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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Chilis

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    Updated: Feb 25, 2019 • Published: Feb 2, 2018 by Sam Merritt • 6,564 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 4605 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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      Roasted Carrot Soup
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      Vegetarian Chili
    • Bowl of creamy southwest chicken soup made with beans, chicken, peppers, and more.
      Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup
    • Overhead view of a bowl of turkey chili topped with avocado, shredded cheese, and sour cream.
      Turkey Chili

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Caitlin

      November 29, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is phenomenal! Even my boyfriend who doesn’t love soup really, really enjoyed it! Only thing I would say is that I’d do about 2-3 more strips of bacon, and this recipe definitely takes about an hour, not 30 mins. I didn’t care… it was worth it. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 30, 2020 at 9:28 pm

        I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Caitlin! 🙂

        Reply
        • Ariana

          December 02, 2020 at 9:30 pm

          Omg this is so good

    2. Megan Lesneski

      November 29, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      This soup was sooooooo good! My husband has been asking me to make potato soup for a while and I stumbled onto your recipe on Pinterest. I’m so glad I did! It is definitely going into our rotation for whenever we feel like a hearty soup! We both loved it and it made quite a lot so we had it for several meals. It’s such a great way to use up a lot of potatoes. I didn’t have ancho chili powder so I used regular, and it was good. But afterward I bought some ancho chili powder especially to try in my next batch of this soup. It’s perfect for a cold and rainy day like you mention. Yummmmm! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to check out more of your recipes!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 30, 2020 at 9:29 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Megan! Hopefully you love everything you try! 🙂

        Reply
    3. Mara

      November 29, 2020 at 7:39 pm

      What could I sub for the milk? More chicken broth? Or more heavy cream?

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 29, 2020 at 8:39 pm

        Do half chicken broth and half cream (so it’s not too thick/rich and not too thin). Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Elizabeth

      November 29, 2020 at 7:10 pm

      5 stars
      Holy cow, this was the best soup I ever made! And maybe the best potato soup I’ve ever eaten. So rich and creamy, just wow! Note- I used my own stock (from my Thanksgiving turkey) and used regular chili powder and a tad bit of red pepper flakes since I didn’t have ancho chili powder. Definitely recommend it to anyone, even beginners.

      Reply
    5. Rhonda Geer

      November 29, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      If I make this soup for a work lunch will it stay fresh until the next day? Please advise.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 29, 2020 at 3:10 pm

        It will! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    6. Ken

      November 28, 2020 at 11:27 pm

      5 stars
      Made this to the letter of the recipie and it was a true delight. Will definitely make it again for company. My wife and I had seconds tonight and were happy to have leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch. Used 1/2 tsp regular chilli powder in the soup and used chilli flakes as a topper.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 29, 2020 at 9:38 pm

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

        Reply
    7. Dimple

      November 26, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this today and added carrots and corn and it was delicious. I didn’t put bacon. And it was still very tasty. Thank you. This will be a great addition

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 26, 2020 at 9:37 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂

        Reply
    8. Acadia

      November 26, 2020 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      Allergic to peppers so used horseradish…pretty darn good. Will be my go to potato soup recipe

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 26, 2020 at 9:38 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂

        Reply
    9. Emily

      November 26, 2020 at 10:12 am

      5 stars
      Delicious!! Added some leeks the second time. Mmm!
      I also get ground bacon ends from a local butcher. They are perfect for adding to soup and, well, everything!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 26, 2020 at 11:26 am

        So happy to hear the soup was such a hit, Emily! 🙂

        Reply
        • Emily

          November 26, 2020 at 12:06 pm

          I’m going to tinker with adding other veggies. I usually throw a handful of quinoa in every soup I make too. I love ways to get extra protein and nutrients into my kids!

    10. Glenn

      November 25, 2020 at 10:11 pm

      5 stars
      This soup was amazing!
      Although I didn’t have the ancho, I subbed in hatch green chili powder and smoked paprika.
      Thanks Sam

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 26, 2020 at 11:52 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed, Glenn! 🙂

        Reply
        • katherine l FRANKE

          November 29, 2020 at 1:45 pm

          Hi, Sam,

          I do not have ancho chili powder for this recipe, what can I use in place of it?
          or just not use anything at all?

          thank You,
          Kathy

        • Sam

          November 29, 2020 at 3:10 pm

          Hi Kathy! You can use regular chili powder or you can just omit it. Enjoy! 🙂

    11. Carly

      November 24, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      Soooo good I just made this today! My first time making potato soup and I was delicious. Saving this recipe for the future. But didn’t realize how much it makes! Can I freeze it?

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 24, 2020 at 9:09 pm

        Hi Carly! It doesn’t do well freezing. It tends to separate. 🙁 I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

        Reply
    12. Brenda Wingerden

      November 23, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      5 stars
      Extremely easy to make, tastes amazing 👏 😋 👌 🙌

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 23, 2020 at 9:21 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Brenda! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Andrea

      November 23, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      5 stars
      The best potato soup I have ever had. I made his last winter and thought I lost the recipe. I found it today and will be my go to comfort soup.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 23, 2020 at 9:46 pm

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

        Reply
    14. Sherry

      November 23, 2020 at 11:52 am

      Have tried many potato soup recipes and this is by far my family’s favorite. And it gives me another reason to use my immersion blender! 🙂

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 23, 2020 at 9:56 pm

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

        Reply
    15. Nellie

      November 22, 2020 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      Me and my bf made this, was absolutely amazing! Is there a way to make it Gluten free? I want to make some for my family, but they cannot eat gluten.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 23, 2020 at 10:03 pm

        Hi Nellie! You could probably replace the flour with cornstarch here. 🙂

        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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