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!
Can I use onion powder in place of the whole onion?
I think that should work if that is all you have.
This is my go-to potato soup recipe. So so yummy and creamy 😋 My boyfriend loves it too and requests it often! Thanks!
Perfect recipe! I don’t eat pork so I didn’t use back. I just added Worcestershire sauce to give it the meaty flavor. Really creamy and delicious.
I am happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Latrece! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe! This is my 3rd time making this soup, we just love it. We have had some April snow and I can’t think of anything better for staying home and getting cozy.
Woah, I would not be ready for April snow! I am so glad you are enjoying the soup so much, Kim! 🙂
Can this be frozen? Maybe if I hold out the cream and add it when warming? Thank you!
Hi Ashley! I would worry about the cream and heavy cream separating when freezing. I haven’t tried adding it when reheating, but I know other people have with success. If you try it I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂
Instead of chicken broth can you substitute it with water with chicken flavor cubes?
Yes that should be fine! Enjoy!
Could you use condensed milk? That’s all I have available right now and wanted to make it!
Hi, Maria! Unfortunately, no. Sweetened condensed milk cannot be substituted for whole milk. You can, however, substitute evaporated milk for whole milk. Just add the same amount of water as you have evaporated milk; for example, 1 cup milk and 1 cup water. I hope that helps!
I had my woman make this soup tonight and it was *AMAZING*!!! Thanks for such a great recipe. I could probably cook it, but that’s why I have her.
You are a lucky man, Dusty! That is so nice of her to make this recipe for you. I am happy that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Obnoxious man!!!!!
Just made this! Amazing! I didnt have ancho chilli powder so I added cajun seasoning and chilli powder for some spice, so good!
I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup, Danielle! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Fabulous recipe! I used Russett potatoes and it was delicious. My family decided they wanted to keep the potatoes intact and loved the texture. I highly recommend this recipe.
I am so glad that your family enjoyed the recipe, Linda! Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Is the chicken broth a must in this recipe? Would it change the flavor to much?
Hi, Megan! The chicken broth is the base of the soup and is needed in this recipe. Are you looking to change it to a different broth?
Making this now! Can’t wait!
I hope that you love the soup, Jason! 🙂
Super delicous, best recipe I have seen
Thank you so much, Justin! I am so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and my family LOVED it! It is a keeper. This will be my potato soup recipe from now on. No need to look for another one. So GOOD!!
I am so happy to hear that this recipe has become a family staple and favorite, Mary! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
All done just waiting for wife to get home! By the way the immersion blender worked beautifully!
I hope that you both enjoy the soup, Jason. 🙂
I used hot sauce in place of the chili powder. Even after your glowing recommendations, I forgot it at the store, it worked well the soup came out great. I’ll definitely try this recipe again with the ingredients you have written.
I’ve received a lot of potatoes recently and I thought potato soup! It’s cool outside and this soup has a kick of warmth , I love it.
I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup, Toxie! Thanks for trying my recipe. 🙂
Made this and it was delicious! Added some frozen white corn and it gave a little bit of sweet flavor. Can’t wait to make it again!
Thank you for trying my recipe, Regina! I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup. 🙂