This easy potato soup recipe is creamy, comforting, and always a crowd favorite.
“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this delicious, creamy potato soup! It’s simple and easy to make and so perfect on a chilly, damp day.”
– Katrina
Like A Warm Hug In A Bowl
Love a cozy bowl of homemade potato soup. ♡
It’s the kind of comfort food I grew up eating on chilly Midwestern nights — simple, hearty, and always so nostalgic. I spent years tweaking this recipe, and it’s now a forever favorite in our house. And after tens of thousands of you have made it (and raved about it!) over the past decade, I’d say it’s officially a reader favorite here too!
This homemade potato soup recipe is wonderfully creamy (without needing heavy cream), layered with cozy garlic and cheddar flavor, and easy to customize to your taste. Even better? It’s quick and unfussy and ready to go in just 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights or lazy Sunday dinners or anytime you’re craving a cozy bowl of soup. One batch never lasts long in our house!
So if you’ve been searching for a tried-and-true potato soup recipe to keep on repeat, this is it!
Cheers,
Potato Soup Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Potato Soup Tips
Before you get cooking, here are a few simple tips to help your potato soup turn out extra creamy and delicious:
- Dice potatoes evenly: Smaller, uniform pieces will cook more quickly and evenly.
- Warm your milk: This helps prevent curdling and keeps the soup smooth.
- Grate cheese by hand: Pre-shredded cheese is often coated with anti-caking agents that can make the soup grainy — freshly grated melts much creamier.
- Add cheese slowly: Stir it in a handful at a time off the heat to avoid clumping.
- Storage tip: Cool leftovers before refrigerating in a sealed container for up to 3 days; rewarm gently to keep the texture creamy.
Recipe Variations
This homemade potato soup recipe is endlessly flexible, so feel free to try one of these fun twists:
- Make it vegetarian: Skip the bacon and use butter or olive oil instead of bacon grease. For extra flavor, stir in 2–3 teaspoons Cajun seasoning.
- Make it gluten-free: Omit the flour and instead whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the cold milk before adding it to the soup. Or skip thickener altogether and simply puree half the soup to create a naturally creamy base.
- Lighten it up: Reduce the grease/butter by 2 tablespoons, skip the flour, and puree half the soup to thicken. Use skim milk and turkey bacon (adding a drizzle of olive oil or butter for sautéing if needed).
- Add extra seasoning: Stir in 1 tablespoon of your favorite blend for a new twist — Cajun, Italian, za’atar, or taco seasoning all work great here.
- Mix up the potatoes: Try a blend of Yukon gold and sweet potatoes for a sweet-savory spin.
- Add more veggies: Toss in chopped cauliflower and/or broccoli with the potatoes for extra nutrition and texture.
More Potato Soup Recipes To Try
Love a cozy bowl of potato soup? Here are a few other reader favorites you might enjoy next:
The BEST Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, diced
- 3 tablespoons (reserved) bacon grease or butter
- 1 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 2 cups milk, warmed
- 1.5 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, diced
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crispy, stirring occasionally. Transfer the bacon to a separate plate, using a slotted spoon, reserving about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the stockpot. (Discard any extra grease, or you can substitute butter in place of the 3 tablespoons of bacon grease. Also, if you are short on time, you can dice the potatoes and onion while the bacon cooks to save time.)
- Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Stir in the garlic and sauté for an extra 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant. Stir the flour into the mixture and sauté for an additional 1 minute to cook the flour, stirring occasionally. Then stir in the stock until combined, followed by the milk and potatoes.
- Continue cooking until the mixture just reaches a simmer, before it begins to boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, being sure to stir the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn. (The smaller you dice your potatoes, the faster your soup will cook.)
- Once the potatoes are nice and soft, stir in the cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper and cooked bacon bits. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings. Or, transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Be sure to also check out our Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe too — made easy in the crock pot!
- This recipe was originally shared here in December 2014.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I made this soup for dinner and it was excellent. The only change I made was using half milk and half heavy cream. I will definitely be making this again.
Thanks, Shirley — we’re glad you enjoyed this!
Why throw away the extra bacon grease? It’s easy to freeze and use in other cooking.
Easy recipe, delicious! I used half whole mile and half heavy whipping cream, instead of all milk! A new family favorite!
Thanks, Jen, we’re so glad you and your family enjoy it!
I love this soup but have made a few changes..I add carrots and use skim milk and had a few potatoes..then puree the whole thing…then add more potatoes I feel it’s a slightly lighter version and no one is the wiser.
But the original is amazing my husband just wanted a skinner version.
We like that you added carrots to this, Diana, and we’re glad you enjoyed it!
Made it by starting with butter instead of bacon grease and using microwave bacon pieces instead to eliminate the frying of the bacon. I’ve also left out the bacon entirely. We love it both ways!
We’re glad you enjoy the recipe! :)
I have made this recipe several times and my family loves it!! I love it because it does not call for canned milk or heavy cream. But, it taste great!!
Thanks for sharing with us, Paula — we’re so glad to hear that! :)
If I were to make a large batch would this freeze well?
Hi Lori! Technically you can freeze this but unfortunately it’s not really ideal due to the amount of dairy in it (it will likely alter the texture of the soup).
I just had to come here and comment. I’ve made this soup multiple times now and it is both mine and my boyfriend’s favourite. It is so easy and quick and I usually have all of the ingredients on hand so it’s my go-to last-minute supper! It’s great leftover too. It tastes a lot like hashbrown casserole in soup form, another one of my favourite meals!
Thank you for sharing, Kelly, we’re so happy you both love it! :D
Didn’t have any bacon, so made it without and used butter instead of grease. Husband still said this is the best potato soup I’ve made. Delicious! !
We’re so glad to hear that, Erica, thank you for sharing with us!
Hi, I love this recipe and follow it frequently as my go-to potato soup recipe. I follow the steps pretty closely, aside from accommodating for personal tastes and cutting the measurements down for only myself. When I get to the step of adding the broth and warmed milk, they mix really well and it looks uniform and creamy. When I get to the part of adding the yogurt, however, the last couple of times I’ve noticed the broth ends up looking slightly lumpy/not uniform/creamy. Maybe it’s a matter of mixing the cheese *first* instead of the yogurt? I mean it still tastes amazing just doesn’t seem to have the consistency of your photos! Any suggestions? – Kim
Hi Kim! Thanks for sharing with us. When you’re mixing, you could try using a whisk. That should help break up the lumps. You should be able to add the cheese and sour cream/Greek yogurt at the same time. You may need to cook your soup a bit longer to get it a little thicker and creamier. We hope this helps!