The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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).
]
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!
I am making this now and forgot to add the flour. Since my soup is hot, should I just skip the flour as I don’t want lumps?
Hi Cathy! I would just skip it at this point. The flour is really a thickener here. 🙂
I don’t have gold potatoes but I have russet. can I use those or wait and get gold?
thank you.
Hi Patti! Russet will work just fine, enjoy! 🙂
Looks awesome…Can you recommend a crock pot version? Should the heavy cream be added toward the end of cooking?
Hi Rick! Since there are many different steps, I’m not really sure how you would do it in a crockpot. 🙁
Is this soup good refrigerated and re-heated?
Absolutely! I just reheat it in a saucepan on the stovetop. 🙂
The best potato soup I have ever eaten! I can’t believe I am capable of making something so good. I followed the directions exactly as written and would not change a thing!
Hi! I just made this and it tastes amazing but the consistency is a little “mealy”. Is that normal for a potato soup? Or have recommendations to make it a bit creamy consistency? Thanks!
Hi Chris! What kind of potatoes did you use?
I used russet potatoes and it was delicious! I can’t wait to make it again with the golds!
The ancho pepper adds an amazing to the soup!!!!!
I’m hoping to make this soup today. Does it freeze well?
Hi Krisanne! I haven’t personally tried it, but I would be worried about the heavy cream separating out. 🙁
That makes sense, thanks Sam!
I Like to double the recipe and then vacuum seal it for future easy meals and it does very well.
Hi Kaylee. After you vacuum seal it do you then freeze it?
I’ve divided this soup into small containers and frozen them. When re-heating I first microwave it on the lowest power and then transfer it to a double boiler. Works fine.
Very, very tasty! We will definitely make this one again. I doubled the recipe and am so glad I did!
This was so delicious! Would it also work if I cooked in a crockpot?? What directions would you recommend?
Thanks!
Hi Kat! I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m not sure how it could be done in a crockpot.
An hour from start to finish. Absolutely so simple and delicious on a cold day. My family loves this soup. Thanks for such an easy recipe that tastes like I cooked all day.
OMGoodness! This is so yummy! So thick and delicious! I followed the recipe but tweaked just a tad. I left the skins on, and added a dash of paprika for the smokey flavor since I only had regular chili powder. I think I will add some broccoli and carrots to it next time.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
First time making it! Amazing..
Thank you.
this potato soup is so rich and hearty it really hit the spot on a cold day. Thank you!
I have made this soup on many occasions, it truly is delicious & hearty.
This was sooo good!! Thank you!! I didn’t have the ancho chili powder so I used regular chili powder. Robin
I can’t wait to make this soup! have 2 bags of Russet potatoes. Can I use the Russet for the soup?
Hi Nancy! Russet potatoes will work. 🙂
I’ve made this twice before and it’s so delicious!! We love the chunks so I don’t purée any of it and we throw in some extra bacon 😉 I am wanting to make this next week but was wondering if I can freeze some of it and how to go about doing that 🤷♀️ Any tips or tricks I’ve never frozen soup before but my toddlers won’t eat it and it makes a lot for just my husband and I if we don’t share it with others.
Hi Kyla! I would be worried about freezing it as the heavy cream could separate. 🙁
I have froze it every time I make it . I vacuum seal it into meal size portions then freeze. When ready to pull out I place in water till it starts to defrost then reheat on stove works great every time
I’ve made this two times before and have loved it! I’m making it tonight but doubling the recipe. My store did not have large gold potatoes only the tiny ones. Would it work if I did not peel the potatoes? I’m running out of time to peel them all 🫣
Hi Ally! It will add a bit of an earthy taste and won’t be quite as smooth, but it is fine to leave the peels on the potatoes. 🙂
I’ve made this delicious potato soup a few times already and again tonight. I have to say it’s one of my husband’s favorites.
Thanks
Very yummy! My 14 year old ask for this soup! My only change would be to decrease the salt, and add some smoked paprika. Otherwise it’s great! I’ve made with the bacon and with finely diced leftover ham. Both ways taste great!
Ally please let us know how it was if you do end up leaving the peels please?! Thank you!!
Delicious! My husband loved it! I used large unpeeled gold potatoes and they worked great with using my immersion blender!
I made it for my daycare, kids and my husband They absolutely loved it. I did put celery and carrots in it.
Yum! Perfect for this rainy and damp night.
Does this freeze well?
Hi Kaetlin! I would be worried about the heavy cream separating out when frozen. 🙁