Potato cheddar soup. It’s time to snuggle up with a big bowl of cheesy potato soup! Full of flavor, super creamy, loaded with bacon and jazzed up with cauliflower for extra veggies. Fantastic for a chilly winter’s night.
Looking for more creamy soup recipes? Try ‘Tuscan Tortellini Soup‘, ‘Creamy Chicken Orzo Soup‘ or ‘Creamy Bean Soup with Sausage‘.
Why you’ll love this potato soup recipe
- Delightfully Creamy and Comforting: Imagine a soup that’s as comforting as a warm hug. This potato soup is just that! It’s creamy, cheesy and oh-so-delicious. With a rich blend of cheddar and cream cheese, it’s a soul-warming delight. Plus, you can swap cheeses like Gruyère or Gouda for your own twist!
- Packed with Veggies: Sneak in extra veggies effortlessly! Besides the main stars—potatoes, onion, and garlic—I added carrot, leek, and cauliflower. Feel free to toss in celery or broccoli for extra goodness.
- Quick and Easy: This soup is a superhero! Once your ingredients are prepped, it comes together in a flash, perfect for those busy days.
- Make It Your Own: Top with chives, crispy bacon or whatever your heart desires! Love more cheese? Load it up! Prefer green onions? Go ahead! Your version will be delicious. And if bacon isn’t your thing, try chorizo or croutons!
- Bonus: You can freeze this soup for later! Perfect for planning ahead.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this easy to follow step-by-step VIDEO.
Potato soup ingredients
- Potatoes: Use starchy potatoes like russet or fingerling. All-purpose potatoes like Yukon Gold can also be used.
- Vegetables: A combination of carrot, leek and cauliflower were used to add depth and flavor to the soup. You can also add a celery stalk or use broccoli instead of cauliflower for a different twist.
- Onion and Garlic: Essentials to enhance the flavor.
- Seasoning: A simple blend of salt and black pepper.
- Chicken Broth: Make sure to use a very flavorful chicken broth as a lot of this soup’s flavor will come from the broth. You can also use vegetable broth.
- Milk: To add more creaminess to the soup without making it too heavy.
- Flour: used to thicken the soup, use cornstarch for a gluten-free version.
- Cream Cheese: For an even more creamy texture.
- Cheddar: Shredded cheddar cheese stirred into the soup adds a nice texture and a delicious flavor. We finish the soup with a final pop with extra shredded cheddar cheese. Make sure to use freshly grated cheddar.
Toppings
- Bacon: We use thick cut bacon chopped into lardons. But you can also use turkey bacon, chorizo, pancetta or crispy cooked breakfast bacon.
- Chives: They add so much flavor to the finished soup. Use scallions or parsley for a different twist.
- Sour cream.
- Freshly ground black pepper.
- Chili flakes.
Helpful tips
- Cut Potatoes Evenly: Make sure to chop your potatoes into similar sizes. This helps them to cook evenly and become tender enough for a smooth blend later.
- Customize Texture: Want a chunkier soup? Blend only half of it! This way, you’ll get a creamy base while keeping some potato and veggie chunks for that hearty feel.
- For a vegetarian version: Leave out the bacon and swap chicken broth for vegetarian broth.
What to serve with potato cheddar soup?
- Crusty bread.
- Breadsticks.
- Garlic bread.
What thickens up potato soup?
- Potato Starch: Potatoes naturally thicken the soup due to their starch content.
- Flour Addition: Adding flour also contributes to the soup’s thickness and body.
- Cream Cheese and Cheddar: These ingredients play a crucial role in making the soup luxuriously creamy and thick. Their richness adds an extra layer of thickness to the soup.
How to store potato soup
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months in airtight containers. This soup does freeze and reheat well. Be mindful that frozen, thawed creamy soup may change, a dairy-based potato soup may experience some separation, but thorough stirring during reheating can help restore the consistency.
Cooking video: How to make potato cheddar soup
Potato Cheddar Soup
It's the best potato soup ever! Full of flavor, super creamy, loaded with bacon and jazzed up with cauliflower for extra veggies. Fantastic for a chilly winter’s night.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion - roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves - chopped
- 1 large carrot - peeled and chopped
- 1 leek - sliced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 pounds starchy potatoes
- 1 small cauliflower - roughly chopped
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup whole milk
- 7 ounces cream cheese - at room temperature
- 4 ounces grated cheddar - more for serving
Toppings
- 7 ounces thick-cut bacon
- chives
- sour cream
- freshly ground black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- Get your prep done before you start cooking: Grate the cheddar cheese. Roughly chop the cauliflower, onion and garlic. Slice the leek. Peel and chop the carrot. Peel and cut the potatoes into even pieces. Chop the chives. Cut the bacon into lardons.
- Heat oil over medium in a large pot. Add garlic, onion, carrot and leek. Cook for 3 minutes. Add flour and stir until incorporated. Add potatoes and cauliflower, next pour in the chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium high and add bacon. Cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate layered with paper towel.
- When the soup is ready, turn off the heat and add milk. using an immersion blender, purée the soup. Add cream cheese and purée until smooth.
- Finally, add cheddar and stir until fully melted. Taste and adjust salt.
- Serve topped with bacon, chives, extra cheddar, freshly ground black pepper and chili flakes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 536kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 17gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1588mgPotassium: 919mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 967IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 264mgIron: 2mg
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