Potato Soup Recipe
Add Preferred SourcePotato Soup is what I make on a cold night when I want something warm and filling on the table without spending much or making many decisions. This version starts with baked potatoes instead of boiled ones, which gives it a deeper, earthier flavor and lets you use up potatoes you’ve already got in the oven.
A few strips of bacon and a spoonful of sour cream do most of the work, so a cheap bag of potatoes turns into dinner for four. The one thing I’ve learned to watch: blend it with a light hand, because potatoes turn gluey the longer you work them.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A cheap bag of potatoes and four to six strips of bacon feed four people, so the meat flavors the whole pot instead of being the main cost.
- Baking the potatoes first, rather than boiling them, gives the soup a fuller, earthier flavor and keeps extra water out of the pot.
- The blended potatoes make it hearty enough to be dinner on its own, especially with bread on the side.
- You blend it right in the pot with an immersion blender, so there’s one less thing to wash.
- Leftovers keep for a few days and reheat into a second easy lunch.
- It’s an easy way to use up baked potatoes you’ve already cooked.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The full ingredient list and quantities are in the recipe card. These are the ones worth a word before you shop.
- Potatoes. The recipe calls for six to eight potatoes, baked and cooled before they go in. Starchy baking potatoes like russets blend the creamiest, while Yukon Golds hold their shape a little more and give you a lighter result. Either works, so use whatever’s cheapest that week.
- Bacon. Four to six strips is plenty. It’s here for flavor and a crisp topping, not bulk, which is how a small amount of meat stretches across the whole pot.
- Butter and onion. Three tablespoons of butter softens one diced onion over low heat. If you cook the bacon first, you can soften the onion in a spoonful of the reserved bacon grease instead, for a deeper, savory base.
- Vegetable stock. Six cups keeps the base itself meat-free apart from the bacon, and it’s usually cheaper than a specialty broth. Chicken stock works if that’s what’s open.
- Sour cream. A quarter cup stirred in, plus a dollop on top, gives the soup its tang and a little richness without reaching for cream.
How to Make Potato Soup
Scroll down for the full recipe card containing a full printable recipe and measurements in both US customary and metric units.
Bake the potatoes
Heat the oven to 350°F. Prick each potato with a fork, wrap in foil, and bake on the center rack for about an hour, until tender. Let them cool completely before you handle them. This is the slow part, so bake them ahead if you can.
Place the potatoes on a rack in the center of the oven and bake for about 1 hour. Once done, let them cool completely so they’re easier to handle later.
Crisp the bacon
While the potatoes bake, lay the bacon flat in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes, turning now and then, until golden and crisp. Drain it on paper towels, then chop it into big pieces. Keep the grease if you want to use it for the onion.
Soften the onion
Melt the butter, or a spoonful of that bacon grease, in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until it’s soft and translucent but not browned. Low and slow keeps it sweet rather than sharp.
Simmer with the stock
Cut the cooled potatoes into halves or quarters and add them to the pot. Pour in the six cups of vegetable stock, bring it to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Blend with a light hand
Blend the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender, and stop as soon as it’s smooth. Working potatoes too long releases their starch and turns the soup gluey, so a short blend beats a thorough one. With a regular blender, let it cool a little and work in batches.
Season and serve
Taste, then season with salt and pepper at the end, after blending, when you can judge it properly. Ladle into bowls and top each with sour cream, the crisp bacon, and a little parsley or chives.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Season after blending, not before. Blending concentrates the soup, so salt added early can end up too strong.
- Cool the baked potatoes fully before they go in. Warm potatoes are stickier and turn gluey faster.
- Cook the bacon in a single layer with room around each strip. Crowded bacon steams instead of crisping.
- If it’s thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash more stock or water until it pours the way you want.
Recipe Variations
- For a loaded baked potato soup, stir shredded cheddar into the hot soup and finish each bowl with extra cheese, bacon, and green onion. This works because the bacon and sour cream are already doing that job, and it doesn’t change the cooking.
- Swap the butter for the reserved bacon grease when you soften the onion, which builds a deeper, smoky base. The recipe card suggests this too, so it’s a tested change.
- Use leftover baked potatoes straight from a previous dinner instead of baking a fresh batch. It works because plain leftover baked potatoes are exactly what you’d otherwise bake fresh, and it turns a side you already cooked into a second meal.
How to Store Leftovers
Cool the soup and get it into the fridge quickly rather than leaving it on the counter. Refrigerate leftover soup within two hours of cooking and use it within three to four days. Drop that to one hour if your kitchen is above 90°F. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot, 165°F if you’re checking, and stir in a splash of stock if it has thickened.
To get ahead, bake and refrigerate the potatoes a day or two before, then build the soup fresh when you want it. It does freeze, but the potato and sour cream turn a little grainy once thawed, so the fridge is the better bet.
What to Serve With Potato Soup
Potato soup wants something crisp or handheld beside it. A hunk of crusty bread or a grilled cheese is the classic move for dipping, and a sharp green salad cuts the richness if the soup is the whole meal. For something more filling, a BBQ Chicken Quesadilla comes together in under 30 minutes and gives you something to dip into the bowl.
FAQs
Yes. Cool the soup slightly and blend it in batches in a regular blender, holding the lid down with a towel. For a chunkier soup, skip the blender entirely and mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a fork or a potato masher.
Starchy bakers like russets break down and blend the creamiest, while waxier Yukon Golds hold their shape for a slightly chunkier, lighter bowl. Use whichever is cheaper, and lean toward Yukon Golds if you want to keep some texture.
More Cheap, Filling Soups to Keep in Your Rotation
If this one earns a spot on your cold-weather list, these are worth a look too:
- Corn Chowder: another creamy, potato-based bowl built from everyday ingredients, done in about 50 minutes.
- Chicken Tortilla Soup: a one-pot soup you finish with whatever toppings you’ve got, so every bowl comes out a little different.
- Chicken Noodle Soup: the plain, restorative one for sick days and cold nights, with chicken, vegetables, and egg noodles.
- Classic Beef Stew: heartier than soup, with browned beef, Yukon Golds, and carrots
Ingredients
- 6-8 potatoes
- 4-6 bacon strips
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley or your favorite herbs
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180°C). Wash and dry the potatoes. Prick each one with a fork a few times to let steam escape during baking. Wrap them in foil and place them on the center oven rack. Bake for about 1 hour or until tender. Once cooked, let the potatoes cool completely so they’re easier to handle.6-8 potatoes
- While the potatoes are baking, cook the bacon. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, lay the bacon strips flat, and let them cook for about 10 minutes, flipping occasionally, until they’re golden and crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the grease. Once cooled, chop it into large pieces.4-6 bacon strips
- While the bacon rests, peel and finely dice the onion. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s soft and translucent without browning.3 tablespoons butter, 1 onion
- Once the potatoes have cooled, cut them into halves or quarters and add them to the saucepan. Pour in the vegetable stock and stir well. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes to combine the flavors.6 cups vegetable stock
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth and creamy. (If using a regular blender, allow the soup to cool slightly before blending in batches to avoid splatters.) Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.Salt and pepper
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream, crispy bacon pieces, and a sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley or chives. Enjoy!¼ cup sour cream, 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
Notes
- Bake and cool the potatoes completely before blending; warm potatoes turn gluey faster.
- Cook the bacon in a single layer so it crisps instead of steaming.
- Soften the onion in reserved bacon grease instead of butter for a deeper base.
- Season only after blending, since blending concentrates the salt.
- Blend just until smooth; over-blending releases starch and turns the soup gummy.
- Thin with a little stock or water if it sets up too thick.
- Refrigerate leftover soup within two hours of cooking and use it within three to four days.
