Cheesy Potato Soup

This Cheesy Potato Soup is absolutely delicious and restaurant-worthy.

When it’s cold outside and the wind is howling this is the soup to make – you’ll have to excuse the on-the-go images in this recipe post – I knew I had to get this post up before I forgot how I made it! I’ll have to circle back around to make some better pictures. 🙂

But, I can promise you that this recipe is absolutely correct and 100% amazing – absolutely delicious.

 

Creamy & Cheesy Potato Soup

As of the time writing this post it was a rainy Saturday in December and we’ve just returned from high school basketball games for our son … hungry, cold and desiring a hearty soup I knew that potato soup was the answer. Lucky me, I also had all of the ingredients at the house … day made!

The next time you need an easy potato soup recipe that comes together in less than an hour, try this one! It’s delicious!

If you’d rather use hashbrowns instead of dicing potatoes, check out this crockpot potato soup with hash browns. It’s another one of my favorite dinners!

How long is potato soup good for?

I always keep things for 3-4 days.

If this potato soup lasts that long in the fridge I would be amazed.

What are the best potatoes for soup?

I love the creaminess of using red potatoes for soup. That’s just what I prefer, but you could use any potatoes you have on hand.

How to make potato soup thicker?

If you want to make potato soup thicker, combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch to some heavy whipping cream, once that’s combined slowly pour into the hot soup.

 

A Closer Look at the Ingredients

Potatoes

Three pounds, peeled and diced. Red potatoes are what I reach for because they stay creamy and hold their shape when you mash some and leave some. Yukon golds are the next best.

Russets work but they fall apart and make a thicker, more mashed potato style soup. Cut whatever you use into even three quarter inch pieces so they finish together.

Onion, garlic and butter

Half an onion and four cloves of garlic cooked in a tablespoon of butter until soft. This takes about five minutes and it is the only flavor building step before the simmer.

Chicken broth, thyme and salt

Six cups of broth is the cooking liquid for the potatoes. A half teaspoon of thyme and a quarter teaspoon of salt go in with it. The soup gets most of its salt from the cheese later.

Heavy cream and sour cream

Two cups of heavy cream and a half cup of sour cream go in off the heat. The cream makes it rich and the sour cream gives it a little tang so it does not taste flat.

Cheddar

One cup of shredded cheddar, added a quarter cup at a time. Shred it from a block if you can. Bagged cheese is coated and does not melt as smoothly into soup.

Step by Step, With the Details

Soften the onion and garlic

Melt the butter in a big soup pot over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until the onion is soft and clear. Do not let the garlic brown.

Simmer the potatoes

Add the broth, thyme, salt, and potatoes. Bring it to a simmer and keep it there for thirty to forty minutes, stirring now and then, until a fork slides into a potato with no resistance.

Mash some, not all

Take the pot off the heat and press a potato masher through it a few times. Mashing about a third of the potatoes thickens the soup. The rest stay as chunks.

Dairy off the heat

Stir in the sour cream and the heavy cream while the pot is off the burner. Then add the cheddar a quarter cup at a time, stirring until each addition melts before the next.

Serve it loaded

Ladle it into bowls and let everyone add bacon, green onions, and more cheese. It is ready in under an hour from the first dice.

Why the Cheese Goes In Slowly

Cheese dumped into hot soup all at once clumps into a ball and never fully melts. A quarter cup at a time, stirred until smooth, melts clean every time.

The same goes for heat. Once the cream and cheese are in, do not let the soup boil again. Boiling is what makes a cheese soup grainy.

The Toppings Bar

• Crumbled bacon
• Sliced green onions
• Extra shredded cheddar
• A spoonful of sour cream
• Oyster crackers or crushed saltines
• A few shakes of hot sauce for the grown ups

Turning It Into Dinner

Ham and potato

Two cups of diced ham stirred in with the cream. This is what I do with the last of a holiday ham and it makes the soup a full meal.

Broccoli cheese potato

Two cups of small broccoli florets added for the last ten minutes of the simmer. They stay green and give the soup a vegetable.

Loaded baked potato

Double the bacon, add a half cup of extra sour cream, and top with cheddar and chives. It tastes like a loaded baked potato in a bowl.

Leftovers and Reheating

Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for three to four days. The soup sets up thick when cold, which is normal.

Reheat it on the stove over low heat with a splash of broth or milk, stirring until it loosens. The microwave works at half power with a stir every minute.

I do not freeze this one. Cream and cheese soups separate in the freezer and come back grainy. If you want a potato soup that freezes, leave the dairy out until you reheat.

Questions I Get About This Soup

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

Half and half makes a lighter soup that is still creamy. Whole milk works but it is thin and more likely to separate, so keep the heat low.

Can I make it in the crock pot?

This one is written for the stove and takes under an hour. For a slow cooker version, my crockpot hashbrown potato soup is built for it.

Can I blend it smooth?

A few pulses with an immersion blender before the dairy goes in makes it velvety. Stop before it is fully pureed or it turns gluey.

Why is mine grainy?

It boiled after the cheese went in, or the cheese went in too fast. Keep it off the heat for the dairy and add the cheese slowly.

Is it gluten free?

Yes, as written. There is no flour and no canned soup, so check your broth and you are set.

More Soups From My Kitchen

• Easy Crockpot Potato Soup
• Panera Broccoli Cheddar Soup Copycat
• Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
• Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Soup