Amazing Potato Soup Recipe (Easy + 4 Ingredients!) (2024)

This super easy Potato Soup Recipe transforms 4 ingredients into a creamy, comforting bowl of goodness on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. It's naturally gluten-free and has dairy-free options as well. Add bacon, cheese, and green onions to make it taste like a loaded baked potato or serve as is for a classic soup everyone will love.

I have fond memories of my grandmother making this simple potato soup recipe when I was a teenager. Thanks, Grandma! 🥰 I have always been under the impression she got it from her mother, who was of German heritage, but wherever she got it, it's a classic!

She made the original recipe on the stovetop, but I made it work in the crockpot (affiliate)as well. This is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes for a cold day in the fall and winter months! If you love soup, be sure to check out the soup and chili page for even more delicious recipes.

I serve this creamy soup with a simple roll or salad when I am in a time crunch or have very little on hand. However, when I want to earn real mom points I serve it with these BELT sandwiches… it’s a BLT + a fried egg.😋

🥇 Why it’s great!

• With only 4 ingredients it's a great way to stretch your grocery budget.
• It’s an easy, homemade soup with only 15 minutes of prep time.
• It is made without flour so it is naturally gluten-free.
• You can substitute the milk and butter with dairy-free options if desired.
• It can be made in either a crockpot or a large pot (or Dutch oven) on the stovetop.
• Awesome recipe to serve to a crowd of people! See the section below on tips for serving a crowd.

🥔 Potato soup recipe ingredients

Potatoes: The best potatoes to use when making potato soup are russet potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes will work as well, but the texture will be different.
Onion: Yellow onion is the best for this although white onion will work as well. Stay away from red onions because they will turn the soup a color that isn’t very attractive.
Milk: Any milk you have on hand or half and half will work, although my favorites are 2% milk or whole milk.
Butter: Adds richness to the soup. Don’t skip this ingredient.

🥓 Best optional toppings

Optional: These are my favorite toppings.
Bacon: A couple strips of cooked bacon are all that is needed to really make this soup something special. Bake the bacon in the oven, microwave it, or fry it on the stove top while you prep the potatoes. Then when it is time to serve the bacon is ready.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is my favorite but any cheddar will do.
Green onions: Just a quick slice and you have the perfect touch of freshness.

🔪 How to make potato soup

This is a super simple soup to make whether on the stovetop or in the slow cooker.

Begin by chopping the potatoes and yellow onions. Then add the diced potatoes and onions to the slow cooker along with the water. Cook until tender.

Once the potato chunks are falling apart, remove 1 cup of the cooking water and discard.

Add in the butter along with 1 cup of the milk, then carefully put in the immersion blender and blend until creamy and smooth.

😋 How to serve

In our opinion the best potato soup recipe has minimal ingredients and is served with a smooth texture free of potato chunks.

However, If you want more of a chunky soup remove half of the potato mixture. Blend the other half until smooth and add the chunky part back in.

If you don't have an immersion blender, feel free to use a potato masher. The texture won't be exactly the same, but it will be a delicious bowl of soup.

For a thicker soup leave as is or for a thinner creamy texture add in additional milk if necessary to reach the desired consistency.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve as is or with the optional toppings. If you opt for crispy bacon bits as a topping, try baking your bacon according to this recipe. No more bacon grease on the stovetop! It's life changing!

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 For a crowd

The best way to do this for a crowd is to have several slow cookers at your disposal. When serving a crowd I like to build in a little flex time by starting the slow cookers an hour or two earlier than usual. Once the soup has been blended, then the slow cookers can be set to “warm” for a couple hours. Stir the soup occasionally or it will form a skin on the side of the crock.

Note:
A 6 qt. slow cooker should fit 1 ½ recipes and a double batch will fit in a 7 qt. slow cooker. It may take several more hours to cook a double recipe in 1 slow cooker.

🥣 Variations

• Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Use salty bacon, cheddar cheese, chives and a dollop of sour cream for a fully loaded potato flavor.
• Use up leftover ham for a protein boost in this hearty soup.
• Play around with different seasoning. A little bit of thyme or even cajun seasoning would be a fun twist.
• For a lower calorie version use skim milk and skip the toppings.
• For a richer soup, use heavy cream in place of the milk.
• For a spicer version try adding in chili powder - regular, ancho chili powder, or chipotle chili powder - cayenne pepper or red hot chili flakes would work as well.
• For a dairy-free version substitute the butter and milk with your favorite dairy substitutes.

🙋 Questions and Answers

📖 Other great recipes

• 🍲 For chicken stock or chicken broth based soups, this amazing Tortilla Soup and this famous White Chicken Chili are both warm and comforting additions to your winter rotation.
• 🥔 Extra potatoes to use? This freezer-friendly Twice Baked Potato Bake is busy chef's friend and the ultimate comfort side dish.
• 🥃 This Ice Tea Concentrate recipe is an easy way to serve homemade iced tea to a crowd.
• ❄ Fall Apart Roast in the crock pot is an easy recipe and the ultimate comfort food during the cooler weather. A true family favorite!
• 🍫 Don't leave without trying this Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe. It’s chocolate comfort on a plate. Truly perfect. Every. Single. Time.

👨🏼‍🍳 Tips & Tricks

• Test one of the larger potato pieces before blending. When you touch it with a fork it should break apart effortlessly. It should be super soft!
• Don’t turn on the immersion blender until you have put at least 1 cup of milk or the potatoes will become gummy.
• For a chunkier version, only blend half of the soup or blend until desired texture is reached.

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