This Easy Potato Soup recipe has been passed down through three generations from my Grandma's kitchen, earning it's place as one of our most reliable and loved dinners (by kids, adults, and even picky eaters in our family)! It takes just 10 minutes of hands-on time, is incredibly budget-friendly, and works flawlessly in the slow cooker or on the stove. Out of all our Potato Recipes, it's a reader favorite and one of the most visited on our site!
If you're looking for a classic, creamy soup that's perfect for alllll the toppings, I promise you this is it. But don't take my word for it.... It has 5 star ratings and reviews like this one for a reason!
This is the easiest recipe I've used! Other variations it came out too thick or too thin, but this one is perfect! I did the stove top version. I topped with green onion, bacon crumbles and shredded cheese. I'm keeping this as my forever go to for potato soup! Thank you!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Crystal
The crockpot is the perfect way to have more one pan dinner recipes on rotation! This Slow Cooker Chuck Roast is another reader favorite, or you can check out our soup and chili page for even more comfort food inspiration. For other delicious recipes that are sure to please a crowd, explore our Game Day Recipes collection!
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Why this recipe is great
- With only 4 ingredients it's a great way to stretch your grocery budget.
- It's an easy, homemade soup with only 15 minutes of prep time.
- It is made without flour so it is naturally gluten-free.
- You can substitute the milk and butter with dairy-free options if desired.
- It can be made in either a crockpot or a large pot (or Dutch oven) on the stovetop.
Potato soup recipe ingredients
- Potatoes: The best potatoes to use when making potato soup are russet potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes will work as well, but the texture will be different.
- Onion: Yellow onion is the best for this although white onion will work as well. Stay away from red onions because they will turn the soup a color that isn't very attractive.
- Milk: Any milk you have on hand or half and half will work, although my favorites are 2% milk or whole milk.
- Butter: Adds richness to the soup. Don't skip this ingredient.
How to make easy potato soup
This soup is as easy as it gets! Whether you're making it on the stovetop or in the slow cooker, the method stays the same-simple and delicious every time.
Start by chopping the potatoes and yellow onions into even pieces. Smaller pieces mean faster cooking, but the key is keeping them uniform so everything cooks evenly..
Toss the potatoes and onions into your crockpot, an 8-quart saucepan, or even a big Dutch oven. Add the water, cover it up, and let it do its thing until everything is nice and soft. In the slow cooker, that's about 6-8 hours on low.
Not sure if it's ready? Grab a potato, smash it with a fork, and once it's cool enough, take a bite. If it's silky smooth with no lumps, you're good to go for the next step.
Once the potatoes are super tender and practically falling apart, scoop out 1 cup of the cooking water and toss it. No need to keep it-you're ready for the next step.
Now it's time to bring in the flavor! Add the butter and pour in 1 cup of milk.
Time to blend! Grab your immersion blender and blend until it's creamy and smooth. No immersion blender? No problem! You can use a countertop blender-just work in batches and be extra careful with the hot liquid. No soup explosions on our watch!
Add salt and pepper to taste, then it's ready to serve! Keep it simple and enjoy as is, or load it up with your favorite toppings-because who doesn't love a little extra flavor?
Note: If you don't have an immersion blender, feel free to use a potato masher. The texture won't be exactly the same, but it will be a delicious bowl of soup.
Optional toppings
These are our favorite toppings, but it is also delicious served as is.
- Bacon: A couple strips of cooked bacon are all that is needed to really make this soup something special. Bake the bacon in the oven, microwave it, or fry it on the stove top while you prep the potatoes. Then when it is time to serve the bacon is ready.
- Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is my favorite but any cheddar will do.
- Green onions: Just a quick slice and you have the perfect touch of freshness.
- Chives: A more mild version of scallions, if you have some on hand.
Stovetop instructions
You can make this recipe with exactly the same method on the stovetop. Simply cook the potatoes and onions in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat until the potatoes are falling apart, then follow the same instructions to blend the soup. Full stovetop instructions are in the recipe card below.
What to serve with potato soup
Dish up this creamy soup with:
- Chopped Salad
- Spinach Salad
- BELT sandwiches… it's a BLT + a fried egg. This earns real mom points when I serve it with these.
- Homemade bread
How to store leftovers
Refrigerator: Let it cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. It'll stay fresh for up to 5 days! When you're ready to enjoy, just reheat using the instructions below!
Freezer: We recently tested how to freeze potato soup, and as long as it's smooth (no chunky bits), it freezes beautifully! The key is to reheat it slowly while stirring to keep that creamy texture.
Our go-to method for storing soups? These handy containers! Once frozen, just pop out the cubes and toss them in a freezer bag-way more space-saving and already portioned. You can also use a glass container, but be sure to thaw it completely before reheating.
Variations & substitutions
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Use salty bacon (we love baking our bacon), cheddar cheese, chives and a dollop of sour cream for a fully loaded potato flavor.
- In our opinion the best potato soup recipe has minimal ingredients and is served with a smooth texture free of potato chunks. However, If you want more of a chunky soup remove half of the potato mixture. Blend the other half until smooth and add the chunky part back in.
- Use up leftover ham for a protein boost in this hearty soup.
- Play around with different seasoning. A little bit of thyme or even cajun seasoning would be a fun twist.
- For a lower calorie version use skim milk and skip the toppings.
- For a richer soup, use heavy cream in place of the milk.
- For a thinner soup, add more milk as necessary to reach the desired consistency.
- For a spicer version try adding in chili powder - regular, ancho chili powder, or chipotle chili powder - cayenne pepper or red hot chili flakes would work as well.
- For a dairy-free version substitute the butter and milk with your favorite dairy substitutes.
FAQs
Potato soup can be made a few hours in advance. However, it will thicken as it cools so be sure to have some extra milk on hand to thin as necessary.
The best way to heat this old-fashioned potato soup is on the stovetop, thinning with a little more milk as needed. However, the microwave works as well. Just be sure to stir the bowl often of the edges of the soup will over cook. Thin with milk to the consistency you prefer.
The best way to do this for a crowd is to have several slow cookers at your disposal. When serving a crowd I like to build in a little flex time by starting the slow cookers an hour or two earlier than usual. Once the soup has been blended, then the slow cookers can be set to "warm" for a couple hours. Stir the soup occasionally or it will form a skin on the side of the crock.
Note: A 6 qt. slow cooker should fit 1½ recipes and a double batch will fit in a 7 qt. slow cooker. It may take several more hours to cook a double recipe in 1 slow cooker.
The best potato for soup depends on the desired end product. For this soup we prefer a classic russet potato for it's starchiness which helps provide a realy creaminess. For this sausage and potato soup, Yukon golds are perfect because they aren't too starchy and the skin can stay on but still be tender.
Tips & tricks
- Test one of the larger potato pieces before blending. When you touch it with a fork it should break apart effortlessly. It should be super soft!
- Don't turn on the immersion blender until you have put at least 1 cup of milk or the potatoes will become gummy.
- For a chunkier version, only blend half of the soup or blend until desired texture is reached
More potato recipes
For more delicious ways to use up a bag of potatoes:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Easy Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 lb russet potatoes peeled, chopped, and rinsed (8-9 cups cup into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 onion chopped
- 5-6 cups water
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup milk may need an additional cup to reach desired consistency
- salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- bacon cooked and crumbled
- cheddar cheese shredded
- green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Chop potatoes and onions. Add to slow cooker with water. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. (May take several more hours if doubling the recipe)3 lb russet potatoes, 1 onion, 5-6 cups water
- Once potatoes are falling apart, remove 1 cup of water. Add butter and milk, then carefully place immersion blender in the slow cooker and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can place contents in a blender until smooth. Add additional milk if necessary until desired consistency is reached.6 tablespoon butter, 1 cup milk
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is or with toppings.salt & pepper, bacon, cheddar cheese, green onions
Stovetop
- Chop potatoes and onions. Add to large pot or dutch oven along with water. Cook on medium-high heat until the potatoes are falling apart.3 lb russet potatoes, 1 onion, 5-6 cups water
- Once potatoes are falling apart, remove 1 cup of water. Add butter and 1 cup of milk, then carefully place immersion blender in the slow cooker and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can place contents in a blender until smooth. Add additional milk if necessary.6 tablespoon butter, 1 cup milk
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is or with toppings.salt & pepper
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you've tried this recipe.
Video
Notes
- Test one of the larger potato pieces before blending. When you touch it with a fork it should break apart effortlessly. It should be super soft!
- Don't turn on the immersion blender until you have put at least 1 cup of milk or the potatoes will become gummy.
- For a chunkier version, only blend half of the soup or blend until desired texture is reached.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Nancy says
Potato Soup sounds excellent Could I replace half or all of the water with homemade chicken broth or stock? Going to try your White chicken chili and chocolate bundt cake next.
Danielle says
I haven't tried replacing the water with stock or broth, but you could certainly give it a try. If you do, please let us know how it turned out. Both of those recipes are family favorites! Happy eating!
dakota says
what if i don't want " mashed" potatoes... potato soup is meant to be chunky, so what if i just left them as chopped potatoes instead of blending them?
Danielle says
Well this isn't mashed potatoes because it is a much looser texture. It is a velvety smooth soup, but that is just personal preference. If you want it too be a little chunky there are two options: 1 - If using an immersion blender stop blending about halfway through. 2 - Place half of the cooked soup, milk, and butter into a standup blender and blend until smooth. Add that back in and stir thoroughly. If you do not blend at all, the soup will not have the correct texture. I hope that helps you get it the way you prefer. If you have any other questions feel free to ask. Happy cooking!
James says
Texture according to who though? I grew up on chunky potato soup with ham chunks. Never blend it. It makes for a more hearty meal. Anyway, My opinion leave the potato's in chunks add ham then top with cheese and green onions and your good. Plus you have a nice broth left over that isn't polluted by mashed up potato's.
Danielle says
Of course each person should prepare their potato soup how they prefer it. In this recipe however, if you do not blend it at all you have potato chunks floating around in watery milk. Most chunky potato soup recipes use a thickener or other "base" ingredients to thicken the soup. This recipe uses the potatoes themselves to accomplish that task. That is what I was referring to. I wouldn't want someone to think that the water the potatoes cook in is meant to be eaten without blending any potato. But if someone likes it that way they should eat it just like that, but in good conscience I can't recommend that. I hope that clears that up and that you find a potato soup recipe you enjoy! Happy eating!
Aspen says
Sooooo easy, sooooo good! I always ruin my mashed potatoes, so this is the next best thing (especially with all the toppings you suggested) but way easier. And really good with BLTs. Thank you for this recipe! I even took this to a potluck dinner, and people there loved it!
Misty says
Glad you liked it!
Mary Ann Conway says
I'm a nervous cook...always need to do "exact" measurements. How much in "teaspoons" or partial teaspoons would you add to this recipe of salt ....and pepper....to get the "right" or average amount of flavor. Sorry to ask such a silly question but I'm sooo new to cooking and would appreciate your
Danielle says
It's ok to be a nervous cook. Just keep at it and your confidence will grow. To be honest I do not measure, rather I go by taste. I would say start with a teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper. Then taste it. If it doesn't taste good add more. The golden rule to remember about seasoning your food is that you can always add but you can't take out. So add less than you think and slowly add more until it is where you want it. I hope that helps!
Sara says
Awesome!!! I just made this potato soup in the crockpot. I’ve made other potato soups and they were more complicated but this is just as good if not better. We’ll be loading on the goodies. Thank you!!!
Misty says
So glad you liked it! Simple is best with potato soup 🙂
Amanda says
This is so delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I enjoy cooking in the crockpot and this was a big hit with my 4 kids.
Danielle says
That is the best compliment! We really appreciate you taking the time to let us know.
Jen says
I admit my initial confusion about how much water to add for cooking the potatoes, but reading the recap at the bottom of the scroll really helped. I enjoy "easy" options, and look forward to giving this one a try this month. Thanks!
Danielle says
So glad you found what you needed. Once you try it, we would love to hear how it turned out!
Michael Brodnik says
When do you add the bacon, cheese and green onions to the crockpot ?
Danielle says
The bacon, cheese, and green onion are toppings that are added to the bowl when serving. They are not added during the cooking process.
Phyllis says
Wow, just finished eating this soup and the family gave it a 100% A rating. Easy to make and so good. Thanks
Danielle says
Happy to hear how much you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking time to let us know!
Julie says
So freaking easy and so very yummy! I followed the recipe but did have to add a few spices to make it mine. I added a few tsp. of chicken bouillon powder, about a tsp. of onion powder, about tsp of garlic powder, and a teaspoon of dried parsley flakes. After bowling it up, I added a pinch of cayenne pepper to my bowl. The bacon, cheese, and green onion just took it to the next level of goodness. We had garlic bread on the side. Yummy, yummy, yummy!
Danielle says
So happy to hear you made it your own! We love to do that.
Jennifer meeks says
Do you have to mash the potatoes?
Misty says
Hi Jennifer! Definitely make sure to mash them some because that's where all the creaminess comes from. But if you want to leave a little bit of chunky texture in the soup that's fine!
kim says
How would you prepare this on stovetop?
Misty says
You would follow the same instructions, but simmer on the stovetop for 30-45 minutes, depending on how large your potato pieces are. You want them to be super soft. If you have a chance, I would love to hear how it turns out!
Theresa D. says
So delicious and easy, my picky eater loves it too!!!
Misty says
That's awesome! So glad you liked it.
Darcy says
I am always looking for easy recipes that don’t require a lot of ingredients. This one fit the bill perfectly. I like that you really don’t need very much cheese or bacon on the top. A little bit will do.
Phyllis Miller says
Oh man, this was really terrific soup! Got to share it with our family who has been sick and we are eating again for our second night and so excited. Good job Borrowed Bites. This is a definite do again meal.
Misty says
That's wonderful, so glad you got to share it with others. Thanks for the review!