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!
This soup was AWESOME! I accumulated a big bag of potatoes from my local church food pantry. I was like what can I make
today with potatoes ? SURFED around and boom there it is ! Lol. POTATOE SOUP in the SUMMERTIME!! It was a hit and my neighbor loved it also. Thank you for posting this yummy
recipe and I look forward to cooking from your site TOMORROW !
I’ve been making this recipe for YEARS and finally decided I should comment! This is by far the best potato soup recipe I’ve ever come across. So easy and tasty without the guilt ? my family gets so excited every time I make it. I shared it with my sisters and it’s a staple in their home now, as well. Thank you!!
Delicious! Made this today for my son after wisdom teeth extractions. Left out the bacon, used light sour cream and blended about 80% of soup until smooth to make it easier for him to eat. Will make this with the bacon next time, but either way a winner and will be my go-to potato soup. Thank you!
My hubby came home sick from work, with chills and said he’d like soup for dinner. I stumbled across your recipe and, mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand. I made the recipe as written and used a combination of cajun and Italian seasoning. He called me after the first spoonful and said it’s really good which is highly unusual. He usually just shovels food down. Thank you! You brought a smile to both our faces. This is a 5-star recipe all the way.
Made this for me and my brother. We both loved it and happily ate leftovers (though I’d say we got about 5 servings). I’d love to serve it to more people, so next time I’ll have to double the batch and invite a few over! Thank you. ^_^
The absolute best cream of potato soup!! I always make a vegetarian version but so delicious! My boyfriend constantly asks for it for dinner… thanks for sharing ??
Loved this recipe. I’m about to make this for 9 people on the coming week so I’ll be making a large batch enough for extras.
Made this today. It does have a good flavor but by kids didn’t like the minced onions in it. So maybe I should use dried onion next time. I need to tweak the recipe a bit. Thank your for sharing.
O.k. This is it , never again will I need to look for another potato soup recipe. Absolutely delicious. . . Followed your directions but decided to take the grated cheddar cheese and make cheese biscuits as a side.
Ooh cheese biscuits with this soup sounds decadent!
O.k. This is it, never will I have to try another potatoe soup recipe, absolutely delicious. I even grated some sharp cheddar cheese and decided to make cheese biscuits as a side