The Best Creamy Potato Soup: A Guide to Cozy Comfort Recipe
This creamy potato soup recipe offers a cozy, comforting bowl of rich and smooth soup made with russet potatoes, onions, garlic, and a savory roux. Blended to a velvety texture and enriched with milk or cream, it’s perfect for warming up any day. Customizable toppings like cheese, chives, and bacon add flavor and visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 4 large russet potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup whole milk or heavy cream
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Optional: fresh thyme or rosemary sprigs
Toppings
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped chives
- Crumbled bacon bits
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Gather Your Ingredients: Prepare all ingredients by peeling and dicing the potatoes, chopping the onion, and mincing the garlic to have everything ready for cooking.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Create the Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste and thicken the base of the soup.
- Add the Potatoes and Broth: Gradually whisk in the chicken or vegetable broth making sure to scrape any browned bits from the pot. Add diced potatoes, salt, pepper, and optionally fresh thyme or rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Blend for Creaminess: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until the desired consistency is reached—blend partially for a chunkier texture or fully for smooth creaminess.
- Add Milk or Cream: Stir in the milk or heavy cream and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and top with garnishes such as shredded cheese, chives, bacon bits, or a dollop of sour cream to enhance flavor and presentation. Enjoy your comforting potato soup.
Notes
- Russet potatoes are preferred for their starchy creaminess, but Yukon Gold can be used for a buttery flavor.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Use whole milk for a lighter version or heavy cream for extra richness.
- To add herbal flavor, fresh thyme or rosemary can be simmered with the soup and removed before blending.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer soup in batches to a regular blender but be careful with hot liquids.
- Adjust thickness by adding more broth for thinner soup or simmering longer for thicker texture.
