Description
This Ultimate Potato Soup is a creamy, comforting classic made with crispy bacon, tender gold potatoes, and a rich blend of dairy and spices. Perfect for a cozy meal, it combines smooth and chunky textures with a mild kick from ancho chili powder, topped with cheddar cheese and chives for extra flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Base
- 6 strips bacon, uncooked, cut into small pieces
- 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted or salted
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1.5 cup/200g)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour (42g)
- 2 ½ lbs gold potatoes, peeled and diced into pieces no larger than 1” (about 6 large potatoes/1.15kg)
- 4 cups chicken broth (945ml)
- 2 cups milk (475ml)
- ⅔ cup heavy cream (155ml)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- ¼ – ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
Finishing Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sour cream (160g)
- Shredded cheddar cheese, for topping (optional)
- Chives, for topping (optional)
- Additional sour cream, for topping (optional)
- Additional bacon pieces, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Place bacon pieces in a large Dutch Oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Sauté Onions and Garlic: Add butter and chopped onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until onions are tender, about 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and stir until smooth, using a whisk if needed to prevent lumps.
- Add Potatoes and Liquids: Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, salt, pepper, and ancho chili powder. Stir well to combine.
- Boil and Cook Potatoes: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.
- Puree Half the Soup: Reduce heat to simmer and carefully remove approximately half of the soup to a blender. Puree until smooth, then return it to the pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree half of the soup directly in the pot.
- Add Sour Cream and Bacon: Stir in sour cream and the reserved bacon pieces into the pot.
- Simmer: Allow the soup to simmer gently for 15 minutes before serving to meld flavors.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle soup into bowls and top with additional sour cream, bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, or chives as desired. Enjoy your comforting potato soup!
Notes
- Start with 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and adjust to your taste, especially since broth saltiness can vary by brand.
- For those new to ancho chili powder, begin with ¼ teaspoon and increase to ½ teaspoon if desired for a mild smoky heat.
- If you prefer a fully creamy soup, puree the entire batch in portions instead of only half.
- Using a Dutch Oven or large heavy pot helps distribute heat evenly and prevents sticking.
- Feel free to substitute half-and-half for heavy cream for a lighter version.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 1 cup)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
