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Potato Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.99 from 51 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 servings

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Last updated on February 5, 2024

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.

close up image of potato soup in bowl with spoon stuck in

This post is generously sponsored by Dairy Farmers of Manitoba and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe. Thank you for supporting those that make The Recipe Rebel possible!

Table of Contents

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
cooking vegetables in pot in bacon fat
Saute vegetables in remaining bacon fat
add spices to vegetables and cook in pot
Add dried spices to vegetables and cook
potatoes and broth added to vegetables in soup pot
Stir in broth and potatoes and simmer
thickened milk and cheddar cheese added to potato soup
Stir in thickened milk and cheese before serving
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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.

butter and flour whisked together in measuring cup
Whisk together melted butter and flour
milk added to roux in glass measuring cup
Then whisk in 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.

ladle scooping potato soup from pot

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:

  1. Chop the vegetables and store in the refrigerator for several days — the only one that can’t be cut in advance are the potatoes!
  2. 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.

overhead image of two bowls of potato soup with toppings on the side

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Potato Soup

written by Ashley Fehr

4.99 from 51 votes
This Potato Soup is thick and creamy! Bacon, onions, and cheese give it incredible flavor and a simple roux makes it thick and creamy.
square image of potato soup in bowl with spoon stuck in
Review
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine American, canadian
Course Main Course, Soup
Servings 6 servings
Calories 437cal

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
US Customary – Metric

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

Calories: 437cal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 1019mg | Potassium: 1014mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 4017IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords potato soup

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Roxanne Zitzner says

    I’m soy, dairy and gluten free! My baby is intolerant so I had to learn quick!

    Ok so sub:
    Earth Balance soy free for the butter
    1:1 gluten free flour
    Almond milk
    And I also added a bit of Forager sour cream and corn. It was really good!

    Thank you for this recipe

    Reply

  4. Greg Petrosky says

    My wife and I made this soup and enjoyed it so much that we have made additional batches and shared them with our immediate family. Everyone agrees that this recipe is a keeper!

    Reply

  9. linda says

    very good recipe, with a few additions to make it great for my family’s taste.

    the recipe did not specify what kind of cheese, so i went with medium cheddar to be on the safe side. at the end i added some parmesan to up the sharpness, so next time i think i would be good with sharp cheddar.

    like other commenters i added a bowl of frozen broccoli in lieu of one potato.

    don’t have dill. used everything else listed plus some smoked paprika and chili powder.
    my prep and cooking times were much longer than stated on the recipe, but that is not unusual for me. the soup is pretty forgiving, i think, since i was also making fresh bread and doing laundry at the same time! haha
    this recipe is a keeper. thank you Ashley for sharing it!!!

    Reply

  11. Courtney says

    Just tried it last night! Very good, and I added a seasoned chicken breast in to boil then I shredded it. Question: I see this is 6 servings, what happens to be the serving size?

    Reply

  12. Misty Sharp says

    Delish!!! I just added more vegetables and seasoning due to I used more broth to cover potatoes. A keeper, thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  13. Beth M says

    This soup is delicious! I just ate a small bowl of leftover soup for breakfast! I made it exactly as directed and would not change a thing. I’ll make this soup again and again. I probably will double the recipe next time.

    Reply

  16. Jen says

    Best potato soup recipe ever! Full of flavor and adapted great to lactose free! I made it with lactose free milk and Cabot brand cheddar (naturally lactose free). Since I doubled the batch, I made the milk mixture on the stove and it worked just as well. I’ve been looking for a solid lactose friendly potato soup recipe for quite some time and this is by far my favorite – my whole family loved it!

    Reply

  17. Brooke says

    Delicious soup! Instead of 900 g of potatoes, I did 700 g of potatoes and the rest with cauliflower and broccoli to add some more veggies. I didn’t have dill but the soup was still amazing. Making a roux in the microwave is a game changer!!

    Reply

  18. Susanne Ford says

    Ashley, this soup is amazing! I was a little leary of making a roux in the microwave, but it is definitely a game changer! I like that you don’t have to use heavy cream or half and half to make the soup creamy. Adding the veggies is also a plus. 🙂

    I never write reviews, but your potato soup certainly deserves one!

    Reply

  20. Sandy says

    This looks delicious! My mother used to make potato soup when I was growing up so this brought back great memories. I’ll need to make this for my parents . I’m lactose intolerant and I’ve always wondered about making these milk-based soups with the “fake”milk that’s now available. Do you think those milks would work for this recipe? Thanks

    Reply

      • KarSen says

        just to add to this conversation, i did make this soup with the lactose free milk and it worked GREAT. Very tasty, rich and creamy, will definately make it again. 1 tbls flour for every 1/2 c. milk is rule of thumb i use and i did however go with 2 c. milk with 4 tbls flour just for creaminess. i also didnt micro it first i just whisked the lumps out then slowly added it to the simmering soup, seemed to work just fine and gave me what i wanted, imo ONLY. it works both ways but i didnt want to take any chances with the different kind of milk in the microwave.

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