Description
This Best Homemade Potato Soup recipe is a creamy, comforting dish perfect for cozy meals. Made with tender diced Russet potatoes, sautéed vegetables, crispy bacon, and a smooth blend of broth, milk, and cream, this soup satisfies with its rich flavor and hearty texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 6 medium Russet potatoes, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 3 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)
Dairy
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated cheese (cheddar works well)
Other Ingredients
- 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1 tsp minced parsley
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: In a large pot, cook the bacon slices over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set it aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot for flavor.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots to the pot with the bacon fat. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and fragrant, approximately 5-7 minutes.
- Add Potatoes and Broth: Stir in the diced Russet potatoes, season with salt and pepper, then pour in the 8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil.
- Thicken the Soup: While the soup is boiling, whisk together the flour (or cornstarch) with the milk until smooth. Slowly add this mixture to the boiling soup, whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Simmer and Blend: Reduce heat and simmer the soup for 5 minutes. Then remove about one-third of the soup and blend it until smooth to create a creamy texture without losing the chunky potatoes.
- Combine and Add Bacon: Return the blended soup to the pot and stir well. Fold in the crumbled crispy bacon.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the heavy cream, then garnish with minced parsley, additional bacon pieces, and grated cheddar cheese before serving warm.
Notes
- You can substitute the flour with cornstarch for a gluten-free option.
- Use vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian but omit bacon or replace it with a vegetarian alternative.
- For a richer soup, increase the heavy cream to ¾ cup.
- Leftover soup stores well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop to avoid curdling the dairy.
