- Bacon: Choose thick-cut bacon for more flavorful fat rendered into the soup, enhancing the savory base.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps soften the onions — salted or unsalted both work, depending on your preference.
- Yellow Onion: These are mild and sweet when cooked, layering gentle sweetness into the soup.
- Garlic: A must for depth; it gives the soup that cozy, homey aroma.
- All-purpose Flour: This helps thicken the soup nicely without lumps when whisked into the base.
- Gold Potatoes: They hold their shape while softening beautifully, perfect for that creamy-but-chunky texture.
- Chicken Broth: Use a good-quality, low-sodium broth so you control the saltiness in the soup.
- Milk & Heavy Cream: Together they build the creamy, luscious body that makes this soup comforting.
- Salt & Pepper: Simple but vital — seasoning to taste lets all the flavors shine.
- Ancho Chili Powder: Just a pinch gives a faint smoky warmth that elevates this soup above the ordinary.
- Sour Cream: Stirred in at the end for tang and silkiness, plus perfect creaminess contrast.
- Optional Toppings: Cheddar, chives, extra bacon, and sour cream add texture, color, and bursts of flavor.
Make It Your Way
I love how versatile this soup is because you can adjust it based on what you have or your dietary needs. Sometimes, I swap out chicken broth for vegetable broth when I want a lighter version, or I toss in some cheddar right before serving to crank up the cheesiness. You should definitely experiment to find your perfect combo.
- Vegetarian Variation: Use vegetable broth and omit bacon, then add sautéed mushrooms for umami richness—I tried this when friends came over, and everyone loved how cozy it was.
- Spicing It Up: If you like heat, add a dash of cayenne or smoked paprika along with the ancho chili for a smoky kick.
- Extra Creamy: For indulgence, add a dollop of cream cheese or blend all the soup completely for a silky, velvety texture.
- Make It Lighter: Swap heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk to reduce calories without sacrificing creaminess too much.
Step-by-Step: How I Make The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
Step 1: Crisp That Bacon Beautifully
Start by cutting your bacon into small pieces and frying them in your Dutch oven over medium heat. I always keep a close eye here so the bacon crisps evenly without burning. Once golden and crisp, scoop out the bacon and set aside, but make sure to keep all those rendered fats in the pot—they’re packed with flavor and will be the base of your soup.
Step 2: Build the Flavor with Butter, Onions, and Garlic
Add the butter to the bacon fat, then toss in your chopped onions. Cook them gently over medium heat until they’re translucent and soft—around 3 to 5 minutes. This part fills your kitchen with such a comforting aroma. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook just 30 seconds longer until fragrant, making sure not to burn it.
Step 3: Thickening Magic with Flour
Sprinkle the flour evenly over your onion and garlic mixture. Stir it well and use a whisk if you have one to avoid lumps. This roux-like step thickens your soup so you don’t get a watery broth, giving it that creamy body without any cream-only heaviness.
Step 4: Add Potatoes, Liquids, and Seasonings
Next, toss in the peeled and diced gold potatoes along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and just a pinch of ancho chili powder. Stir everything to combine and bring the pot to a boil. The broth will smell amazing at this point. Cook until the potatoes soften enough to pierce easily with a fork—usually about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Puree Half for Perfect Texture
Once the potatoes are tender, carefully remove about half of the hot soup into a blender. Puree until silky smooth, then stir it back into the pot. I love this trick because it gives me a soup with just the right amount of chunkiness without any grittiness. If you prefer, you can blend the whole batch for a completely smooth soup—just do it in batches to avoid hot splashes.
Step 6: Finish with Sour Cream and Bacon
Stir the sour cream and reserved crispy bacon back into the soup and let everything simmer together for 15 more minutes. This final step melds all those layers of flavor and guarantees a creamy, comforting bowl every time.
Top Tip
From testing this soup multiple times, a few little tweaks can make a big difference in your final dish. Here are the top tips that I rely on to get it just right every time.
- Don’t Skip the Bacon Fat: I once tried cooking the onions in plain butter only, and it lacked that rich depth. The bacon fat warms up those onions in a way that the butter alone can’t match.
- Start Low with Salt: Depending on your broth brand, saltiness can vary widely. I usually add 1 teaspoon first, taste, and then slowly add more if needed so it never ends up too salty.
- Puree Half, Not All: Pureeing just half keeps the soup tasty and hearty without being heavy or gluey.
- Watch Your Boil Time: Overcooking potatoes can make the soup grainy. Ten minutes is just enough to soften but keep them intact.
How to Serve The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
Garnishes
I almost always top my bowl with extra crispy bacon bits, sharp shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh chopped chives. The colors and textures really lift the soup and add bursts of flavor in every spoonful. I’ve even added crushed crackers when I wanted extra crunch.
Side Dishes
This soup pairs wonderfully with crusty bread—like a warm sourdough loaf or garlic breadsticks. For a lighter side, I serve it with a crisp green salad tossed in lemon vinaigrette. Once, I paired it with roasted brussels sprouts and it balanced perfectly.
Creative Ways to Present
For special dinners, I like serving this soup in little bread bowls or hollowed-out mini pumpkins during fall. It’s a major crowd-pleaser at family gatherings, and it looks gorgeous on the table!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. Stored in the fridge, it keeps well for about 3-4 days. I’ve found that storing the bacon bits separately helps maintain their crispness when reheating.
Freezing
This soup freezes very well. I freeze it in meal-sized portions and thaw overnight in the fridge. Just remember sour cream can sometimes change texture after freezing, so you might want to stir in fresh sour cream after reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or burning. Add a splash of milk or broth if it gets too thick. Avoid high heat—it can cause the soup to separate or become grainy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon or substitute with smoked mushrooms or plant-based bacon alternatives.
Gold potatoes are best for this soup because they hold their shape well while becoming tender and creamy, balancing chunkiness and smoothness beautifully.
Yes! This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage.
Use the flour to thicken and start by adding liquids measured carefully. If the soup thickens up too much after simmering, add a little extra broth or milk to thin it out to your preferred consistency.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those recipes I keep coming back to, whether I need something quick and cozy or when friends drop by unexpected. It’s simple but feels special, and that balance of creamy and chunky makes every spoonful comforting. I can’t recommend The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe enough — I know once you try it, it’ll earn a spot in your cooking rotation just like it did in mine.
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The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Ultimate Potato Soup recipe is a creamy, comforting dish made with crispy bacon, golden potatoes, and a blend of milk and cream for richness. It features tender potato chunks with a smooth, velvety base, gently spiced with ancho chili powder, and topped with cheddar cheese, chives, and more bacon for perfect indulgence.
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 6 strips uncooked bacon, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted)
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1.5 cup/200g)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
- 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes, peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1 inch (about 6 large potatoes/1.15kg)
- 4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
- 2 cups milk (475ml)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
Finishing Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional for topping)
- Chives (optional for topping)
- Additional sour cream (optional for topping)
- Additional cooked bacon (optional for topping)
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Place the bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
- Sauté Onions: Add butter and chopped onion to the pot with bacon fat and cook over medium heat until onions are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Make Roux: Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the onion and garlic mixture, stirring constantly until smooth and fully incorporated, using a whisk if needed.
- Add Potatoes and Liquids: Add diced potatoes along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder to the pot. Stir well to combine.
- Cook Potatoes: Bring the soup to a boil, then cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
- Puree Half Soup: Reduce the heat to simmer. Carefully remove about half of the soup (about 5 cups) and puree it until smooth in a blender or with an immersion blender. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
- Finish Soup: Stir in the sour cream and the reserved crispy bacon pieces. Allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes to blend flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with additional sour cream, cooked bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and chives if desired. Enjoy your ultimate potato soup!
Notes
- Start with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt but adjust to taste depending on your broth’s saltiness.
- If unfamiliar with ancho chili powder, begin with ¼ teaspoon and increase after tasting for desired warmth.
- For a fully creamy texture, puree all of the soup in batches instead of just half.
- Use an immersion blender for easier and safer pureeing directly in the pot.
- Using gold potatoes keeps the soup creamy while maintaining some chunkiness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
If you’ve been searching for comforting, hearty, and downright delicious comfort food, you’re about to hit the jackpot with The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe. This soup is creamy, rich, and packed with flavor — perfect for cozy nights or impressing guests. Stick with me, and I’ll walk you through exactly how to make this soup your new favorite.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
I've tried lots of potato soups over the years, but this recipe stands out because it balances creaminess and texture so well. You get that velvety base with just enough tender potato chunks, plus the bacon adds a smoky punch that’s irresistible. Trust me, it’s a winner every time.
- Balanced Creaminess: Pureeing half of the soup keeps it smooth yet chunky, so you get the best of both worlds.
- Flavor Layers: A touch of ancho chili powder adds subtle warmth and depth without overwhelming the soup.
- Make-Ahead Friendly: This soup reheats beautifully and freezes well, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Easy to Customize: Add more toppings or tweak spices to suit your mood — it’s your soup after all!
Ingredients & Why They Work
The beauty of this soup lies in its wholesome, straightforward ingredients. Each has a role: the bacon brings savory crunch, the gold potatoes provide creamy body, and the combination of broth, milk, and cream creates that luscious silky texture. When shopping, I recommend picking good-quality bacon and fresh yellow onions to really boost flavors.
- Bacon: Choose thick-cut bacon for more flavorful fat rendered into the soup, enhancing the savory base.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps soften the onions — salted or unsalted both work, depending on your preference.
- Yellow Onion: These are mild and sweet when cooked, layering gentle sweetness into the soup.
- Garlic: A must for depth; it gives the soup that cozy, homey aroma.
- All-purpose Flour: This helps thicken the soup nicely without lumps when whisked into the base.
- Gold Potatoes: They hold their shape while softening beautifully, perfect for that creamy-but-chunky texture.
- Chicken Broth: Use a good-quality, low-sodium broth so you control the saltiness in the soup.
- Milk & Heavy Cream: Together they build the creamy, luscious body that makes this soup comforting.
- Salt & Pepper: Simple but vital — seasoning to taste lets all the flavors shine.
- Ancho Chili Powder: Just a pinch gives a faint smoky warmth that elevates this soup above the ordinary.
- Sour Cream: Stirred in at the end for tang and silkiness, plus perfect creaminess contrast.
- Optional Toppings: Cheddar, chives, extra bacon, and sour cream add texture, color, and bursts of flavor.
Make It Your Way
I love how versatile this soup is because you can adjust it based on what you have or your dietary needs. Sometimes, I swap out chicken broth for vegetable broth when I want a lighter version, or I toss in some cheddar right before serving to crank up the cheesiness. You should definitely experiment to find your perfect combo.
- Vegetarian Variation: Use vegetable broth and omit bacon, then add sautéed mushrooms for umami richness—I tried this when friends came over, and everyone loved how cozy it was.
- Spicing It Up: If you like heat, add a dash of cayenne or smoked paprika along with the ancho chili for a smoky kick.
- Extra Creamy: For indulgence, add a dollop of cream cheese or blend all the soup completely for a silky, velvety texture.
- Make It Lighter: Swap heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk to reduce calories without sacrificing creaminess too much.
Step-by-Step: How I Make The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
Step 1: Crisp That Bacon Beautifully
Start by cutting your bacon into small pieces and frying them in your Dutch oven over medium heat. I always keep a close eye here so the bacon crisps evenly without burning. Once golden and crisp, scoop out the bacon and set aside, but make sure to keep all those rendered fats in the pot—they’re packed with flavor and will be the base of your soup.
Step 2: Build the Flavor with Butter, Onions, and Garlic
Add the butter to the bacon fat, then toss in your chopped onions. Cook them gently over medium heat until they’re translucent and soft—around 3 to 5 minutes. This part fills your kitchen with such a comforting aroma. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook just 30 seconds longer until fragrant, making sure not to burn it.
Step 3: Thickening Magic with Flour
Sprinkle the flour evenly over your onion and garlic mixture. Stir it well and use a whisk if you have one to avoid lumps. This roux-like step thickens your soup so you don’t get a watery broth, giving it that creamy body without any cream-only heaviness.
Step 4: Add Potatoes, Liquids, and Seasonings
Next, toss in the peeled and diced gold potatoes along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and just a pinch of ancho chili powder. Stir everything to combine and bring the pot to a boil. The broth will smell amazing at this point. Cook until the potatoes soften enough to pierce easily with a fork—usually about 10 minutes.
Step 5: Puree Half for Perfect Texture
Once the potatoes are tender, carefully remove about half of the hot soup into a blender. Puree until silky smooth, then stir it back into the pot. I love this trick because it gives me a soup with just the right amount of chunkiness without any grittiness. If you prefer, you can blend the whole batch for a completely smooth soup—just do it in batches to avoid hot splashes.
Step 6: Finish with Sour Cream and Bacon
Stir the sour cream and reserved crispy bacon back into the soup and let everything simmer together for 15 more minutes. This final step melds all those layers of flavor and guarantees a creamy, comforting bowl every time.
Top Tip
From testing this soup multiple times, a few little tweaks can make a big difference in your final dish. Here are the top tips that I rely on to get it just right every time.
- Don’t Skip the Bacon Fat: I once tried cooking the onions in plain butter only, and it lacked that rich depth. The bacon fat warms up those onions in a way that the butter alone can’t match.
- Start Low with Salt: Depending on your broth brand, saltiness can vary widely. I usually add 1 teaspoon first, taste, and then slowly add more if needed so it never ends up too salty.
- Puree Half, Not All: Pureeing just half keeps the soup tasty and hearty without being heavy or gluey.
- Watch Your Boil Time: Overcooking potatoes can make the soup grainy. Ten minutes is just enough to soften but keep them intact.
How to Serve The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe
Garnishes
I almost always top my bowl with extra crispy bacon bits, sharp shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh chopped chives. The colors and textures really lift the soup and add bursts of flavor in every spoonful. I’ve even added crushed crackers when I wanted extra crunch.
Side Dishes
This soup pairs wonderfully with crusty bread—like a warm sourdough loaf or garlic breadsticks. For a lighter side, I serve it with a crisp green salad tossed in lemon vinaigrette. Once, I paired it with roasted brussels sprouts and it balanced perfectly.
Creative Ways to Present
For special dinners, I like serving this soup in little bread bowls or hollowed-out mini pumpkins during fall. It’s a major crowd-pleaser at family gatherings, and it looks gorgeous on the table!
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Let the soup cool completely before transferring it to airtight containers. Stored in the fridge, it keeps well for about 3-4 days. I’ve found that storing the bacon bits separately helps maintain their crispness when reheating.
Freezing
This soup freezes very well. I freeze it in meal-sized portions and thaw overnight in the fridge. Just remember sour cream can sometimes change texture after freezing, so you might want to stir in fresh sour cream after reheating.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or burning. Add a splash of milk or broth if it gets too thick. Avoid high heat—it can cause the soup to separate or become grainy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Absolutely! Simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon or substitute with smoked mushrooms or plant-based bacon alternatives.
Gold potatoes are best for this soup because they hold their shape well while becoming tender and creamy, balancing chunkiness and smoothness beautifully.
Yes! This soup tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze for longer storage.
Use the flour to thicken and start by adding liquids measured carefully. If the soup thickens up too much after simmering, add a little extra broth or milk to thin it out to your preferred consistency.
Final Thoughts
This is one of those recipes I keep coming back to, whether I need something quick and cozy or when friends drop by unexpected. It’s simple but feels special, and that balance of creamy and chunky makes every spoonful comforting. I can’t recommend The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe enough — I know once you try it, it’ll earn a spot in your cooking rotation just like it did in mine.
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