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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Chilis

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    Updated: Feb 25, 2019 • Published: Feb 2, 2018 by Sam Merritt • 6,555 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    potato soup in white bowl

    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.

    A close up view of creamy potato soup, topped with bacon, sour cream, chives, and cheddar cheese

    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).

    An overhead view of a bowl of potato soup]

    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!

    Two bowls of potato soup

    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.

    Creamy Potato Soup, loaded with bacon and cheese

    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

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe

    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.
    4.98 from 4602 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 servings (recipe makes 3.5 qts of soup)
    Calories: 521kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt
    YouTube video

    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

    • Immersion blender
    • Dutch Oven

    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

    *I recommend starting with a more reserved amount of salt and then adding more as needed, the amount of salt needed will vary depending on the type/brand of broth you use
    **If you haven't used ancho chili powder before, I recommend starting with ¼ teaspoon and then taste-testing before increasing to ½ teaspoon if you like the taste.  
    ***If you want a completely creamy soup you can puree all of it, just puree in batches, about half of the soup at a time.  I prefer my potato soup with actual chunks of potatoes and prefer to puree just half of it.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 87mg | Sodium: 1326mg | Potassium: 1176mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 897IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 2mg

    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.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. DK

      July 01, 2020 at 3:12 pm

      5 stars
      First off, I decided to substitute the heavy cream with evaporated milk and I was still very pleased with how this came out.

      Secondly, WOW!!!! This recipe was simply perfect and tasted amazing. I was looking to make soup a couple of days ago and wanted to make something different than my regular chicken noodle soup. I stumbled upon your recipe and had all the ingredients (with the exception of heavy cream previously stated above) so I decided to dive in. It came out with the right thickness and taste that my wife who usually has one bowl of soup had a second helping and said it was the exact thing she needed.

      Finally, thank you so much for the recipe. To anyone who wants to try making potato soup this will be the only recipe you’ll need. I almost thought I lost the webpage but was lucky to find it and pin it on my board.

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 01, 2020 at 10:15 pm

        Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed the soup so much! 🙂

        Reply
        • Jeff Minnich

          July 08, 2020 at 10:25 am

          5 stars
          This soup was beyond outstanding…Amazingly delicious thanks for sharing…

        • Sam

          July 08, 2020 at 10:44 am

          I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Jeff! 🙂

    2. Renee

      June 28, 2020 at 10:30 pm

      5 stars
      I searched the Internet and found your recipe. I’m glad I did. This recipe is delicious. I knew what I was getting into as far as the ingredients go. At my age I have to start watching, and most of the time I try to eat healthy. It’s hard to find a cream soup as good as this and be healthy. I was wondering, have you ever tried cutting some of the fats and replace them with light cream or olive oil? Thanks for a tasty recipe. 😀

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 29, 2020 at 10:28 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Renee! I have not tried cutting the fats. It’s definitely worth a shot. It may not be as creamy/flavorful, but I think it could still work. 🙂

        Reply
    3. Karen R

      June 28, 2020 at 1:28 pm

      5 stars
      So decadent and delicious. I have made this twice. The first time I followed the recipe exactly. The second time I only washed the potatos and cut them up…I didn’t peel them. And I used whole milk instead of half and half. And finally I eliminated the sour cream because I don’t think it really made a difference. With my changes I didn’t taste any difference. A bit time consuming to make but oh so worth it. Great recipe!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 28, 2020 at 4:53 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Karen! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Chyanne Mathis

      June 28, 2020 at 9:47 am

      Do you have to use the bacon?

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 28, 2020 at 3:11 pm

        Nope! Just use an additional 2 Tablespoons of butter.

        Reply
    5. Rylie

      June 27, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      4 stars
      This soup is amazing! I’m sick and it makes me feel so good! We didn’t feel like only using half a pack of bacon, so we put 12 strips in here, and it was definitely a good idea. My family is full of cheese lovers so we decided to add a bunch to the soup itself, along with some once the soup was in the bowl. I was trying to replicate a soup from my childhood, and while it’s definitely not the same potato soup, it’s one of my new favorites! Can’t wait to make it again!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 29, 2020 at 12:14 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Rylie! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Laurie B.

      June 27, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Can u freeze this soup?

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        June 28, 2020 at 9:58 pm

        Hi, Laurie! I typically don’t recommend it because the cream can separate out. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Karen

      June 25, 2020 at 1:59 pm

      Could you make it in a crockpot?

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 26, 2020 at 10:17 am

        Hi Karen! I’m not quite sure how it would work in a crock pot because you have to add different things at different times and it’s really best to cook the bacon in the pot first. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Lin Adams

      June 24, 2020 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      I don’t like garlic, but decided to try it with two cloves. Oh my, so yummy! Thank you.

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 25, 2020 at 9:56 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Lin! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Sofia

      June 23, 2020 at 8:28 pm

      I’m going to make this!
      Instead of bacon can I use ham or prosciutto ?

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 24, 2020 at 10:32 am

        Hi Sofia! Others have reported that they’ve made it with ham with success! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    10. Shanna

      June 22, 2020 at 5:11 pm

      Wow, delicious, now I can down in history with my my babies saying “grandma makes the best potato soup” this is really good!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 22, 2020 at 5:16 pm

        🤣 I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Shanna! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Karen Barnett

      June 20, 2020 at 1:10 am

      If you are watching your diet then DON’T make this soup. Lucky I don’t care!!! Absolutely easy and extremely tasty.
      AND you must not omit bacon ever. It is the standout here I feel providing depth and character.
      I doubled recipe so I can freeze portions.
      I used a masher instead of puréeing. I find that easier and no halving of soup as all in same pot plus easy to control which spuds remain intact.
      I’m not keen on ‘hot’ foods so little by little chillie was added.
      Can top with chillie flakes when serving for people who love it like that.
      Will make the same recipe and add clams next…yumbo!!

      Good work Sam

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 20, 2020 at 11:01 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Karen! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Sara Ramsay

      June 20, 2020 at 12:46 am

      5 stars
      My husband and I used to go get homemade Potatoe Soup at a little cafe close to where we lived. It was Heaven on earth, and a closely guarded family secret, that sadly went to the grave with the cafe owner. I made your soup tonite and my husband swore that I had been holding out on him and had Miss Sally’s recipe all along!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 20, 2020 at 11:01 am

        I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Sara! Now you can enjoy potato soup just like you used to. 🙂

        Reply
    13. Sarah

      June 18, 2020 at 4:01 am

      5 stars
      So easy and tasty!! I will definitely be making this again!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 18, 2020 at 10:35 am

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Sarah! 🙂

        Reply
    14. Ashton Nicholson

      June 16, 2020 at 5:22 pm

      So I’ve never made homemade potato soup before but OMG this recipe turned out AMAZING!! I’ve nearly eaten two whole bowls all by myself haha. I’m pregnant, so maybe that’s why. But it was so easy and simple to follow and just turned out freaking fantastic. HUGE fan here. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 17, 2020 at 10:51 am

        Congratulations Ashton!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup. Sounds like the baby does too! 🙂

        Reply
    15. Kelly Cooney

      June 16, 2020 at 11:58 am

      5 stars
      I made this soup for dinner on Sunday. It was absolutely delicious. My husband and I just had some for lunch today as well. This will always be my go to potato soup recipe. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 16, 2020 at 12:23 pm

        I am so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Kelly! 🙂

        Reply
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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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