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Home > Recipes > Soups & Sides

Published: Feb 16, 2021 · Modified: Aug 2, 2022 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 10 Comments

Cheesy Potato Soup

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Cheesy potato soup is rich, creamy, and darn cozy. The perfect soup option for a cold winter’s day. This cheesy potato soup recipe is also vegetarian-friendly, leaving any meat as an optional topping.

Top down view showing a close up of a spoonful of cheesy potato soup

As I write this, the low-temperature in Wisconsin today is a frigid -12º fahrenheit. I don’t know about you, but this kind of weather calls for a warm, cozy, comfort food recipe. Enter: cheesy potato soup. This soup recipe is a big bowl of cozy and is one of those winter comfort food meals that just makes you smile.

This cheesy potato soup recipe is a vegetarian, allowing it to be enjoyed by a wider audience. While this soup is great as-is, adding a variety of your favorite toppings takes this soup to the next level. For those who do eat meat, I highly recommend adding crumbled, crispy bacon on top of this soup. Really any topping you would put on a loaded baked potato can work here too!

I will also be the first to admit this is not a health food recipe. But, treating yourself to some cheesy, buttery goodness every once in a while is good for the soul. Especially when it’s cold and dark and snowy during the winter.

Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Possible Dietary Restrictions?
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • Cheesy Potato Soup

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Level of difficulty: Easy to moderate; while this recipe uses simple ingredients prepped in a straightforward manner, there are a few steps you need to pay close attention to. Keep an eye on the flour as you whisk it into the butter. You really want to keep it moving (continue to whisk) until the liquid enters the pot. Allowing it to sit too long can result in a clumpy, burned mess…if this happens, I recommend starting again as this is the base of your soup’s success.

Flavor: Creamy, rich cheddar cheese is the leading flavor, and is accented by hearty potatoes. When topped with savory bacon and fragrant green onions, this soup goes to a whole new level. Like I said, a big bowl of cozy.

Texture: Move over bisque. This soup is as hearty as it gets. A thick and creamy base with big chunks of potato…comfort food at its best.

Time: Including prep and cook time, plan for 30-45 minutes to make your cheesy potato soup. The prep time can vary depending on how fast you chop!

Top down view of this cheesy potato soup recipe, aka baked potato soup, topped with cheese, bacon, and green onions

Ingredients Needed

Potatoes: Idaho potatoes or russet potatoes are the best variety for this soup recipe. The depth of flavor and ability to hold their shape throughout the cooking process make them ideal for cheesy potatoes soup.

Milk: You’ll put nearly five cups of milk in this cheesy potato soup, so make sure you are using a high quality product. I also recommend using whole milk as it has a much creamier texture than skim or 1%. Yes, there is a little more fat in whole milk, but that is part of what makes this soup so rich, delicious, and comforting.

Cheese: Two tips on selecting the perfect cheddar cheese for this recipe. First, a sharp cheddar cheese will have a stronger flavor than a mild cheddar cheese. So if you want the cheese to be more of a leading flavor in your soup (instead of a supporting flavor), select a sharp cheddar for your soup recipe. Second, if you have time to shred your own cheese, do so. Store-bought shredded cheese is coated in an additive called cellulose to keep it from clumping before it gets to your house. It’s harmless, but freshly shredded cheese will actually melt better in a soup. Shredding your own cheese for this recipe will add a few minutes to cooking, though, so go ahead and use a store-bought shredded cheese if you want to save some time.

Toppings: The soup is good by itself, but it’s great with the right fixings. Crispy bacon, oyster crackers, chives, even MORE cheese (you know I’m always here to support your cheese endeavors). The toppings take this loaded potato soup to the next level!

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. Wash and chop your veggies: Prep your veggies per notes on ingredient list
  2. Make your roux: Did you know that the official name of the concoction you’re making with your butter and flour at the start of this recipe is called a roux, which acts as a thickener for your soup? Fun fact! Anyway, to do this, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  3. Add in your liquids: Whisk in milk and broth, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add your potatoes and green onions: Add potatoes and green onions, stir to mix-in. Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
  5. Add in the rest of your dairy and spices: Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. If soup is too thick for your liking, add milk or broth until desired consistency is reached.
  6. Garnish and enjoy: Serve your soup topped with your favorite things (like bacon, green onions, sour cream, more cheese…etc) and enjoy!
  7. Store leftovers: Store remaining soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Another top down view showing this baked potato soup topped with cheese, bacon, and green onions

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

Want to make this into a vegetarian soup recipe? Use vegetable broth! Want to make this into a vegetarian cheesy potato soup? Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and you’re good to go! Make sure to have a variety of veggie-friendly toppings for them to enjoy too.

Recipe FAQs

Help! My cheesy potato soup is too thin, what do I do? You may have added a bit too much broth or milk. To thicken the soup, keep it on a low simmer until it’s at your desired thickness. Do NOT boil the soup for an extended period of time or you’ll risk curdling the milk.

My soup is too thick, how do I fix this? If your cheesy potato soup is too thick for your liking, add milk or broth until desired consistency is reached. I recommend adding your additional liquid in small quantities, stirring, and testing before adding in more liquid. This will help you to avoid accidentally making the soup too thin.

Is it possible to add too much bacon to this cheese potato soup? My husband insists the answer is a resounding ‘no’. But seriously, if you eat bacon, I highly recommend adding crumbles on top of this loaded potato soup. The crispy, salty goodness accents this soup very nicely.

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top down view of a bowl of cheesy potato soup topped with shredded cheese, bacon, and chives.

Cheesy Potato Soup

Meredith
This cheesy potato soup is delicious, creamy, hearty, & full of flavor…just one of those soups that just makes you smile. Load it up with your favorite toppings to create the ultimate winter comfort food.
5 from 10 votes
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Prep Time 12 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 37 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 570 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 10 tablespoon salted butter
  • ½ C all-purpose flour
  • 2 C chicken or vegetable broth*
  • 5 C whole milk
  • 7 Idaho potatoes, fist size, peeled & cubed
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 2 C shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 C sour cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Optional toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, chives, oyster crackers, crumbled crispy bacon, etc.

Instructions
 

  • Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat.
  • Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
  • Whisk in milk and broth, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
  • Add potatoes and green onions, stir to mix-in.
  • Bring ingredients to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 15-20 minutes.
  • Stir in cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper.
  • If soup is too thick for your liking, add milk or broth until desired consistency is reached.
  • Garnish with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
  • Store remaining soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Notes

*If making this soup for someone on a vegetarian diet, make sure to use vegetable broth for your recipe.
*If your cheesy potato soup is too thin: You may have added a bit too much broth or milk. To thicken the soup, keep it on a low simmer until it’s at your desired thickness. Do NOT boil the soup for an extended period of time or you’ll risk curdling the milk.
*If your soup is too thick: If your cheesy potato soup is too thick for your liking, add milk or broth until desired consistency is reached. I recommend adding your additional liquid in small quantities, stirring, and testing before adding in more liquid. This will help you to avoid accidentally making the soup too thin.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 18gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 102mgSodium: 738mgPotassium: 1103mgFiber: 3gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1209IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 453mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Stephanie Lighter says

    August 25, 2023 at 1:14 pm

    5 stars
    Came out fantastic! I cooked my potatoes first in a potato bag in microwave. Then I used a ricer and added to recipe! Yum 😋

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      August 26, 2023 at 3:28 pm

      So happy to hear you enjoyed this cheesy potato soup Stephanie! I’ll have to bust out my ricer next time to try that too! Thanks for giving my recipe a try.

      Reply
  2. Ellen says

    June 29, 2022 at 2:44 pm

    5 stars
    My kids can be picky when it comes to soups, but they LOVED it and so did the rest of the family! It was super easy to prep/make (with busy kids that is a must). I will absolutely make this again.

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      June 29, 2022 at 4:14 pm

      This makes me so happy! It’s always a win when the kiddos enjoy it too! Thanks so much for making my recipe Ellen!

      Reply
  3. Evelyn says

    April 18, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    If you like loaded bake potatoes, then you’re going to love this soup. It’s so creamy and delicious! It’s also super easy to make, which is what I need during the work week. The recipe made enough for my husband and I to enjoy a hearty bowlful for dinner and for lunch the next day, and there was still some to freeze for a rainy day.

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:29 pm

      I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank you for making my recipe!

      Reply
  4. David says

    April 18, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    Tried it. Loved it. Will make it again 🙂

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:29 pm

      So glad you enjoyed this soup! Thanks for making my recipe.

      Reply
  5. Sam says

    April 18, 2022 at 4:27 pm

    5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight with a few tweaks (in my instant pot). Cooked the bacon crumbles in the pot (drained the extra grease) and added the potatoes, onions, salt and pepper (and some garlic powder because we add garlic to every thing). Added chicken broth and cooked on the soup setting for 12 min and released the pressure manually. Then added all the creamy stuff. It was so delicious and it will be added to our rotation. Yum!

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 4:28 pm

      I’m so glad to hear the family enjoyed it!! And way to tweak for the instapot!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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