This easy cheesy potato soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food! For an extra treat, you can even go for a loaded potato soup version, using all of your favorite loaded potato toppings!
In my mind, there’s only one thing that sounds better than potato soup in the fall and winter. And that’s cheesy potato soup. I’ll tell you right now, this recipe does not skimp on the cheese. You could almost call it potato-y cheese soup!
When preparing this, I was in the mood for mega comfort food, so I went all out. There are several ways to lighten up the recipe if that’s your preference. You can cut back on the calories and fat in several places.
This soup includes a whopping 7 ounces of cheddar cheese. For added richness I sautéed the vegetables in a bit of bacon fat and also garnished the soup with bacon, but you can easily use olive oil or butter, omitting the bacon entirely for a tasty vegetarian soup.
How do you make a Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup?
This soup can easily be modified into a loaded potato soup! Here are a few of my favorite additional toppings to add, which you can mix and match depending on personal preference:
Sour cream
Chives (green onions would also work)
Bacon
Cheeses: shredded cheddar and/or Monterey jack
How do you reheat Cheese Soup?
It’s important to note that cheese will separate and develop a gritty texture if you heat it up too quickly over high heat. Low and slow is key, while stirring constantly to ensure that the soup heats evenly. I recommend not going above medium low. A heavy bottom saucepan also really helps.
Looking for more Cheesy Recipes? You may also like my Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Pasta,Cheesy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip, and Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Quiche! I also love this Cheesy Lasagna Soup from Joanne at Fifteen Spatulas.
2cupslow sodium chicken or vegetable stock,preferably homemade
1 1/2cupshalf-and-half or whole milk
7ouncescheddar cheese, shredded
1teaspoonkosher salt,or to taste
1/4teaspooncayenne pepper, or to taste
Fresh ground black pepper
Optional garnishes: fresh parsley and cooked, diced bacon(see notes for more options)
Instructions
In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, melt the olive oil or bacon fat over low heat and then add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Allow the vegetables to sweat for several minutes until soft.
Add the potatoes and stir well. Allow the vegetables to cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Add the stock, stir, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover (venting slightly), and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Add the half-and-half, and then carefully ladle the soup into a blender. Puree the soup, in batches if necessary, and return the soup to the pot. Do not turn the heat back on (too much heat can cause cheese to separate). Stir in the cheese in batches until the soup is evenly combined. Add salt, pepper and cayenne. Taste; adjust seasoning if desired.
Serve with optional garnishes. Reheat over low or medium-low heat to prevent the cheese from breaking.
Notes
For a lighter soup, try using reduced fat milk and/or cheese. You could also use baking spray instead of the olive oil. I wouldn't do all three; cheesy potato soup should have some fat! I recommend at least using some or all full-fat cheese for best results.
You can also garnish with more traditional loaded baked potato toppings, such as sour cream, chives, and shredded cheese.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Why isn't my potato soup creamy? Most creamy soups require you to add dairy of some sort into it. If you're finding your soup is too thin adding milk, add in cream instead, or whole milk.
It's important not to chop them too finely before cooking. Keeping them in medium-ish sized chunks should work best. If the potatoes are chopped too finely, then too much starch will be released into the broth, resulting in a gummy-like texture.
ANSWER: Waxy potatoes or those called boiling potatoes stand up well in soups and stews. These have thin skin and are high in moisture and low in starch. Potatoes that are low-starch and high-moisture hold together better. Yukon Gold potatoes are on the medium-starch side and will hold their shape in soups.
How do you keep potatoes from getting mushy in soup? Keeping the skins on your potatoes will help. Also key to remember is that when chopping the potatoes, the smaller they are the faster they will cook. So, don't be afraid to cut them a little on the larger side than you normally would.
The best options for thickening soup are cream or half and half. Plain yogurt or even freshly grated cheese works well and adds an extra layer of tangy, salty flavor. Add the dairy at the end and avoid bringing the soup to a boil since this can cause yogurt, cheese, or cream to split.
Cream cheese can be a delicious and tangy thickener for mashed potatoes so it stands to reason that it can also be used to add body to your favorite silky potato soup recipes — right? The answer is yes.It only works well if you do it carefully, though.
When you are sauteing onions to build flavor as a base for your dish (soup, tomato sauce, you name it), the yellow onion is your friend. That being said, white onions are a totally acceptable substitute for yellow, especially if you're cooking them.
A pinch of seasoning can make all the difference to freshen up the flavors in a ho-hum soup. Most canned soups have plenty of sodium, so skip the salt and stick with spices like cumin or curry powder or try dried herbs like basil or rosemary.
Once the potatoes are nice and soft, stir in the cheddar cheese and Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt, pepper and cooked bacon bits. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
But when heat is introduced, the protein structure falls apart and the emulsion breaks—the fat globules come together into a greasy pool and the proteins congeal to form a stringy mess. But American cheese is specifically designed to be extremely meltable and nearly impossible to break.
To thicken potato soup without creating lumps, you can use a roux made of equal parts butter and flour. Melt the butter in a separate pan, add the flour, and whisk until smooth. Slowly whisk the roux into the soup, and let it simmer until thickened. Be sure to whisk continuously to prevent lumps from forming.
Not Adding Acid. If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.
Should I soak my potatoes before making soup? You don't have to soak them, but I do recommend doing so in cold water at least until you've finished cubing all the potatoes. This will keep them from turning brown and ugly.
Overly mashed, super starchy potatoes are the major reason for slimy soup, so take special preparations to prevent unappealing textures. First, choose a balance of starchy and waxy potatoes, then treat them gently, and you can avoid putting hours of work into a bowl of starchy slime.
If you want to thicken your potato soup without using any additional ingredients, you can try cooking it for a longer period of time. Simmering the soup will evaporate some of the liquid, resulting in a thicker consistency.
Russet potatoes, as a member of the starchy/floury potato family, are inherently grainy. Using them in soup will result in an unpleasant gritty texture. When making potato soup, be sure to reach for a waxy variety such as fingerling potatoes, red potatoes, or baby potatoesto get a smoother texture.
It's best to use fresh, firm potatoes. Acidic Ingredients: If your soup contained highly acidic ingredients (e.g., tomatoes), it could have affected the texture of the potatoes. Acidic ingredients can slow down the softening process of potatoes.
Introduction: My name is The Hon. Margery Christiansen, I am a bright, adorable, precious, inexpensive, gorgeous, comfortable, happy person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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