This homemade, creamy, cozy, comfort food will warm you up on the chilliest, dreariest day. It's one of my favorite soup recipes.
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Ultimate comfort food, just like grandma made
- Inexpensive and budget friendly
- Quick and easy
Old fashioned potato soup is so simple that you can have it on the table in less than 30 minutes! Be sure to read the tips for cutting the fat without losing flavor.
🧾 Ingredients
It's amazing how a few simple ingredients can come together to make something so delicious, isn't it?
📚 Variations
There aren't a lot of fancy ingredients in this old fashioned recipe - it's a plain potato soup. Don't let that fool you into thinking that this isn't a dish full of flavor.
It's simple comfort food; a foundational recipe that you can use as is or build on.
- diced ham
- crumbled cooked bacon - sprinkle on top
- chipotle - stir in chipotle powder or mashed chipotle just before serving.
- celery - saute and add to the soup with the onions
- cheese -either stir it in to the soup just before serving or serve it with cheese on top
- sour cream - stir into the soup just before serving or put a dollop on top of the soup when serving
- cream cheese - warm it in the microwave until it's soft and then stir into the soup until well blended
- cooked ground beef
- cumin - mix into the broth
- clams
- jalapenos - saute with the onions
- garlic - saute as above
- cooked chicken
- leftover cooked vegetables - stir in just before serving
- chives - sprinkle on the soup just before serving
- butter - I like to serve it with a pat of butter melting on top
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below.
- Clean, peel, and dice potatoes. Cook, drain, and add back to the pot.
- Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Add the cooked onion, butter, milk, seasonings, and cream to the potatoes. Remove some of the soup, blend, and stir back into the soup.
- Serve this creamy potato soup in shallow bowls with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of parsley or green onions on top.
🥫 Storage
Homemade potato soup does not freeze well. The potatoes get a weird texture and the creamy broth gets grainy and watery.
It's easy to make and will last a good 4 days in your refrigerator if it's tightly covered with plastic wrap or placed in an airtight container and kept cold.
🎥 Video
Click on the image to watch me make this recipe from start to finish with extra tips! (Video opens in a new tab).
💭 Tips
Expert Tip: Never boil creamy soups. Bring just to a simmer and heat slowly or you run the risk of the milk curdling.
- Any type of potato (including Idaho russet) is fine for this recipe; however I like to use thin skinned potatoes like red potatoes or Yukon Gold so I don't have to peel them!
- Any kind of milk (dairy or non-dairy) will work. Using evaporated milk is an old fashioned technique that make it extra creamy!
- You can omit the cream and use all milk if you like.
- Try to keep the diced potatoes the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Make this easy soup recipe even faster by using canned, diced potatoes and frozen onions.
Don't forget the crackers! They're definitely a must with soup and you'll love this homemade saltine crackers recipe.
🥗 How to lower the fat
I prefer a homemade potato soup with heavy cream but there are several ways to lower the fat in this recipe if you'd like to.
Try them all and see which one you like best.
- Use all whole milk instead of milk and cream
- Use half and half instead of heavy cream
- Adjust the amount of butter to your liking
- Use 2% or fat free milk, and double the potatoes. Blend about half the cooked potatoes up in a blender with some of the hot milk. Pour it back into the pot. The blended potatoes will thicken the soup and make it creamy without the fat. You may even need to thin it out with a little more milk
- Use chicken stock for part of the liquid
🥔 What are the best potatoes to use
| Type | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Russet | Starchy. Helps thicken the soup. | You have to peel them |
| Red | No peeling. | Red flecks from the peel in white soup. Not as starchy as russets. |
| Yukon Gold | Creamy texture. No peeling. These are my favorite for potato soup. | Not as starchy as russets. |
| Purple Potatoes | Pretty, unique. Look best cubed in soup. High in antioxidants. Fun. | They can put people off because they're unusual. |
| Round White Potatoes | Creamy texture. Soup stays very white. Hold shape after cooking. No peeling. | Very low starch. |
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this easy potato soup recipe.
You can add a cup or so of the soup to a blender and blend it smooth then add it back to the soup. That will thicken it up and you won't lose any creaminess or flavor. An immersion blender makes it super easy. You can also use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot.
You sure can! Use about a teaspoon and a half of instant potato flakes and add it to the soup, stirring it in well. Wait a minute or two and repeat the process until you have the consistency you desire.
You can substitute milk for all or part of the cream, adjust the amount of butter (or leave it out), and cut back on the salt, depending on your tastes and dietary needs. Blending some of the cooked potatoes with the milk helps to thicken it and make it creamy without flour or extra fat.
What’s new? Check out my Restless Chipotle & Co. Store on Amazon where you'll find all kinds of nostalgic goodness! Thanks so much for being a part of Restless Chipotle!
Related recipes
If you're looking for a cheesy potato soup you've GOT to check out this recipe from my friend Deb, at Bowl Me Over!!
More hearty soup recipes!
🍽️ Serve with...
I love serving this simple meal with homemade cloverleaf rolls and some oatmeal cookies for dessert.
📞 The last word
When I was growing up there were a couple of dinners that would make me get home fast. Cabbage rolls and this creamy potato soup recipe!
My mom made the best potato soup ever - and this is the recipe I grew up on. Whenever something is going on in my life that's difficult this is what I I want.
Especially with a layer of crispy bacon on top!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it a 5 star rating. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Old Fashioned Potato Soup Recipe
Print Pin Recipe SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 1 pound potatoes, washed - peeled if desired or if you're using russets.
- 1 cup onion, diced
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 cups evaporated milk, or whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream, (whipping) cream or half and half
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder, optional
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons green onions, or parsley - finely chopped
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Instructions
- Dice the potatoes to desired size.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the diced potatoes.
- Simmer until tender.
- Meanwhile, slowly cook the onion in 1 tablespoon of the butter.
- Drain the potatoes and add them back to the pot.
- Add the cooked onion, butter, milk, and cream.
- Taste and add salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder to taste.
- Serve in shallow bowls with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of parsley on top.
Notes
- Never boil creamy soups. Bring just to a simmer and heat slowly or you run the risk of the milk curdling.
- If you use Yukon gold or other thin skinned potato you won't have to peel them but Russets are fine.
- Try to keep the diced potatoes the same size so that they will cook evenly.
- Make this even faster by using canned, diced potatoes and frozen onions.
- Just before serving add a splash of cream even if you are doing a low fat version. It makes the soup richer and more flavorful.
- Use all whole milk instead of milk and cream
- Use half and half instead of heavy cream
- Adjust the amount of butter to your liking
- Use 2% or fat free milk, and double the potatoes. Blend about half the potatoes up in a blender with some of the hot milk. Pour it back into the pot. The blended potatoes will thicken the soup and make it creamy without the fat. You may even need to thin it out with a little more milk
- Use chicken stock for part of the liquid
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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We'll never share your email or send you spam. Pinkie swear.Originally Published: March 9, 2011 Last Updated: June 22, 2023 to add helpful information and to make editorial improvements.
Holly
This potato soup recipe reminds me of the kind my mom made growing up. YUM...the ultimate comfort food.
Brandi
This potato soup recipe is just like my mom used to make for us on Halloween, so we'd be warm and toasty when we went out trick or treating! Pro Tip: Make sure you use evaporated milk and not sweetened condensed milk...I made that mistake one year and we ended up at McDonald's instead. 😉
Camden Rusincovitch
Homemade potato soup is going to be in my meal rotation here soon, especially with fall around the corner. Do you have any recommendations for vegetables I could serve on the side with this?
daisywulf
A green salad would work great. Nothing better than soup and salad. Alternately, you could use some winter root veggies in place of some of the potatoes, making sure they go into the blender for the pureed part of the soup. Lastly, any veg that goes with a baked potato would work, like broccoli.
sharon
As soon as the weather cools down here in CA I'm going to make this potato soup recipe! I've been craving it like crazy and this recipe looks absolutely delicious!
Kristen Yard
I have a lot of tummy troubles, and homemade potato soup is one of my go-to's because it's so gentle (I just have to lay off the toppings when I'm really feeling badly, but this recipe is creamy and flavorful enough even without all that!). Do you think making a non-dairy version would still taste good? I have always wanted to try but I worry it won't turn out well, haha!
Marye
I think it will be fine non-dairy but I would add and extra half cup or so of potatoes and blend them with the oat milk (or whatever) in the blender then use that to thicken the soup. It will be creamier that way. Don't blend all the potatoes... just enough to make it creamy. I hope that makes sense.
Cynthia
Homemade potato soup with all the toppings is a favorite for our family. I always think I am making enough to have lunch the next day. But it never seems to make it back to the fridge.
Marye
Here, too! Best. Stuff. Ever!
Brittany
We are constantly making homemade potato soup in the colder months. It's incredibly delicious and filling!
Cynthia Rusincovitch
This homemade potato soup is the BEST! The toppings are always the best part. Bring on the bacon, cheddar and green onions!
Ginny C
I prefer my potato soup less creamy with more solid potatoes. Any advice? Love your site!!!
Marye
Sure. Use chicken stock for at least half the broth and don't cook the potatoes as long.
Ed Fisher
In your equipment needed you say blender, immersion blender but in your instructions you never use them.
daisywulf
She specifically says to blend some of the potatoes. One would use a blender (or immersion blender) for this. Read the instructions again.
Susan
This is a great soup. Brings back memories of my mom's potato soup when I was a teenager back in the early 60's. I have been making this soup for decades now (the ultimate comfort food) and so inexpensive as I always have the ingredients on hand. It is so versatile that you can use it as a base for other soups, like adding clams, bacon or salt pork, old bay seasoning, etc. and you have New England Clam Chowder, or can turn it very easily into broccoli and cheddar soup. Endless possibilities.
Erin
Very good! I doubled the potatoes because I was using 1% milk instead of whole milk. I still used the recommended amount of cream though. It was good potato to soup ratio. Next time I will use 2 lbs of potatoes and the full fat milk!
John
What a fulfilling soup recipe. I like a simple recipe without all the unnecessary nonsense. Very simple to follow. I liked the video as well.
Stephanie Bradford
The recipe is good, but your ads are distracting and irritating.
Marye
Stephanie, not being able to make my house payment and moving my kids to a homeless shelter is even more distracting and irritating.
Tamara
Also it didn’t say how long to sauté the onion with 1 tablespoon of butter so I just sauté until it was tender
daisywulf
How long it takes depends on the pan you use, and how finely (or not) you chop/dice your potatoes. Tender means softened, slightly translucent, not browned at all.
Monica
Sounds tasty, easy to make I'll definitely try your recipe and see how it works, thanks for sharing Marye!
MARYE AUDET-WHITE
You're welcome. Let me know what you think
Teddy
Wondering if this soup can be frozen or not.
Marye Audet
No, it will separate.
Tamara
I made it for the time tonight because I want to use up some potatoes and found this recipe. Anyways it was pretty easy to follow and tasty. I was bit confused because it say when to use the blender or immersion blender or how long to simmer the soup until I watch the video. I like this recipe I think it a keeper. I think I’ll make it again.
john
Back to the basics of life=no refined food=natures best and at 75 still love the soup
Marye Audet
🙂 It's definitely yummy!
Mary Jane Voorhees
I'm looking forward to making this simple reciepe, however, you didn't mention the serving size. I need to make for at least 25 people.
Marye Audet
This makes about 6 cups. I'd probably quadruple this recipe? It depends a lot on serving sizes - we eat HUGE bowls of it.
Barbara | Creative Culinary
This is a bit freaky. My Grandma's potato soup is on the stove...chilly here and with the forecast of more snow it had to be done. SO similar but mine has some bacon and sauteed garlic but otherwise? Our Grandmas were pals? 🙂
Marye is so right though...so good, so comforting and I'll even eat it in the summer if I am yearning for some comfort food.