Description

This creamy, comforting Ultimate Potato Soup combines tender gold potatoes, crispy bacon, and a rich blend of cream and cheeses for a hearty meal. Perfect for chilly days, this soup features a luscious texture achieved by blending half the soup before simmering it to meld all flavors beautifully.

Ingredients

Scale

Bacon and Base

6 strips uncooked bacon, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons butter (unsalted or salted)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1.5 cups/200g)
3 large garlic cloves, minced

Soup Ingredients

⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
2 ½ lbs gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 6 large potatoes/1.15kg)
4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
2 cups milk (475ml)
⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
¼ – ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder

Finishing Ingredients and Toppings

⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Chives (optional)
Additional sour cream and bacon for topping (optional)

Instructions

Cook Bacon: Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until crisp and browned. This renders the fat and crisps the meat.
Remove Bacon: Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot to use as flavor base for the soup.
Sauté Onions: Add butter and chopped onion to the pot, cooking over medium heat until the onions become tender and translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
Add Garlic: Stir in minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
Make Roux: Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and whisk until smooth and integrated to form a roux, which will thicken the soup.
Add Potatoes and Liquids: Add the diced potatoes, chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder to the pot. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
Boil and Cook Potatoes: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, approximately 10 minutes.
Puree Half the Soup: Reduce heat to simmer. Carefully transfer about half of the soup (about 5 cups) to a blender and puree until smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot. Be cautious as the soup is hot.
Combine and Add Sour Cream and Bacon: Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir in the sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, incorporating all ingredients evenly.
Simmer: Let the soup simmer gently for 15 minutes to meld the flavors and thicken slightly.
Serve with Toppings: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with additional sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and chopped chives if desired. Enjoy warm.

Notes

Be careful when blending hot soup; blend in batches and vent blender lid slightly to avoid steam build-up.
Adjust ancho chili powder to taste for mild smoky heat.
For a vegetarian version, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and omit bacon.
This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stove.
Use an immersion blender to simplify pureeing directly in the pot and avoid transferring hot soup.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Keywords: potato soup, creamy potato soup, comfort food, bacon potato soup, easy soup recipe