Creamy Potato Soup
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For me, there is something special about a pot of Old Fashioned Potato Soup simmering on the stove that feels like home. Made with tender potatoes and a creamy, satisfying broth, this classic potato soup recipe is my go-to when the weather turns chilly and everyone’s belly needs filling. If you grew up on creamy potato soup like I did, you’re going to want to save this one for cold winter nights and easy family dinners.
“The TASTIEST potato soup recipe — delicious flavor, perfect texture, and not too heavy. My whole family loves it!” —Eliza
Sheila’s Recipe Snapshot for Homemade Potato Soup
This is classic comfort food made a little more everyday-friendly. It has all of the nostalgic vibes of traditional potato soup without being overly heavy.
I grew up on my grandma’s potato soup. You know, the kind made with plenty of butter and cream and always served steaming hot. It was rich, hearty, and exactly what you wanted after a cold day spent playing outside!
Back then, burning off a big bowl of soup wasn’t something anyone thought twice about. These days? My metabolism doesn’t quite work like it used to. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want a bowl of creamy potato soup!
That’s what inspired me to rework this classic. Many old-fashioned potato soup recipes lean heavily on whole milk or heavy cream, but my version uses just one cup of milk and still turns out perfectly creamy.
By letting the potatoes do some of the thickening and keeping the ingredient list simple, you get a soup that feels nostalgic but fits better into everyday cooking!
The result is a soup that’s comforting and familiar, yet more balanced for everyday cooking. At 192 calories per bowl, it’s significantly lighter than traditional loaded potato soup, which averages around 335 calories per serving—and best of all, it still tastes delicious.
Ingredient Notes for Easy Potato Soup Recipe
- Unsalted Butter | Just a little bit adds richness and classic flavor.
- Olive Oil | I use a combo of butter and olive oil! Mainly because I don’t want to use too much butter here, but the addition of olive oil also prevents the butter from burning.
- Onion & Garlic | Builds a savory base for the soup.
- Fresh Thyme | For a subtle herby flavor that pairs beautifully with potatoes! You can also garnish the soup with a little thyme before serving.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes | Naturally creamy and ideal for soup! You can also use russet potatoes, but I think gold potatoes are the best potatoes for soup.
- Chicken Broth | Adds flavor while keeping the soup lighter than using cream.
- Milk | Just enough to make the soup creamy without weighing it down!
- Cornstarch | Helps thicken the soup without extra dairy.
- Salt & Black Pepper | Simple seasoning that lets the potatoes shine.
Variations and Substitutions
- Broth: Swap vegetable broth for chicken broth to make it vegetarian!
- Potatoes: Use red potatoes or russets, whichever you have on hand.
- Make it Loaded: Add crispy bacon, shredded cheese, or green onions for a loaded version!
- Add Cream or Half & Half: Make it extra cozy with a small splash of cream or half-and-half, just don’t go crazy!
How to Make Best Potato Soup Recipe
This lightened up potato soup recipe is seriously easy to make, and it really is possible to make delicious, thick, and creamy potato soup without cream!
SAUTE ONIONS. Start by melting butter and olive oil over medium heat in either a large pot or a large Dutch oven. Cook diced yellow onions until tender, and then stir in chopped garlic and fresh thyme leaves, and cook another minute or so until the mixture is fragrant.
COOK THE POTATOES. Pour in the chicken broth and add the potatoes, then bring it all to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for about 10 minutes. You want to cook the potatoes until they are fork-tender so they mash easily.
BLEND. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, then use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash the cooked potatoes, leaving some small cubes. You may even ladle some of the potatoes into a food processor to blend, then add them back to the pot.
THICKEN THE SOUP. Whisk a tablespoon of cornstarch into a cup of 2% milk and pour it into the simmering soup. Cook for a few minutes until the hot soup thickens and becomes creamy.
SEASON & SERVE. At this point, season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, garnish with more fresh thyme leaves and freshly cracked black pepper.
More Recipe Success Tips
Storage and Reheating Tips
- To store: Store leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
- To freeze: Potato soup can be frozen, but the texture may change slightly. If freezing, cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 1 month.
- To reheat: Add a splash of milk and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot and steamy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yukon Gold are the potatoes I prefer for this recipe because of their waxy, creamy texture. Idaho potatoes are also a good choice for plain potato soup with their neutral potato flavor and fluffy texture.
Traditional potato soup recipes use whole milk, enriched evaporated milk, or heavy cream to thicken the soup. This lightened up version is thickened by whisking a tablespoon of cornstarch into a cup of milk, then adding it to the simmering pot of soup. Continue cooking another five minutes or until the soup is thick and creamy.
Absolutely! Use the saute function of the instant pot to melt the butter and oil, then saute the onion. Then stir in the garlic and thyme leaves and cancel the saute function. Add the potatoes and chicken broth, lock the lid, and pressure cook on high for 8 minutes, then quick release the pressure. Remove the lid and stir in the milk. Set to the saute function again. Make the cornstarch slurry and whisk into the soup, cooking until the desired thickness is achieved.
Looking for More Homemade Soup Recipes?
For more of my favorite soup recipes to warm your soul, check out my Chicken Florentine Soup, Classic French Onion Soup Recipe, and Broccoli Potato Soup. All delicious and so yum!
What to Serve With Old-Fashioned Potato Soup
Serve this old fashioned potato soup hot with a piece of crusty bread or cheesy garlic breadsticks from pizza dough on the side. For a larger meal, I like to serve this easy potato soup with a sandwich like my turkey melt sandwich!
If you prefer a baked potato vibe, top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of cheese, and a few bacon crumbles.
Beyond the Recipe
Old fashioned potato soup has deep roots in Southern and rural cooking, where simple ingredients and hearty meals were a necessity. Potatoes, milk, and broth were affordable pantry staples, and soups like this were often stretched to feed large families!
Over time, variations popped up across regions, but the heart of the recipe stayed the same: simple, filling, and always made with love!
More Fan Favorites
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- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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Homemade Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 ½ lbs. peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes about 5 cups
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh thyme leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven or soup pot until the butter is foamy.
- Add diced onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until tender and translucent. Stir in the chopped garlic and fresh thyme leaves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the chicken broth and diced potatoes to the pot. After the mixture begins to boil, cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Turn down the heat and use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes, leaving some bigger chunks.
- Whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into the cup of milk with a fork, then add it to the pot of soup. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, or until the soup is thickened and creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve with more fresh thyme, if desired.
Notes
- Use Yukon Gold potatoes when possible! Their naturally creamy texture helps thicken the soup without extra cream. I also like their flavor better than other potatoes for this recipe!
- Sauté the onion gently. Cooking it until soft and translucent builds flavor without browning.
- Mash or blend lightly. I like to blend it just slightly, so that it has a smooth, creamy texture but still has some chunks! If you don’t have an immersion blender, a few quick presses with a potato masher would work, or just blend part of the soup and put it back in the pot.
- Whisk the cornstarch well! I don’t recommend just adding cornstarch to the soup without whisking it in the milk first. It will be chunky if you don’t dissolve it in a cold liquid first!
- Season at the end! Potatoes absorb salt as they cook, so taste and adjust seasoning just before serving.
- To store: Store leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
- To freeze: Potato soup can be frozen, but the texture may change slightly. If freezing, cool completely and store in freezer-safe containers for up to 1 month.
- To reheat: Add a splash of milk and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, until hot and steamy.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
soooo good!!
my very picky family loved it! my oldest who is the pickiest even went for a second bowl tonight!!
I didn’t skin my potatoes and only lightly mashed it so it was pretty chunky! delicious as is, then I added a pinch of pepper and salt, cheese, sour cream and cut up sausage links! it was Devine!!!
(sadly can’t get the recipe to print )
Tried your recipe and it was delicious. I tweeked it a bit by adding carrots and basil. Very very yummy. No leftovers.
The TASTIEST potato soup recipe — delicious flavor, perfect texture, and not too heavy. My whole family loves it!
Such a good recipe!! Thanks for sharing!
Such a good potato soup recipe! Creamy, flavorful and so tasty. I didn’t have fresh thyme so I used dried thyme, but I bet fresh would be even better. Highly recommend this recipe!
Made this yesterday for the Souper Bowl 🙂 It was SOUPER! So good!
Loved this bowl of comfort! So flavorful and delicious!
Can i freeze leftover
Pat, I would not recommend freezing the leftovers since this soup contains dairy. Often, soups with dairy after frozen lose their creaminess.
Lives up to its name! SO GOOD!
This recipe was perfection. I’m so happy we tried it! Also, these photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Awww… thanks so much, Susannah!
I love that this is a little lighter than normal and oh so delicious!
This is delicious! Have used several, but this is the best.
Delicious and easy. This one’s a keeper.