Easy Creamy Potato Soup
- PREP 10min
- COOK 30min
- TOTAL 40min
We love this easy homemade potato soup recipe with potatoes and veggies simmered in a creamy broth. For the best potato soup, use Yukon Gold potatoes. They have thin skins, so it is not necessary to peel them. They also become buttery and soft when cooked.
You Will Need
3 tablespoons butter or olive oil
2 cups chopped onion (1 medium)
1 cup chopped carrot (2 medium)
1 cup chopped celery (2 to 3 stalks)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups stock or broth, see our chicken stock or vegetable broth
4 cups chopped potatoes, cubed (1 ½ pounds or 3 to 4 medium)
1 bay leaf
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup cream, half and half, sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup (2 ounces) shredded cheese like sharp cheddar or gruyere, optional
For serving (optional): Chopped parsley, chives or scallions, extra shredded cheese, sour cream, crumbled cooked bacon, hot sauce
Directions
Melt the butter over medium heat in a large, heavy-bottomed pot (like a Dutch oven). When the butter is melted, stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften; 5 to 6 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and then cook, stirring everything around the pot, for 30 seconds.
Scatter the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, until it looks medium blonde in color; about 1 minute. It will smell toasty, like browned butter.
Slowly whisk in 2 cups of the stock, ensuring no lumps of flour remain. It will be thick.
Pour in the remaining stock and whisk until blended. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
Add the potatoes and bay leaf, then cook, partially covered, until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes.
Turn the heat down to low, remove the bay leaf, and stir in the cream and cheese.
Taste for seasoning, then adjust with more salt and pepper as needed. Serve with fresh herbs on top. For a thick and blended soup, use a potato masher to mash or an immersion blender to blend about half of the potatoes (Joanne’s favorite way to serve the soup).
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Make it gluten-free: Do not use the flour and instead whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into the cream (or use milk) and add it to the soup (the cornstarch acts as a thickener). Or leave out flour and the cornstarch and blend about half of the soup to thicken it.
- Vegan potato soup: Use plant-based butter or olive oil, veggie broth, and skip the cream at the end.
- Nutrition facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.