This easy potato soup recipe is creamy and packed with flavor. It uses one pot, with simple simmer-and-blend steps. There’s no flour and you don’t even have to peel the potatoes!
Easy Potato Soup with a heavenly creamy texture – without even using cream! the flavor is full, and it’s quick and simple enough to throw together on a busy night.
Try my Instant Pot Potato Soup if you want it done even quicker.
Easy Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Butter
- Onion
- Celery
- Garlic
- Potatoes
- Chicken Broth (I use Better than Bouillon concentrated broth + water)
- Milk (or half milk and half heavy cream for an extra creamy potato soup)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Note that there’s no flour in this recipe (it’s thickened by the potatoes themselves) so it’s a naturally gluten-free soup!
Swaps and Variations
There’s room to play here. These are a few ways I change it up depending on what’s in the fridge:
Potatoes: Russets give a fluffy, soft texture (like in mashed potatoes). Yukon Gold potatoes also work, and red potatoes hold their shape a bit more if you like chunks.
Broth: Use veggie broth to keep it vegetarian. Bone broth adds more body and richness.
Milk: Any kind works. I’ve used whole milk, 2%, and oat milk and liked all of them. It’s forgiving.
Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a fine stand-in. Just use full-fat for the same creamy finish.
Cheese: Stir in grated cheddar after blending, or sprinkle on top. Monterey Jack and even crumbled blue cheese are fun too.
Add-ins: Chopped spinach or kale can go in right at the end. You could also toss in corn, leftover roasted veggies, or even cooked chicken or ham.
How to Make This Easy Potato Soup Recipe
Here’s how I make this creamy, cozy stovetop potato soup from scratch. It’s simple, but each step builds flavor.
1. Start the base
Melt butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
2. Simmer the potatoes
Add the chunks of potatoes and pour in the broth. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer gently for 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender
3. Blend it up
Add 1 cup of milk and use an immersion blender to blend the soup right in the pot. If you like it chunky, just blend half or mash with a potato masher
4. Make it creamy
Stir in the sour cream. If you want it thinner, add the remaining cup of milk, a little at a time, until it’s just right. Warm it through, but don’t let it boil.
5. Serve it hot
Ladle into bowls and top with sour cream, green onions, and any extras you like—bacon and shredded cheddar are always a hit.
5 Common Mistakes to Avoid for the Best Potato Soup Recipe
As a food scientist, I’ve seen a few things go sideways with simple soups like this. Here’s what to watch for:
1. Not cooking the aromatics long enough
Raw onion flavor lingers if you rush this step. Let them fully soften before moving on. This builds a flavorful base.
2. Boiling instead of simmering
A rolling boil can make the potatoes break apart unevenly and the milk split later on. Keep it to a gentle simmer.
3. Adding dairy too early
If you add milk or sour cream before the potatoes are fully cooked, it can curdle or taste off. Always add it at the end.
4. Under-salting
Potatoes need a lot of seasoning. Salt generously once everything’s cooked and blended. Taste and adjust before serving.
5. Over-blending
Blending too much can turn the soup gluey because of the starch. For best texture, stop as soon as it looks creamy enough.
How to Serve It
This soup is great as-is, but toppings make it even better.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Topping Ideas
Here’s what I like to add:
- Extra sour cream
- Green onions or chives
- Crispy bacon: Just one or two slices, cooked until golden and crumbled over the bowl
- Grated cheddar: Melts right in or on top for cheesy comfort
Make Ahead & Storage
You can make this easy potato soup a day in advance—it reheats beautifully.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop on medium-high heat or in the microwave.
- To freeze, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Note: the texture might shift a bit after thawing, but it still tastes great. Stir well when reheating.
FAQs
Season your soup with your choice of sodium, broth, salt, or veggie seasoning if you want to dial up the flavor.
If your soup is a little runnier than you’d expected, whisk a little cornstarch into a bit more cold broth or cream. Once smooth, whisk this slurry into the soup and let it simmer rapidly until it thickens.
This isn’t necessary unless you have pre-cut your potatoes. In this case, you’ll need to store them submerged in water to avoid them oxidizing.
Easy Potato Soup (10-Minute Prep!)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¾ cup coarsely chopped onion about 1 large
- 2 stalks celery coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 large russet potatoes cut into 1-inch chunks (skins left on)
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 –2 cups milk
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup sour cream plus more for serving
Optional Toppings:
- sliced green onions
- cooked bacon
- grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
Sauté the aromatics:
- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Simmer the potatoes:
- Add potatoes and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are very soft.
Blend:
- Stir in 1 cup of milk. Use an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth (or blend in batches in a blender). Leave a few chunks if you like texture.
Cream and season:
- Stir in sour cream. Add more milk, as needed, to thin the soup to your desired consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Garnish and serve:
- Ladle into bowls. Top with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with green onions. Add bacon or cheese, if desired.
Notes
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Sauté the onion and celery properly: Don’t rush this step. Let them soften fully to build flavor right from the start.
- Simmer gently, not at a rolling boil: A hard boil can break up the potatoes unevenly and mess with the final texture.
- Wait to add the milk and sour cream: Stir them in after blending. If added too early, they might curdle or separate.
- Taste before serving: Potatoes soak up seasoning. Add salt and pepper at the end and taste to get it just right.
- Don’t over-blend: Too much blending can turn the soup gluey. Stop once it’s creamy with a few soft chunks remaining.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you drain the cooked potatoes before adding the milk?
Hi Lisa, no you don’t! You leave the broth used for cooking the potatoes as the base for the soup.