The Ultimate Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon (Uncooked; cut into small pieces. Reserve the cooked pieces and their rendered fat.)
• 3 tbsp butter (Salted or unsalted butter will work.)
• 1 medium yellow onion (Chopped; about 200 g.)
• 3 large cloves garlic (Minced.)
• 0.333 cup all-purpose flour
• 2.5 lb gold potatoes (Peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1 inch; approximately 6 large potatoes. The source recommends pieces around 3/4 inch and similar in size so they cook evenly.)
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups milk
• 0.667 cup heavy cream
• 1.5 tsp salt (The source recommends starting with less and adding more as needed, depending on the broth.)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 0.25 tsp ancho chili powder (Start with 1/4 teaspoon, taste, and increase to 1/2 teaspoon if desired.)
• 0.667 cup sour cream (Added to the soup after blending.)
• shredded cheddar cheese (Optional topping; estimated 1/2 cup (about 56 g).)
• chives (Optional topping; estimated 2 tbsp (about 6 g), chopped.)
• additional sour cream (Optional topping; estimated 1/2 cup (about 120 g).)
• additional bacon (Optional topping; estimated 2 cooked strips (about 25 g).)

Steps

1. 1

   Place the chopped bacon in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp and browned, stirring occasionally so it cooks evenly.

2. 2

   Remove the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Leave the rendered bacon fat in the pot.

3. 3

   Add the butter and chopped onion to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant but not browned.

5. 5

   Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic. Stir until the flour is fully moistened and the mixture is smooth; use a whisk if needed to remove lumps.

6. 6

   Add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder to the pot. Stir thoroughly to combine and distribute the flour mixture.

7. 7

   Bring the soup to a boil. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

8. 8

   Reduce the heat to a simmer. Carefully transfer approximately half of the hot soup—about 5 cups—to a blender and puree until smooth. Work in batches if necessary and take care when blending hot liquid. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot. For a completely smooth soup, puree all of it; for more texture, puree only half.

9. 9

   Return the pureed soup to the pot. Add the sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, then stir well to combine. Do not add the bacon before blending.

10. 10

    Let the soup simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, before serving.

11. 11

    Ladle the soup into bowls and top with optional sour cream, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and chives. Ancho chili powder may also be sprinkled over the top.

Notes

For the best texture, cut the potatoes into similarly sized pieces no larger than about 3/4 inch so they cook evenly. The soup can be made the night before; complete the recipe, chill it, and reheat gently the next day. Start with less salt because the amount needed varies with the broth. If reheating, stir occasionally and avoid boiling vigorously. The recipe makes approximately 3.5 quarts of soup.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• comfort food
• one-pot
• stovetop
• creamy
• bacon
• American