The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup
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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.
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).
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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!
Tips for Perfect Creamy Potato Soup
- Cut your potatoes into pieces no larger than 3/4″ 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 1/4 teaspoon and then taste testing before adding more.
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
The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
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
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
Just made it for the second time in a week. I used regular chili powder instead of ancho, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It’s delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Scott! Thank you for commenting! 🙂
This was SO good! I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I substituted regular chili powder and it was really tasty. I pureéd half like you suggested, and added steamed broccoli in addition to the other toppings. Yum. Thanks so much!
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed!! Thank you for commenting, Jessica! <3
I’m about to make this soup but don’t have the ancho chili will it make a huge difference I. The soup
Hi Tamara, just leave it out or substitute regular chili powder if you have that.
Can you substitute the ancho chili powder just with chili powder?
Yes, that will be fine 🙂
This soup is the bomb!! Loved it!!
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Kim! 🙂
I used bacon grease to saute onions and garlic.. other than that… I went by receipe! It was a huge hit in my picky eating family! Thank you!
Sounds amazing! I’m glad you enjoyed! 🙂
OK, So I worked like the Dickens outside today. I was totally bundled up because of the cold. Why? An artic front is moving in and there are things that have to be done. I come in and I am achy, cold, dirty and now showered and HUUUUNGRY!
I have this craving for potato soup and I find your recipe. I have to tell you the only thing I changed was Mesquite seasoning and red peppers for your ancho chili powder Sorry, I was just to tired to drive to the market. I am really rural. Lady, thumbs up!! Your potato soup is the best. It warmed us up and there is enough for tomorrow or the next day. Now, I am dry, warm, completely satisfied and thanking you for a wonderful recipe. The next time I will try your ancho chili powder. Have a great evening.
Thank you so much, Teresa. I am so glad you enjoyed the soup. Stay warm! 🙂
When I started out making this soup tonight, I thought I had heavy cream but it turned out I only had half and half. It was still delicious and totally creamy and rich. Great recipe! I will definitely make this again. 🌿
Seriously. The best potato soup I’ve ever made. I made it exactly how the recipes Suggesta. Delish!
I’m so glad you enjoyed, Tatiana!! 🙂
I am about to try making this soup I hope it’s turns out ok..wish me luck
I hope you LOVE it!!
This soup was amazing!!!! Girl you got it going on!! The only thing I did different was I sautéed 1 cup carrots , 1/2 c celery and 1 onion. Then I followed the recipe. Delish 😊
Thank you so much, Linda! I am so glad you enjoyed it. Those are some nice little additions. 🙂
Delicious! Tried this today and it will definitely be my go to recipe!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed! Thank you for commenting!
The ancho chili powder is perfect in this! Such a great soup for a freezing December’s day in PA
Haha I agree! I’m also in PA and just made another batch yesterday to keep warm, it really is perfect <3
Amazing soup! I used olive oil instead of butter and reduced the flour and chili pepper a little. Loved the recipe! My husband, who usually puts hot sauce on everything, did not want hot sauce for his soup because the flavors were already so amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Yummmmmmy!
I am so glad you enjoyed it, Amy! 🙂
Hi. I’m in the process of making this soup. I am hopeful that it will turn out marvelous. I will let you know about the end result 😁. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
I really hope you love it, Chandra!!