Chunky Potato Soup
Chunky Potato Soup combines potatoes with a mirepoix (carrots, celery, onion combo), a simple roux, crispy bacon, sour cream, and cheese. A classic soup recipe with big flavor all made in one pot!
Soup Season at our home looks like a constant rotations of flavors and textures. We love a spicy Turkey Taco Soup, some delicious Creamy Wild Rice Soup, and this healthy Detox Lentil Soup any given night of the week!
Best Potato Soup
Soup Season is one of our favorites, especially because it means cooler weather. It’s time to fill our bellies with all of the warm and delicious soups.
While we love a classic potato soup, we also enjoy this Thai Sweet Potato Soup for something a little different. Give it a try!
Some members of our family make this potato soup recipe about twice a month. Looking at you, Zach and Kirsten! I’m so happy that they enjoy it as much as we do.
Why we LOVE this Creamy Soup:
- BASIC INGREDIENTS – All of the ingredients needed are easy to find in grocery stores. Nothing hard to find in this basic recipe.
- CREAMY AND FILLING – The roux helps to make this soup creamy and the combo of ingredients is filling. A big bowl of chunky soup and a chunk of bread is all I really need on chilly nights. Ultimate comfort food!
- INEXPENSIVE – Potatoes are a cheap ingredient to cook with. I recommend buying a large chunk of cheese and shredding it yourself. Cheaper and it melts WAY better too.
What You’ll Need:
Alright, let’s talk about your grocery list. To make this soup, you will need the following simple ingredients:
- Veggies: russet potatoes, yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
- The Roux: fats (in this case, bacon fat and/or butter) plus flour.
- Protein: bacon plus shredded cheese.
- Other: chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, and sour cream.
- Seasonings: salt and pepper.
- Toppings: additional bacon and cheese, and green onions (plus saltines if so desired).
How to make Chunky Potato Soup:
Step 1
Prep the veggies. Start by dicing the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Chop the potatoes into relatively small chunks.
Step 2
Cook the bacon. Sauté the bacon in a large soup pot (or dutch oven) over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon (place on a plate lined with paper towels) and leave about four tablespoons in the pot (or use butter in its place).
Step 3
Cook the veggies. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot with the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.
Step 4
Add the roux. Add flour to the veggies and stir for a minute or so to absorb.
Step 5
Add broth. Next add the chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil, stirring to thicken. After about five minutes, add the potato chunks and a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 6
Make it creamy. Once the potatoes are soft, add the milk, heavy cream, sour cream and shredded cheese. Stir well and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until everything is melted and hot. Reserve some bacon and add the remaining to the large saucepan and stir.
Step 7
Check seasonings. Test the soup, and add more salt and pepper if needed. Potatoes need a decent amount of salt for flavor.
Optional step. If you want to make this EXTRA creamy, use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree a portion of the soup. I don’t recommend blending all of the soup so you can keep the soup chunky.
Favorite Toppings for the Best Soup
- Extra bacon
- More cheese
- Green onions
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Saltine crackers
- Or bread – try some Chewy French Bread or Jalapeño Cheddar Sourdough Bread!
STORE leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. I recommend adding portions to individual meal prep containers or soup mugs so heating up is super quick.
Recipe Tips:
- Chop your potatoes pretty small (see photos) so that the soup cooks a little quicker.
- You will have just enough chicken broth to cook the potatoes. If you need a bit more, add it.
- You can make this soup even creamier by adding extra cheese and sour cream.
- I always add seasonings in layers. Test the soup as you go and add as needed. Potatoes need salt for flavor.
- If you don’t want to use the bacon grease in the soup, butter works fine too.
What to Serve with Chunky Potato Soup:
- Shaved Cauliflower Salad
- Arugula Caprese Salad
- Classic Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing
- Summer Panzanella Salad
Kitchen Tools Used: (affiliate links)
xoxo ~Sue
Chunky Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon – diced
- 3 large carrots – diced
- 2 large celery stalks – diced
- 1 medium onion – diced
- 4 cloves garlic – minced
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- 5-6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
- 3 pounds russet potatoes (or about 9-10 cups chopped) – peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 12 oz shredded cheddar cheese
- extra cheese, chopped bacon, green onions, saltine crackers – to serve
Instructions
- Prep the veggies. Start by dicing the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Chop the potatoes into relatively small chunks.
- Cook the bacon. Sauté the bacon in a large stock pot over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and leave about four tablespoons in the pot (or use butter in it’s place).
- Cook the veggies. Add the carrots, celery, and onion to the pot with the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium-high until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.
- Add the roux. Add flour to the veggies and stir for a minute or so to absorb.
- Add broth. Next add the chicken broth and bring mixture to a boil, stirring to thicken. After about five minutes, add the potato chunks and a little more salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Make it creamy. Once the potatoes are soft, add the milk, heavy cream, sour cream and shredded cheese. Stir well and cook for another 5-6 minutes, or until everything is melted and hot. Add almost all of the bacon back to the pot (reserve some for toppings).
- Check seasonings. Test the soup, and add more salt and pepper if needed. (Potatoes need a decent amount of salt for flavor.)
- Optional step. If you want to make this EXTRA creamy, use an immersion blender or a regular blender to puree a portion of the soup. I don’t recommend blending all of the soup so you can keep the soup chunky.
- Serve soup with extra bacon, shredded cheese, green onions, freshly ground black pepper, crackers and/or bread.
Video
Notes
- Chop your potatoes pretty small (see photos) so that the soup cooks a little quicker.
- You will have just enough chicken broth to cook the potatoes. If you need a bit more, add it.
- You can make this soup even creamier by adding extra cheese and sour cream.
- I always add seasonings in layers. Test the soup as you go and add as needed. Potatoes need salt for flavor.
- If you don’t want to use the bacon grease in the soup, butter works fine too.
Such a good, easy soup! I added some smoked sausage so my husband wouldn’t whine about not having enough meat for dinner. Everything else stayed exactly the same and it was delicious!
Sounds like a perfect idea, Maddie!
Love this recipe! Not a big fan of celery, so I used some celery salt (potatoes eat up salt – I’ve used them to fix an over-salted gravy) and I added some cream cheese to make it a bit more decadent. Also, used leftover smoked ham which I needed to use up. But I was looking for a recipe with a roux base, and my husband loved it so much he refused to share it with his grown son!!
Sounds delicious, Dee!
This was the yummiest! I used my favorite red potatoes then used starch instead of flour. I didn’t have quite enough cheddar so added pepper jack😋😋😋
This sounds delicious, Lynette!
The opitome of comfort food in my opinion! It’s been so cold here lately so I am making this on repeat and loving how budget friendly it is too!
Amen!
Tremendous! I served it for the play-off game the other day and everyone licked their spoons. Thanks!
So happy to hear this, Kathleen!
This soup was everything I wanted and more! It was so cozy and delicious on this cold winter day!
I love to hear this, Laura!
Yum, yum, yum. Perfection. I have tried many potato soup recipes and this one is the one I have been looking for.
This makes me so happy, Charlene!
As someone who has a massive aversion to sour cream (sorry, I was born that way 🙁 ), any potential swaps? Thanks!
You could try Greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Good luck!
First time making it! Turned out great! I like to add corn and I also added chicken.
Sounds delicious, Debra!
1st time making potato soup & enjoyed it very much
So good to hear Trish!
Not much to really say here except, this is an all-timer
Everything about it is perfection
Yay!
I just found your site and subscribed to it. I’m going to be making this soon. I have heard of some using cream cheese with potato soup recipes. Is this something that would make the soul more rich or is the sour cream and heavy cream rich enough?? Thanks.
I prefer using sour cream and heavy cream. And yes, I think it adds just the right amount of richness to the soup!
Hi read & read the recipe through but you didn’t menition when to add the garlic. Look like a great recipe. Making it tonight for family & friends. Thank you.
Just fixed it, Martha!
This recipe takes me back and it’s about time I made it. It’s soooo creamy and delicious, even without the bacon. I can’t wait to heat the leftovers again and again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup, Shari!!
THIS SOUP SLAPS!!! Everyday I eat this soup and it makes my entire day. The potatoes so creamy. I could swim in this soup. It is such fire I would eat this every day if I could. Just so good make it now I SWEaR.
And you are the bomb dot com for saying so, Kirsten! 🥰🤙
I made this potato soup for my family last night and it was a big hit with everyone. So delicious!!
Hi Cassandra! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup. It’s perfect for chilly weather!
Soup season is here, and this is the perfect soup to celebrate the season.
I agree! It’s one of our regulars! 🙂
Spot on for flavor and texture, so yummy!
My son has just recently started eating baked potatoes (lol) so I think he would love this soup! I know I will!
Hi Wanda! I just made this soup again, and the leftovers are great too.
This looks amazing! Love all those big chunks of potatoes
It’s chunky and creamy at the same time!
Potato soup is one of the best cozy comfort foods. This recipe is fantastic!
Thanks so much, Vanessa! It’s on the menu here tonight! 🙂
Thank you so much, Vanessa! Glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Can red potatoes be used instead of Russet potatoes?
I recommend that you use russet potatoes for this recipe.
Can I substitute 1 cup Greek yogurt for sour cream?
Yes, Greek yogurt would work as a replacement. Enjoy!
First time in a long time that EVERYONE liked what I made for dinner! I can usually please one or two of them, but there is always that one kid who doesn’t like what I spent my day making! 🙂 This makes a huge pot of soup…and we ate every drop! Hooray!
I’m SO happy that you tried the soup, Cathy! It’s one of our favorites too! 🙂
Soup was delicious! We had enough left over for another meal and a dinner for family friends.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, Kellie! Thanks for trying it! 🙂
I love this soup! The bacon really makes the soup and it is a steal at 495 calories…..! More soup please!
More soup coming up! 🙂