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 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.
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
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
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
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.
Carol
Can this soup be frozen?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Carol! I don’t recommend it. The soup will become mushy. 🙁
Carol
Thanks!!
KSkopp
Second time making this. It’s amazing! This is really just something that hits the heart and tummy just right. It’s so good, in fact, that I share the recipe with anyone who will listen!
Sugar Spun Run
What a compliment, thank you! I am so glad that you have enjoyed the potato soup and I greatly appreciate you sharing the recipe with others, K. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Deborah
This is a stunning soup. Elegant in taste! So many different ways to use it. Absolutely gorgeous with truffles!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup, Deborah! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Danie
How long can this be stored after making? How would you recommend reheating this?
Sugar Spun Run
Hi, Danie! I recommend storing this in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should be good for 3-4 days. You can reheat on the stove. 🙂
Bernadette
Awesome best Potato Soup Recipe I Have Ever Tried.
Thanks Bernie
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you were a big fan of the potato soup, Bernadette! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Enia
OMG! This was so easy and soooo tasty! It was a hit for the entire family. Everyone was licking their bowls… Great for a cold nigh and definitely a re-do 🙂
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful to hear, Enia! I am so glad that everyone loved the potato soup! 🙂
Marissa
Hi was thinking of making this for dinner soon! Is the sour cream a must have ingredient? I just hate sour cream and cringe at the thought even though I’m sure it wouldn’t even be tasted lol.. I saw someone else substituted cream cheese.. should I just leave out the sour cream altogether or sub cream cheese or would sour cream just be best? Thanks 🙂
MEREDITH
If you like Greek yogurt, you could substitute that, I bet. (plain Greek yogurt)
Katie
This was our Valentine’s Day dinner tonight! So good and perfect for a cold night. I subbed whole milk w butter for the heavy cream, used russet potatoes, and used cream cheese instead of sour cream. It still cane out So yummy! This recipes a keeper for sure. Everyone loved it!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that everyone enjoyed the potato soup, Katie! Thanks for commenting. I hope you had a nice valentine’s day! 🙂
Dawn
Excellent!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Dawn! I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup. 🙂
Michelle
What an absolutely perfect recipe. Thank you so much!
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Michelle! I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup. 🙂
Melissa M
The only soup my kids can both agree on. They want to help making it too…love this! Easy ingredients and great flavor. Thank you, this is my new go to on snowy days
Sugar Spun Run
That is wonderful, Melissa! I am so glad that you’ve found a meal that both kids agree on and could help make. Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. Enjoy! 🙂
Regina
Made the soup tonight for supper. Amazing! Must agree that ancho chili powder gave it an awesome……..something. Best soup ever, seriously.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Regina! I am so happy to hear how much you loved the potato soup. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Debbie
I just made it and wow, it is amazing!!!! Very clear easy to follow directions. Thank you!!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup, Debbie! Thanks for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
KYLEIGH GARRETT
This is the BEST soup I have ever eaten! What is the serving size?
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup, Kyleigh. The serving size for the recipe is 6, so it would be approximately 2 cups per serving. 🙂
Vanessa
This is absolutely delicious!!! My family loves it! Recipe was easy to follow and the ancho chile powder really made the soup!
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that the potato soup was such a hit with your family! Thanks for trying my recipe! 🙂
Seth
Read a thousand recipes I think, but few recommend the blending step. Top 10 on this. Replying cause I looked the recipe up to make it a second time, we loved it.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so glad that you enjoyed the potato soup, Seth! Thanks for commenting. 🙂