese thicken potato soup? ›

Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silky potato soup recipes — right? The answer is yes. It only works well if you do it carefully, though.

What are the two main thickening agents in soup? ›

cooking sauce or soup. Arrowroot starch thickens very quickly and it is unnecessary to bring the mixture to a boil for it to work. Cornstarch, on the other hand, requires heating the mix- ture to a boil to fully thicken the mixture and to avoid any “starchy” taste or texture in the fin- ished product.

Is cornstarch or potato starch better for thickening? ›

Potato starch has a lower gelatinization temperature than cornstarch, meaning it can thicken liquids faster when exposed to heat. If not fully cooked, cornstarch tends to leave behind residual, well, starchiness, whereas potato starch gives sauces a glossier, silkier texture.

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