potato soup

This potato soup is the kind of comfort food that never misses; creamy, cozy, and made with simple ingredients that somehow taste like so much more once they come together. It’s rich and savory, with tender potatoes and that velvety texture that makes you want to eat it slowly… and then immediately go back for a second bowl. Whether it’s a cold night, a low energy day, or you just want something that feels warm and familiar this soup always hits exactly the way it’s supposed to.

History of potato soup

While this potato soup recipe is more American than anything, I couldn’t resist sharing a few fun facts about vichyssoise - a chilled French soup made from potato and leek base with cream. It was famously one of Julia Childs favorite soups and even though the ingredients are simple the history is anything but. One popular (and slightly dramatic) story claims King Louis XV accidentally “invented” the cold version because of his intense fear of being poisoned. According to the legend he made several servants taste the soup before he would eat it - and by the time it reached him it had gone cold. Supposedly he tried it anyway and declared he preferred potato soup chilled rather than hot.

As entertaining as the King Louis theory is, the more widely accepted origin comes from Chef Louis Diat at the Ritz-Carlton. In 1917 he created vichyssoise after reminiscing about his childhood, remembering how he used to cool down hot leek and potato soup with cold milk during summer. He refined the idea into a smooth, elegant dish for guests - and it became so popular that the Ritz added it permanently to their menu in 1923. Chef Diat named the soup after Vichy, a town near where he grew up. Later, because of the towns association with Nazi collaboration during World War II some American chefs tried to rename the dish to “creme gauloise” but the original name stuck, and vichyssoise remains one of the most iconic potato based soups to this day.

How to make potato soup?

This recipe starts off by baking the bacon in the oven. If you prefer cooking it on stove top you can simply cook the bacon in the large pot you will make the soup in as the bacon fat gets reserved either way. Cooking bacon in the oven in my opinion gives it a better overall texture. While the bacon cooks boil the potatoes until tender. Once the bacon is done, in a large pot melt butter with the bacon fat and add onions. Saute until tender, then add garlic. Once the garlic is aromatic whisk in flour and cook it until it begins to bubble. Slowly pour in the milk and broth, then bring the soup to a soft boil. Drain the potatoes and add them in the soup. Using an immersion blender puree the soup to a desired consistency and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then chop the bacon into bite size pieces and add half of it in the soup as well as 1 cup of cheddar and 3/4 cup of sour cream. Stir well and bring to boil. Serve the soup hot with fixings of green onions, rest of the bacon, cheddar, and sour cream!

Tips

• If you don’t have an immersion blender use a regular blender or food processor to puree the soup to a desired consistency. I personally like smooth with some potato chunks the best.

• Don’t skimp on the toppings for best flavor! With the bacon pieces, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions this is the soup version of a baked potato.

• Potato soup freezes well - just store in freezer safe containers and thaw on stove top when ready eat! Add the toppings after reheating.

Recommended products to make this recipe

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Potato Soup

Yield: 8

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 55 Min

This potato soup is comfort in a bowl!

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 10 oz bacon
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups cheddar, shredded
• 1 cup sour cream
• pepper
• green onions

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Bake bacon on a cookie sheet for apprx. 20 minutes until crispy. Reserve the fat and set aside. Meanwhile boil the potatoes until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a large pot melt the butter with the reserved bacon grease. Add onions and sauté until tender. Add garlic and sauté one more minute. Whisk in the flour and cook until it starts bubbling, then slowly pour in milk and broth. Bring the soup to a soft boil and add the drained potatoes. Using an immersion blender puree until smooth and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Cut bacon to bite size pieces. Add half of the bacon in the soup, 1 cup of cheddar, and 3/4 cup of sour cream. Bring to boil.
4. Serve soup with green onions and rest of the bacon, cheddar, and sour cream.