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 read a bunch of the comments and everyone seemed to like it. I used almond milk, butter, vegetable broth, and sour cream. I don’t know if it was the almond milk and veggie broth, but it had like zero flavor. :( Have have you made with these?
Same!
I used Oatmilk, Toney’s creole seasoning, lawrys, vegetable broth, and olive oil and it was amazing! Oatmilk is way thicker than almondmilk and perhaps that held all the seasonings because it was thick..
You need to increase the salt content, and do it much earlier than the recipe suggests. Many chicken broths have way more salt content and I have noticed that when you swap out chicken broth for a veggie broth, you need to increase the salt. And if you omitted the bacon, then you really need to increase the salt as the bacon adds a ton of flavor and salt.
I used sour cream and the Cajun seasoning version. Was a big hit! I don’t eat bacon, so I used butter instead of bacon grease, and then left the bacon on the side for the boys to put in their soup. Topped with green onions and more shredded cheese. 10/10 will make again!
Sooo yummy. Trying to watch caloric intake so I didn’t do the bacon or bacon fat. I used a stick of butter Lol
This was my first time doing it like this. My 6 kids had 3rds and 4ths. Full bowls too. I didn’t expect them to like it that much. Usually we use bear creek soup mix. I’ll never use one again. This was so much easier and way healthier. Thank for such a great soup recipe!
Watch how much flour or you’ll make it to thick. Don’t get mad or complain about the amount of flour. Just add more milk, broth or water and reseason to taste
This recipe is always a winner in our house!
Very similar to the potatoe soup my mom (now 94 yo)used to make. Love it!!! I think making the rue with bacon grease is the secret.🤫 The cheese adds a whole extra flavor. TYvm.
I have made this twice in the last week. I had to share so I wouldn’t eat it all myself. It was wonderful without the extra toppings for me. I have made with russet potatoes and gold potatoes. Both were excellent! I only had 1 tablespoon of bacon grease so I used that and two tablespoons of Kerry gold butter.
Wonderful and delicious comfort food on a cold evening !
Delicious! My husband loved it, he said “this is the best potato soup I’ve ever tasted!” I agree, and it tasted rich and was filling, I’m defiinitely sharing this recipe with friends!
This is delicious! But im wondering about nutrition information. Do you have that?
Omg! This is the best potato soup I’ve ever made. I substituted cream cheese for the sour cream though. Thank you so much. So yummy!