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 vegetarian, doubled the recipe and I did use half and half instead of milk to add a little more richness since I omitted the bacon. I also added 2 cups of finely chopped fresh broccoli, and used way more garlic, not because this recipe didn’t call for enough, but because we are insane garlic lovers and I triple or quadruple it in any recipe. It was a huge hit. Very delicious and the leftovers over a couple of days were nice to have alongside salads. I don’t usually eat a ton of dairy in one dish but this was very balanced flavor wise and didn’t give me that too much dairy icky feeling I get with some meals, like alfredo for example lol This brought me back to one of my favorite childhood meals at one of my family’s favorite restaurants, I loved to get a cup of loaded baked potato soup and the side salad. It was a wing place and this was well before boneless wings existed, and I just hated eating meat on the bone and getting my hands messy. (It’s not a surprise to anyone I’m a vegetarian now, haha.)
I added minced celery and carrot but otherwise, made the recipe as written. It was fabulous! New fave!
I’m a crap cook. Tried this recipe. BRILLIANT. If l can make this delicious soup, anyone can. Give it a go!
I had left over pork loin roast and potatoes (russets) so I decided to use to make this potato soup. It was so delicious, like what you would have ordered in a restaurant. I used whole milk and chicken stock. I’ll be making this again!
This has to be one of my all time favorite recipes. As long as you stick to the general structure of the recipe you can’t go wrong. I made it tonight and added 2 celery stalks (diced) and 2 carrots (also diced) about 2 minutes before I added in the onions, and used oat milk instead of regular milk (substitution courtesy of lactose intolerance, yay). I also used a potato masher and smashed the cooked potatoes until everything was about 1/2 to 3/4 mashed. But, regardless of how you make it, this recipe is made of joy and happiness. Go cook, eat, and be merry.
Fast, delicious and a huge hit. Thank you! :)
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! Thanks for the nice easy recipe!
This recipe is great, but I would say it’s more like 4 dinner servings instead of 6-8. Maybe it would be 6-8 small appetizer cups worth.
I made potato soup a few times before this is my favorite recipe. I can appreciate that she goes into detail with what potatoes work best. Love it when there is a video. The measurements for the ingredients are a perfect combination. I added a little ‘better than bullion’ stock because her chicken stock looked darker than mine and I knew my would need a pinch more flavor because of that.
I’ve made this twice and I absolutely love it! One of my favorite recipes I’ve come across. I added celery and carrots for added flavor as well as garlic salt. Will definitely make again, my husband couldn’t stop eating it!
Best potato soup I ever made. I recommend finishing it off with the sour cream because it adds a silkiness to the soup.
Wow, reminded me of my grandma’s potato soup. Sorry but I added corn to the recipe like grandma. I forgot the roux (flour) and the soup thickened up nicely without it. Very, very good soup. I will be making this again.