This Potato Soup is thick and creamy! Bacon, onions, and cheese give it an incredible flavour and a simple roux makes it thick and creamy.
See the step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.
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Potato Soup is my all time favourite soup, and I’m not sure why it took me so long to share this classic stove top version here!
While this Crockpot Potato Soup and this Instant Pot Potato Soup have been long time favourites, I realized that I’d never shared a basic recipe, and this one is ready in just 45 minutes!
It is made with 100% Canadian dairy — milk and cheese! — which gives it that creamy texture. To find out if products are made with 100% Canadian milk, simply look for the Blue Cow logo!
As with all soup recipes, there is a bit of chopping required (bacon, onions, vegetables, potatoes, etc.), so it does take a little time to prep, but I’ve included lots of tips and tricks below to help you prep ahead and make ahead.
Potato Soup Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Bacon: the bacon adds a ton of flavour to the soup as it is cooked first, and the fat cooks the onions and other vegetables. All of that flavour stays in the soup! If you want to make this soup vegetarian, you can skip the bacon and use a couple tablespoons of oil to cook the vegetables.
- Onions: any onions will do, although I generally use white or yellow.
- Carrots and celery: carrots and celery build a deeper flavor base for the soup, so I like to keep them in there! This is definitely not a vegetable soup and is still perfectly creamy and heavy on the potato 😉
- Potatoes: I prefer to use gold or russet potatoes for this recipe, but really any potato will do (and you don’t even have to peel them!)
- Seasonings: you can taste and adjust the herbs and seasonings to your tastes, but I always recommend making the recipe as is and tasting before experimenting
- Chicken broth: low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth is called for in this recipe. Although it could be swapped for water, you will lose a lot of the flavor!
- 100% Canadian Milk: You can use whole milk for a creamier texture if you prefer
Why use a roux to thicken Potato Soup?
Making a roux is an extra step and an extra bowl, but it is the easiest way to get a thick and creamy soup without having your milk thicken and scorch on the bottom of the pot.
If you prefer, you can remove half of the soup and purée for a smoother potato soup.
To make this roux in the microwave (it’s easy, I promise!), simply melt the butter in a medium to large sized bowl or glass measuring cup. Then whisk in the flour, and then the milk.
Microwave on high in short intervals, about 30 to 60 seconds, whisking each time until thick and creamy.
Don’t step away from the microwave as you need to watch it to ensure it does not bubble over!
Can I make it in the crockpot?
Absolutely!
This recipe is based on my Crockpot Potato Soup recipe which is a reader favorite here on The Recipe Rebel.
Can I make it in the Instant Pot?
Yes again!
I have an easy Instant Pot Potato Soup recipe here that will guide you through the process.
How to make Potato Soup ahead:
Soup is a great option for prepping ahead or cooking and reheating later. Here are a few ways to make dinner time easier!
Prep ahead:
Taking out some of the prep work is a great way to save yourself some dinnertime stress. You can:
- Chop the vegetables and store in the refrigerator for several days — the only one that can’t be cut in advance are the potatoes!
- Cook the bacon, remove it from the pot and sauté the vegetables. Then add all your seasonings and liquids and refrigerate. This way, you can pull out your soup pot the next day and simmer on the stove until everything is tender.
Make it ahead and reheat:
This soup might be even better the next day!
You can make the soup entirely, then cool slightly, cover and refrigerate up to 4 days (provided all your ingredients were fresh), and simply reheat gently on medium low heat before serving.
More soup recipes you’ll love!
Potato Soup
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon (chopped)
- 2 carrots (chopped)
- ½ medium onion (diced)
- 2 ribs celery (chopped)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried dill
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 pounds russet or gold potatoes (peeled and chopped) 900 grams
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- shredded cheese and green onions for topping as desired
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon pieces on medium high heat until crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Remove bacon using a slotted spoon and drain in a bowl lined with paper towel, leaving bacon fat in pot.
- To the pot, add carrots, onion and celery, cooking on medium heat until onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add salt, garlic, parsley, dill, thyme and pepper and cook 1 minute.
- Add chicken broth and potatoes to the pot, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits from the bottom.
- Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, then reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Thicken the milk:
- Meanwhile, place melted butter in a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup (leave yourself some room at the top as the mixture will bubble up and thicken considerably). Whisk in flour.
- Whisk in milk, using a scraper to get the flour from the sides of the cup as necessary.
- Microwave in 45-60 second intervals (Start with 60, then reduce as the milk gets thicker and closer to being done), whisking well each time, until milk has thickened considerably. Stand at the microwave and keep an eye on it as the mixture will bubble up.
Finish the soup:
- When the potatoes are cooked, stir in the thickened milk and cheddar cheese. Top with the cooked bacon, additional shredded cheese and green onions as desired.
Nutrition Information
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Ashlyn says
The potatoes did not get soft enough after 4 hours on high and the taste was kind of bland. We added extra spices at it helped a little. I would try to again!
Pinky says
Excellent! Made recipe as is. Soup was delicious! Can’t wait for lunch leftovers tomorrow!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you!
corina says
It was excellent. I made it without carrots or celery because I didn’t have any. I skipped the dill because I’m not a fan. I used pre-cooked bacon and I used sharp white cheddar. In lieue of becon drippings, I had some frozen roast turkey fat. I was unsure how much to keep microwaving the roux. I did 60 seconds then 45 seconds and it seemed pretty thick. I was focussed on thickening not cooking the flour. At first my soup tasted a bit floury, but i left it on the stove a bit longer and it was fine. Next time, I will nuke a few more times to make sure the flour is cooked out. I think this part could easily be done on the stove.
Erin S says
So delicious!! My whole family loved this soup. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing