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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Chilis

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    Updated: February 25, 2019 by Sam Merritt • 6,654 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    potato soup in white bowl

    An easy and delicious creamy potato soup recipe that can be made in just one pot!  Loaded with bacon and creamy potato goodness, this is a favorite comfort food in my household.

    A close up view of creamy potato soup, topped with bacon, sour cream, chives, and cheddar cheese

    Something savory today!

    Savory, creamy, and loaded with bacon, sour cream, and cheese.  You guys already know that we don’t exactly do health food around here, right? 😉

    Even when I’m not sharing desserts, the food is always comfort food, and that’s usually best served with extra cheese (have you tried my baked mac and cheese yet!?) and usually comes with a few calories.  Let’s not think about that too much, alright?

    I know I mentioned to you guys that I had this potato soup recipe for you back when I posted my Oreo Balls; I made it when Zach had a bad cold and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since (you might think that’s an exaggeration, but I can assure you that my food obsessions run deep… Please see photo below to understand why).

    An overhead view of a bowl of potato soup]

    Zach prefers to eat healthy most of the time (I pretend that I do, too, but really if I lived alone I’m pretty sure I’d eat creamy cheesy foods every night and never fit through any doors ever again), so the soup was a good break from baked chicken breast, but this definitely isn’t an every night kind of meal in our house.

    Potato soup is definitely on the menu for this weekend, though… it’s so frigid outside I’ve convinced myself that I need soup, specifically creamy potato soup, to survive.  Potato soup makes me dramatic, evidently.

    If you’re in the midst of a cold spell yourself (or even if you’re not) I think you’re going to enjoy this creamy potato soup as much as we do.  Read on for some tips on how to make it!

    Two bowls of potato soup

    Tips for Perfect Creamy Potato Soup

    • Cut your potatoes into pieces no larger than ¾″ and try to keep them around the same size so that they cook at the same time.  Nothing worse than biting into a crisp, raw-inside chunk of potato!
    • To make this soup nice and creamy, I recommend pureeing about half of it either by using an immersion blender or by transferring a portion of the soup to a blender, pureeing, and then stirring the pureed soup back into the pot (maybe you recognize this technique from my corn chowder).  If you want a completely smooth soup you can puree all of it, but I prefer to have a few actual pieces of potato, so I think pureeing half gives it the best taste and texture.
    • Don’t return the bacon to the pot until after you have pureed some of the soup. It’s best not to blend the bacon 😉.
    • The ancho chili powder is, in my humble opinion, a must and gives this soup the most perfect depth of flavor. I blend it into the potato soup and also sprinkle it on top before serving. I recommend adding just a ¼ teaspoon and then taste testing before adding more.

    Creamy Potato Soup, loaded with bacon and cheese

    This would make a great comfort food for this cold and windy weekend (is there anything more cozy than a pot of soup simmering on the stove while the wind is howling at your window? Anything!?), and while I don’t follow football at all I do know that this would be great to make ahead and enjoy during the big game this weekend.

    Who really cares about football when you can make yourself a Super Bowl of soup! 🤣😂 OK OK I’m sorry, enough of that!

    Enjoy!

    How to Make Potato Soup

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe

    An easy and delicious creamy potato soup recipe that can be made in just one pot! Loaded with bacon and creamy potato goodness, this is a favorite comfort food in my household.
    4.98 from 4636 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings (recipe makes 3.5 qts of soup)
    Calories: 521kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt
    YouTube video

    Ingredients

    • 6 strips (uncooked) bacon cut into small pieces
    • 3 Tablespoons butter unsalted or salted will work
    • 1 medium yellow onion chopped (about 1.5 cup/200g)
    • 3 large garlic cloves minced
    • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
    • 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1” (this was about 6 Large potatoes for me/1.15kg)
    • 4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
    • 2 cups milk (475ml)
    • ⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
    • 1 ½ teaspoon* salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
    • ¼ - ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder**
    • ⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
    • Shredded cheddar cheese, chives, and additional sour cream and bacon for topping optional

    Recommended Equipment

    • Immersion blender
    • Dutch Oven

    Instructions

    • Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned.
    • Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
    • Add butter and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3-5 minutes).
    • Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
    • Sprinkle the flour over the ingredients in the pot and stir until smooth (use whisk if needed).
    • Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder. Stir well.
    • Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork (about 10 minutes).
    • Reduce heat to simmer and remove approximately half*** of the soup to a blender (be careful, it will be hot!) and puree until smooth (half is about 5 cups of soup, but just eyeballing the amount will be fine. Alternatively you can use an immersion blender.).
    • Return the pureed soup to the pot and add sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, stir well.
    • Allow soup to simmer for 15 minutes before serving.
    • Top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, or chives. Enjoy!

    Notes

    *I recommend starting with a more reserved amount of salt and then adding more as needed, the amount of salt needed will vary depending on the type/brand of broth you use
    **If you haven't used ancho chili powder before, I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon and then taste-testing before increasing to ½ teaspoon if you like the taste.  
    ***If you want a completely creamy soup you can puree all of it, just puree in batches, about half of the soup at a time.  I prefer my potato soup with actual chunks of potatoes and prefer to puree just half of it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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      Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup
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      Turkey Chili

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Melinda Chacon

      January 20, 2022 at 5:56 pm

      5 stars
      Definitely in my top 5 favorite soups I’ve ever eaten. It’s creamy and so delicious. Very different from other potato soup recipes. I have to make it every year at least a couple times.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 21, 2022 at 9:26 am

        That’s so nice to hear, Melinda! Thanks so much for trusting our recipe and coming back to leave a review. It means a lot to us!

        Reply
    2. Shyann

      January 20, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      Loved the soup so much. My boyfriend hates soup but he loved this. Thank you for the recipe!!!!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 21, 2022 at 9:27 am

        Wow, what an honor! We’re so happy you both enjoyed it! Let us know if you try any of our other soups, Shayann 🙂

        Reply
    3. Bunny Schimberg

      January 20, 2022 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing!!! This is a winner especially on a cold snowy day. I added a sprinkling of pepper flakes for just a little kick. Mmmm

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 21, 2022 at 9:30 am

        We couldn’t agree more, Bunny! Thanks so much for letting us know how you liked the soup–it means a lot to us. Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    4. RikosWife

      January 19, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      My husband found this recipe and asked me to make it on a cold day. Today happened to be just such a wintry, snowy Colorado day so we thought it would be perfect comfort food. This stuff really sticks to your ribs and warms you up! It’s more of a baked potato soup IMO but I happen to love baked potato soup so it’s all good. Hubby LOVED it! Never would have thought of the ancho powder (and TBH I was a little skeptical about using it), but it did punch it up a little which is good because potato soup can be a little bland. The litmus test for any new recipe is me asking my husband “Would you want me to make this again?” Tonight he said “Oh heck yeah!” Ding ding ding, we have a winner! 🙂

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 20, 2022 at 9:22 am

        We’re honored to know that we passed the test! 😊 Thanks so much for letting us know how much you both loved the soup. We really appreciate you coming back to leave a review!

        Reply
    5. Michelle

      January 19, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      5 stars
      I love this recipe and come back to it every soup season!!!! Making it tonight again! Sorry it took me so long to review. This is in my top soup recipes!!!!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 20, 2022 at 9:06 am

        That’s so wonderful, Michelle! Thanks for coming back to leave a review–it means a lot to us! Enjoy your soup 😊

        Reply
    6. Martha

      January 19, 2022 at 8:15 am

      Great for a winter night. Yummy Thank you so much.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2022 at 9:31 am

        We couldn’t agree more! Thanks so much for trying our recipe, Martha. Enjoy the soup ❤️

        Reply
    7. Tina

      January 18, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      Followed the recipe exactly except for the chili powder. It was the best potato soup I’ve ever had.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 19, 2022 at 10:24 am

        We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tina! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 😊

        Reply
    8. sharon

      January 18, 2022 at 2:17 pm

      Can this be made in the crockpot?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 18, 2022 at 2:36 pm

        Hi Sharon! That should work just fine. 🙂

        Reply
      • Mason

        January 19, 2022 at 10:58 pm

        I want to know the same thing 🙏🏼

        Reply
        • Jewel

          January 20, 2022 at 6:47 pm

          This is the absolute best and most flavorful soup

        • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

          January 21, 2022 at 9:25 am

          Thank you so much, Jewel 🙂 Enjoy!

    9. LINDA GAIL BROWN WARD

      January 18, 2022 at 1:06 pm

      5 stars
      By far the absolute best potato soup I have ever made. I make triple batches of this for my family and friends. Making it again today.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 18, 2022 at 1:48 pm

        Thank you so very much, Linda! We are so happy you love the soup. Thank you for coming back to leave a review–it means a lot to us! 😊

        Reply
    10. Lakota jordan

      January 18, 2022 at 4:53 am

      Whats an alternative to using a blender?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 18, 2022 at 9:33 am

        You could use a potato masher instead 😊

        Reply
    11. Nikki

      January 17, 2022 at 9:56 pm

      The addition of ancho chili powder was delicious! Making it again this weekend.
      How long can I keep this in the fridge?

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 18, 2022 at 10:12 am

        We’re so glad you liked it, Nikki! We recommend enjoying within 4 days.

        Reply
    12. Mavis

      January 17, 2022 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing!!! Delicious

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 17, 2022 at 3:50 pm

        We’re so happy you like it, Mavis! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 😊

        Reply
    13. Hannah Hall

      January 16, 2022 at 8:22 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! I was afraid to blend the hot soup, so I smashed about half the potatoes with a fork. Turned out great.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 17, 2022 at 10:57 am

        We’re so happy you liked it, Hannah! 😊

        Reply
    14. Mona

      January 16, 2022 at 6:14 pm

      5 stars
      Fun to make even better to eat…thanks for the recipe.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 17, 2022 at 10:39 am

        We’re so happy you liked it, Mona! Thanks for coming back to leave a review 😊

        Reply
    15. Meryem

      January 16, 2022 at 2:55 pm

      So delicious. 10/10 would recommend. I did about half the amount of onion and used regular chili powder due to not finding the one the recipe called for.

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 17, 2022 at 11:26 am

        We’re so happy you enjoyed the soup, Meryem! Thanks for commenting 😊

        Reply
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