Description

This Best Homemade Potato Soup is a creamy, comforting dish packed with tender potatoes, crispy bacon, and a rich blend of vegetables and cheese. Perfect for a cozy meal, this easy-to-make soup combines the flavors of sautéed onion, celery, and carrots with hearty potatoes simmered in broth and finished with creamy milk and cheese. Garnished with fresh parsley, bacon bits, and melted cheddar, it’s a classic crowd-pleaser ideal for any season.

Ingredients

Scale

Vegetables

6 medium Russet potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, sliced
3 celery stalks, diced

Meat

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

Liquids

8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 cup milk
½ cup heavy cream

Thickening Agent

3 tbsp flour (or cornstarch)

Seasonings and Garnishes

1 tsp minced parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup grated cheese (cheddar works well)

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Instructions

Cook the Bacon: In a large pot, cook the bacon slices over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot, crumble it into small pieces, and set it aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot for flavor.
Sauté Vegetables: Add the diced onion, celery, and sliced carrots to the pot with the bacon fat. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until they become soft and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes.
Combine Potatoes and Broth: Add the diced Russet potatoes to the pot along with salt and pepper to taste. Pour in the 8 cups of vegetable or chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook Potatoes & Prepare Thickener: Let the soup boil for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour with the milk until smooth to create a slurry.
Thicken the Soup: Slowly stir the milk and flour mixture into the boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the soup to thicken slightly.
Blend Soup Portion: Using an immersion blender or standard blender, puree a portion of the soup until smooth and creamy. Return the blended mixture back into the pot and stir well to combine.
Finish with Bacon and Garnishes: Stir the crumbled bacon into the soup. Serve hot garnished generously with minced parsley, extra bacon bits, and a sprinkle of grated cheddar cheese on top for melting and extra richness.

Notes

You can substitute the heavy cream with additional milk for a lighter version, though it will be less creamy.
For a vegetarian option, omit the bacon and use vegetable broth.
If you prefer a completely smooth soup, blend all the soup instead of only a portion.
Russet potatoes are ideal for their starchy texture which thickens the soup nicely.
Adjust salt and pepper according to taste, especially if using bacon and broth with varying salt content.
Leftover soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently.