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!
The whole family LOVED this recipe! I added Broccoli and finely grated carrots to get some more veggies in my kids and they couldn’t get enough of it!
I am so glad that it was such a hit and I love that you were able to successfully sneak in more veggies for the kids. Thanks for trying my recipe, Kristin! 🙂
Wonderful hearty soup! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used 1 can evaporated milk instead. Have printed this recipe down and added it to my collection! Can’t wait to make this for company!
One thought…why not use a potato masher to make the soup creamier instead of separating the soup to puree half?
I am so glad that you enjoyed the soup, Betty Jo! I am happy that you found a new recipe to add to your collection. You can try mashing the potatoes with a potato masher as well. 🙂
The best potato soup I have ever had, I have made this soup several times always the best over any other ! Thank you for your recipe !
I am so glad that you have enjoyed it, Kate! Thank you for trying my recipe and for commenting. 🙂
Can I leave the skins in the potatoes?
Hi, Teri! I typically do not, however, others have with success. Enjoy! 🙂
What can I substitute the anchor chilli with? I’m not a fan of chilli flavors.
Hi, Andrea! There isn’t much of a chili taste since you are only adding in a little. You can also omit it internally and it will still come out delicious. 🙂
Really love this! Do you have a suggestion for reheating? I am giving a batch to a neighbor whose loved one just passed away and I want to make sure they know how to reheat. Stovetop or microwave? Which is best? Thanks for the lovely recipe!
I am so sorry to hear about your neighbor’s loss. What a kind gesture to provide comfort food to him/her at this time, Samantha! This soup can either be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop. Either method will work. I typically will use the stovetop when I reheat mine. I hope that the soup is a hit. 🙂
Made this today. Delicious! My husband is not a fan of creamy type soups, and he ate two large bowls! Used 1T regular chili powder, added celery and didn’t have cream, so replaced with extra milk. Have added this recipe to my favorites!
That is so awesome, Patricia! I’m glad everyone enjoyed the soup. 😊
Just finished making this soup and it is delicious!! I did not have any chilies so I used paprika. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I am so glad you enjoyed the soup, Jackie! 🙂
Can this recipe be pressure-canned for long term storage? It sounds amazing!
Hi, Adelheid! Unfortunately, I do not have experience with canning so I can not provide you with any recommendations. 🙁
My guess would be that it is too dense to pressure can safely and milk products would not can well, either. (I judge canning at several fairs.)
Thank you so much for that input, Connie! 🙂
Hello! Sounds wonderful and I’m planning to make this today! I only have Russet potatoes. Will this substitution be ok?
Hi, Elle! Others have used russet potatoes and had success. I hope that you do too. Enjoy!:)
Will try tomorrow! But is there a substitute for chicken broth? Have none and I don’t wanna go out for it 🙁
Hi, Celine! If you happen to have another broth on hand that will work too. A broth is used and is needed for the soup’s base. 🙂
I have no broth at all 🙁 I’ll have to wait until I make another grocery run then! Thanks!
You are welcome. I am excited for you to try it! 🙂
May I say this is my 1st time making this soup and I’m happy to share that this website came up first and the steps and outcome is PERFECT… THANKS FOR SHARING 😋
Thank you so much for trying my recipe. I am so glad that you enjoyed it! 🙂
I am making it now and I have some fresh parsley that will go to waste. Should I use some? or will that change it too much?
Hi, Nancy! You can add it! It will alter the taste some but should be ok. Enjoy! 🙂
Just made it this morning excellent.
I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Kathy! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your recipe! I made this 3x already and it’s the best potato soup I’ve ever had! Hands down. I made this for different people and everybody loved it.
I am so happy to hear that it has become a favorite of your families and you have enjoyed it, Heidi! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I make this soup for my family, as well as for large family gatherings. Everyone loves this soup!!! If I don’t bring the soup, my family playfully bans me from the next outing unless I bring our favorite soup. 😉
This soup is delicious, it is nicely thick, rich and creamy, and the flavors come together in a perfect combination. I use less Anjou pepper since this makes it too spicy for my English (bland food) family. It is the most delicious potatoe soup we have had and leaves all other potatoe soups in the dust!
I am so glad that this recipe has become a family favorite of yours, Beth! Thank you for trying my recipe and for sharing it. 🙂
My first time making this from scratch and honestly it’s SO GOOD!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Sharon! Thanks for sharing. 🙂