14 Comforting Potato Soup Recipes - Tasting Table (2024)

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ByJulia Duda/Jan. 28, 2024 10:15 am EST

Of all the ingredients you can transform into a soup, potatoes are one of the best options for several reasons. First, potato soup is one of the most comforting varieties out there, warming you up on even the chilliest of days. Potatoes are also incredibly versatile — you can dice them up and boil them until soft or blend them up into a smooth and silky puree. Finally, potatoes provide a nice, earthy flavor that isn't incredibly overbearing on its own, so you can pair potatoes alongside nearly any type of vegetable in soup and create a winning dish.

There's no limit to the types of potatoes that you could incorporate into a soup, so whether you have russets, Yukon golds, or even sweet potatoes on hand, they'll all make for worthy additions. In case your dinner repertoire is in need of some extra comfort, our potato soup recipes are sure to make you feel warm and cozy while also helping you to put those potatoes to use with ease. Whether you like chunky, hearty soups or smooth, thick, and creamy ones, there's a potato-based broth out there for everyone — so grab those spuds and get to simmering.

Alexandra Shytsman/Tasting Table

Potatoes and leeks go together like peanut butter and jelly — well, they do in soup form at least. Indeed, there are fewer soups more classic than potato leek, and this recipe walks through the steps of making a foolproof batch that also happens to be completely vegan. Aside from the potatoes and leeks, garlic and thyme help boost the flavor profile of this simple soup, resulting in a brothy bowl that pairs well with crusty bread.

Despite not including any cream or milk, this soup still has a smooth and creamy consistency thanks to the use of an immersion blender to break down the potatoes into the vegetable broth, resulting in a more puree-like texture. If you don't need this soup to be strictly vegan, you could easily drizzle in some heavy cream or half-and-half to up the creamy factor. Otherwise, a final swirl of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper serve as perfect garnishes for this simple but classic potato-based soup.

Recipe: Classic Potato Leek Soup

Miriam Hahn/Tasting Table

Picture all of the goodness of loaded baked potatoes — tender russets, a buttery flavor, and a final garnish of chives — but in soup form, and you've got this vegan loaded baked potato soup recipe. Thanks to some clever ingredient swaps and inclusions, this recipe manages to incorporate plenty of savory and creamy goodness, but with absolutely no meat or animal products whatsoever.

The first unique ingredient in this soup is cashews — you'll soak them in boiling water and then combine them with plant-based milk to create an ultra-creamy "milk" to include in the soup. No bowl of loaded baked potato soup is complete without bacon, so this recipe uses coconut flakes, maple syrup, soy sauce, and liquid smoke to mimic the taste and texture. Topped off with vegan sour cream, plenty of coconut bacon flakes, chives, and a sprinkle of black pepper, this plant-based soup is a masterclass in creamy goodness, and your family might not even notice that it's vegan.

Recipe:Vegan Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Eric Ngo/Tasting Table

Cauliflower, when pureed, creates a creamy texture that mimics that of pureed potatoes; naturally, the two vegetables come together to create a delightfully luxe soup, as proven by this cauliflower potato soup recipe. Despite packing in plenty of savory and earthy flavors, this soup requires a mere seven ingredients, which makes it a good go-to for pantry clean-outs or when you don't have many ingredients stocked in your fridge.

Along with the minimal ingredient list, this soup is also extremely easy to throw together, so even soup beginners can make this recipe without a hitch. You'll start by roasting the cauliflower, potatoes, and onions for a half hour, then you'll simmer them in chicken stock before blending the whole thing with an immersion blender to achieve that perfectly creamy consistency.

When it comes time to serve the soup, there's room to dress it up or dress it down, depending on personal preference and what you have on hand. You can simply enjoy a bowlful of the soup on its own, or you can top it off with a drizzle of heavy cream, chives, crispy onions, or bacon bits — anything that ups the savory factor is a winning garnish for this soup.

Recipe: Cauliflower Potato Soup

Michelle McGlinn/Tasting Table

Soup, though delicious and worth the time investment, often isn't the quickest dish you could whip up. Some soup recipes might require upwards of several hours of simmering time, which isn't the most practical thing when you need dinner on the table within an hour or so. Luckily, this cream of potato recipe cuts out any excess cooking time thanks to its use of the Instant Pot, meaning that you can have dinner ready to go in about a half hour — perfect for busy weeknights.

You'll start by sauteing the leek whites, garlic, and celery in the Instant Pot, then you'll build the rest of the soup. Once all of the ingredients are loaded into the pot, including the potatoes, leek greens, vegetable stock, herbs, and spices, the quick pressure-cook setting will have everything ready to go at lightning speed. Once you remove the lid, you can use a potato masher to break the soup down, or you can transfer it to a stand blender or use an immersion blender. A final garnish of chopped scallions and red pepper flakes round out this simple but delicious staple soup.

Recipe:Instant Pot Cream of Potato Soup

Petar Marshall/Tasting Table

Many potato leek soup recipes call for using russet potatoes, but this one switches things up by putting red potatoes to good use. Other inclusions like garlic, onion, shallots, leeks, and bouillon cubes help to round out the savory profile of this soup, whereas full-fat coconut milk provides that creamy goodness that sets potato soup apart from the rest.

While this is a pretty simple soup to whip up, it does require a healthy amount of simmering time, just enough to ensure that the potatoes get nice and tender. To make sure that the potatoes don't take ages to cook, you'll want to slice them up before they go into the pot. This recipe doesn't call for any immersion blending — instead, you'll just use the back of a large spoon to break down bigger chunks of potatoes. So, while your final soup will be nice and creamy, it'll also have some chunkiness to it, especially ideal for those who like a little textural contrast in their bowl.

Recipe:Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Miriam Hahn/Tasting Table

With potatoes pairing well with just about any vegetable out there, peas step up to the plate in the case of this chowder recipe. Though not the most likely duo out there, potatoes and peas nonetheless make for a hearty and vibrant soup that checks the vegetarian box. If you want to make this soup vegan, it'd be really easy to do so — simply swap out the cream for unsweetened coconut milk, and you've got an easy vegan-ized version.

Yellow potatoes are the spuds of choice for this recipe, and other inclusions like garlic and leeks help add their distinct allium flavors. All told, your savory soup will be ready to go in about 45 minutes, and it is great on its own, especially as a lunchtime option. If you're serving the soup for dinner, you can keep things simple and pair it alongside some bread or a salad. As a final garnish, you'll top off your bowl with some fresh dill, though other herbs like parsley or basil would also work well here.

Recipe: Creamy Potato and Pea Chowder

Maren Epstein/Tasting Table

When it comes to potato soup, russets or Yukons are likely the first type of potato that one might consider including. But this recipe gives sweet potatoes a chance to shine in a spicy capacity — but not too spicy, just enough thanks to a kick from chili powder. You'll also find plenty of earthy and even subtly sweet flavors in this soup thanks to the sweet potatoes themselves, as well as carrots and apple.

This isn't the quickest recipe on this list, with the sweet potatoes alone requiring about 45 minutes to roast before they go into the soup. That said, the oven and stovetop will be doing most of the work, so the most labor-intensive part of the recipe is chopping everything up and blending the soup at the end. Once you've got your silky smooth, spicy sweet potato soup ladled into bowls, you can sprinkle on everything bagel seasoning or sesame seeds as a garnish or opt to enjoy your bowlful as-is.

Recipe: Spicy Sweet Potato Soup

Meghan Uno/Tasting Table

Vichyssoise soup is unique in that it's meant to be served cold, unlike the plethora of varieties out there that are meant to be served piping hot. If you're worried that a cold soup won't be as comforting as a warm one, fear not — this vichyssoise recipe yields a soup quite similar to a creamy potato leek one, so it definitely has those comforting flavor profiles. You can enjoy vichyssoise when it's cold out, but you might also want to keep this recipe in your back pocket for warmer days, as it makes for a refreshing lunch or dinner option.

Despite ultimately serving the soup cold, you'll still build this vichyssoise in the same way that you would any potato soup. You'll simmer everything together in a Dutch oven, blend it until smooth with an immersion blender, then let it cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill completely. A final garnish of chopped chives is all it takes to make this cool soup really pop.

Recipe:Vichyssoise (Chilled Potato Leek Soup)

Hayley MacLean/Tasting Table

There's a lot to love about this sweet potato curry soup recipe — it features a smooth and spiced sweet potato base and crispy chickpeas on top, resulting in a bowl of soup that has the perfect amount of textural contrast. You'll find curry powder, garam masala, cumin, cayenne pepper, and turmeric in this soup, offering plenty of warm, curry-inspired flavors with just the right hit of spice. The chickpeas also get the seasoning treatment, with more curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, ginger powder, and garlic powder, ensuring that the little beans are anything but boring.

As you work through this recipe, you'll notice that it essentially involves two parts: the soup itself and the crispy chickpeas on top. Luckily, you work on both components at the same time so that the whole recipe will be ready to go in just under an hour. A final garnish of cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice helps bring the flavors of this curry soup to life.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Curry Soup

Michelle McGlinn/Tasting Table

If you like extra hearty soups, then this Zuppa Toscana recipe is just the potato-and meat-filled option. Italian sausage, bacon, Yukon gold potatoes, and kale all come together in this classic Italian soup, which also has plenty of flavor thanks to its chicken broth base, garlic, shallots, rosemary, and heavy cream for optimal richness.

Zuppa Toscana is also a great soup for cooking beginners, as it's a foolproof recipe that you'll build in one pot. You'll start by cooking the bacon and sausage, then the aromatics, and then you'll build the rest of the soup and leave it to simmer. As soon as those potatoes are nice and tender, in goes the kale for a quick wilting treatment, and then the heavy cream adds that final flourish. Serve your bowl of Zuppa Toscana soup with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes, then voila — a hearty potato soup that has a whole lot more going on than just the potatoes.

Recipe: Easy Zuppa Toscana

Miriam Hahn/Tasting Table

Minestrone is one of the most loaded types of soup out there — jam-packed with potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, white beans, spinach, and pasta, a single bowl of this good stuff will leave you feeling full and satisfied (though we wouldn't blame you for going back for seconds). The hearty goodies contrast nicely alongside a simple vegetable broth, so those who aren't big fans of pureed soups will love this classic brothy one.

A big perk to this minestrone recipe is that it comes together at record speed — we're talking 30 minutes flat, possibly even quicker if you're super speedy with the prep. Also, you'll end up with a whopping 10 servings of this soup once all is said and done, which is great if you're feeding a crowd or even just feeding a family. This soup stores well and reheats beautifully, so leftovers are more of a blessing than they are a nuisance.

Recipe: Hearty Minestrone Soup

Jennine Rye/Tasting Table

This beefy, potato-y hamburger soup is the ultimate match for chilly winter evenings; rib-sticking and hearty as can be, this soup strikes the perfect balance between meat and vegetables, and it tastes positively savory with each bite. Offset by a tomato-infused chicken broth, the filling of this soup is reminiscent of a hamburger, with the addition of potatoes and corn helping to add a little variety.

Unlike many types of potato soup, which lean in a creamy direction, this one doesn't contain any milk or cream, so it's suitable for those who follow dairy-free diets. Since it's super filling by nature, you won't need a whole lot to round out the meal — crusty bready will help sop up some of that excess broth, and a nice green side salad will help contrast the richness. This recipe also yields six servings and reheats well, so you can meal-prep it at the start of the week and enjoy hearty soup for dinner all week long.

Recipe: Rib-Sticking Hamburger Soup

Hayley MacLean/Tasting Table

Bacon and sweet potatoes team up to make a delectable chowder that also boasts a subtle fall flair; chicken broth and heavy cream make for a rich chowder broth, whereas sage and nutmeg add a little warmth to the soup, and a final garnish of roasted pumpkin seeds add a little crunch. In addition to its warming flavors, this chowder is also nice and warm in terms of temperature, making it the ideal soup to enjoy in fall, winter, spring ... really, any season pairs well with this soup.

Aside from the sweet potatoes, you'll also find carrots and baby spinach in this soup, so there's a nice serving of vegetables without it being too overbearing. You'll start by crisping up the bacon, and then you'll build the chowder right in the same pot. Fast-forward about an hour later, and your soup will be ready to go — but don't forget to top it all off with the bacon and those roasted pumpkin seeds.

Recipe:Sweet Potato Chowder

Hayley MacLean/Tasting Table

Cabbage may not be too exciting on its own — but simmer it in a tomato-y chicken broth, and pair it with Yukon gold potatoes, carrots, celery, and an assortment of spices, and suddenly you've got a warm and comforting soup that's anything but boring. This old-fashioned cabbage soup recipe features green cabbage at its finest, with simple additions like garlic, thyme, celery salt, and a bay leaf adding just the right amount of flavor to the broth.

Ideal for vegetarians, vegans, and meat-eaters alike, this cabbage soup does check the vegan box by nature, so you don't even need to make any ingredient swaps to make the plant-based magic happen. That said, you could meat things up with chicken or ham if you want to add a little protein boost without changing the flavor profile of the soup too much.

Recipe:Old-Fashioned Cabbage Soup