This creamy potato soup is a comfort food classic that’s easy to make in just one pot. It’s the perfect cold-weather meal and is delicious topped with bacon and cheese.
I grew up on creamy, comforting soups. Broccoli cheddar soup, chicken wild rice soup and of course potato soup. As with many of my childhood favorites, I took it upon myself to make a homemade version that’s a tad lightened up without heavy cream or a ton of sour cream.
This potato soup is so simple to make, creamy yet healthy and packed with delicious flavor. I’m not wishing for a snowstorm, but let’s just say I know what will be on the menu for the first snowfall of the year!
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Lightened up classic – For this recipe I skipped the heavy cream and sour cream that is in a lot of classic potato soup recipes to keep things a tad lighter.
- Creamy – The blended potatoes, milk and flour creates a super creamy soup. It’s the perfect soup for those chilly winter days.
- One pot wonder – Fewer dishes, more flavor! Plus, it’s great for meal prep so you can enjoy it all week long.
- Simple ingredients – You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already!
Ingredients Needed
- butter or olive oil – to sauté the vegetables in.
- gold potatoes – I prefer using Yukon gold potatoes for this soup. They add a buttery, creamy texture and mash up really well.
- vegetables – a combination of onion, garlic, celery and carrots adds the main source of flavor to this soup! Try to chop the celery and carrots the same size so each bite has a similar ratio of veggies.
- all purpose flour – this is what helps thicken the soup.
- milk – I used real deal whole milk in this recipe to make it extra creamy, but feel free to use your preferred type of milk.
- chicken broth or vegetable broth – the liquid base of the soup. I like to use low-sodium broth so I can control how salty the soup is at the end.
- seasonings and spices – bay leaf, dried thyme, marjoram, nutmeg, salt and black pepper seasons the soup and brings all of the flavors together!
Recipe Substitutions
- Make it vegan: If you need to make this soup vegan, use olive oil or vegan butter and swap the milk with almond milk.
- Make it gluten-free: For a gluten-free option, simply replace the regular flour with a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. It’ll still thicken the soup perfectly.
- Use different potatoes: I love using Yukon gold potatoes for that creamy texture, but if you have Russet potatoes or other white potatoes on hand, they’ll still work well in this soup.
- Need to swap herbs? If you don’t have nutmeg on hand, cinnamon or allspice will still give your soup that cozy, warm flavor. No marjoram? Dried oregano is the closest match! And if you like a little heat, consider adding a pinch of cayenne to kick things up a notch!
How to Make Potato Soup
As soon as I recipe tested this soup, I knew it was going to be a fan favorite! Here’s how to make it:
Step 1: Heat oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté onion and garlic for about 7 minutes.
Step 2: Add carrots and celery, cooking for another 5-7 minutes.
Step 3: Add salt, pepper, dried thyme, marjoram, nutmeg, and flour and stir until veggies are coated.
Step 4: Then add milk, broth, potatoes, and seasonings.
Step 5: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to smooth the soup to your desired consistency.
Step 6: Serve topped with bacon bits, shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions, or toppings of choice.
Brittany’s Tip!
When chopping your potatoes, keep the pieces small and uniform. Not only will they cook faster, but they’ll be the perfect bite-sized goodness, making your soup extra easy to eat!
How to Serve Potato Soup
Here’s where it gets fun! Get creative with your toppings, and pair this soup with your favorite salad and/or protein for a full meal. Here are some ideas:
- Toppings: I prefer to top my potato soup with sour cream or Greek yogurt, bacon bits, shredded cheese and green onion. That said, feel free to use your favorite toppings! If you’re making this soup vegan my cashew sour cream and tempeh bacon are great topping options.
- Bread: Serve your soup with a side of fresh bread like sourdough. The combination of warm soup and crusty bread is a classic and comforting choice.
- Salad: A fresh, crisp green salad on the side balances the creamy, hearty soup. Try my arugula salad, or garlicky kale salad for the perfect soup and salad combo!
- Veggies: Roasted veggies, like my balsamic roasted brussels sprouts are a great side option.
- With protein: If you’re looking for more protein, serve this soup as a side to this apple cider vinegar chicken, maple turmeric chicken, air fryer filet mignon or maple glazed salmon.
How to Store Leftovers
This soup is a great meal prep recipe. I like to make a batch at the beginning of the week and enjoy it for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week. Allow the soup to cool slightly and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Technically, you could freeze this soup but the texture does change after freezing – the potatoes get a little grainy. If you don’t mind a texture change, freeze away!
As for making potato soup in a slow cooker, I haven’t tried it myself, but it’s definitely doable! Sauté the vegetables first, add everything to the slow cooker, and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. Don’t forget to make a roux with butter, flour, and milk to thicken it up towards the end.
If you don’t have an immersion blender, no worries! You can use a potato masher for a chunkier texture or a high-powered blender for a smoother finish. For the blender, just be careful not to overfill since the soup will be hot. You can blend a portion for a mix of smooth and chunky textures.
More Soup Recipes to Try
Be sure to check out the full collection of soup recipes here on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below.
- 2 Tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 3-4 Tablespoons all purpose flour, gluten-free if needed
- 2 cups whole or 2% milk
- 3 cups chicken broth , or vegetable broth
- 3 lbs gold potatoes peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes, (about 6 medium potatoes)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ½-2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon marjoram
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, optional
- Toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, bacon bits, chopped green onions
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In large pot or Dutch oven add butter or oil over medium heat. Once warm, add onion and garlic sauté and until onions are translucent and fragrant, about 7 minutes or so.
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Add the carrots and celery and sauté for 5-7 minutes more.
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Add the salt, pepper and flour and gently toss until veggies are coated.
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Add milk, vegetable broth, potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram and nutmeg. Stir and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn temperature down to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
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Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until somewhat smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes. I prefer to leave a bit of chunky potato texture to the soup, but if you want it completely smooth you can fully blend it in a high powered blender. If you’re using a blender, just blend in batches, making sure to not fill your blender past the maximum fill line and be extra careful because the soup will be hot!
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Spoon soup into bowls for serving and top with toppings of choice. I love serving it with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions. Bacon bits are also delicious.
- Potatoes: I prefer using Yukon gold potatoes for this soup. They add a buttery, creamy texture and mash up really well in this soup. That said, feel free to use Russet potatoes or any type of white potatoes.
- Make it vegan: If you need to make this soup vegan, use olive oil or vegan butter and swap the milk with almond milk.
- Storage: Allow the soup to cool completely and then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serving: 1/6 recipe w/o toppings | Calories: 392kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 24mg | Sodium: 935mg | Potassium: 410mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on September 27, 2021 and republished on January 20, 2025.
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