Simple Old-Fashioned Potato Soup (2024)

This Old-Fashioned Potato Soup recipe is the type of simple potato soup I grew up with. It’s an recipe made with just 4 ingredients (plus salt and pepper) and takes very little time to prepare. To this day, I still think this is the best. It’s a favorite for those chilly days when I’m looking for the ultimate comfort food. I like to serve it with warm, freshly baked beer bread or my maple corn muffins. (And if you love a simple, hearty soup, also check out my recipe for Stuffed Cabbage Soup).

Now we’re going back to my homemade roots with this recipe because, back when I was a kid, my dad often made thissoup for lunch or dinner on a cold day. While my mom was the main cook in our house, my dad had his specialties, and this easy potato soup was one of them. I’m pretty sure this comforting recipe was passed down from my grandma, making it a family tradition in our house.

And back in Grandma’s days, this was how potato soup was made. It was simple fare, and not super-thick and loaded with lots of bacon, sour cream, and cheese like is common today. (Not that there is anything wrong with that kind of soup – I never did meet a potato soup I didn’t like!)

This recipe is a bit thinner in consistency than the typical potato soup, thickened only by the milk and starch from the potatoes (making it naturally gluten-free.) Despite its simplicity, however, this soup is packed with flavor. If you love the taste of butter, onions, and potatoes, you’ll love it. Of course, you can always add in some shredded cheese or crumbled bacon for even more flavor, but the basic recipe with a generous sprinkle of ground black pepper is how I prefer it.

Ingredients for Simple, Old-Fashioned Potato Soup:

You only need a few simple ingredients:

Potatoes – Potatoes are the star of the show here so you’ll need to use the right potatoes. For this recipe, You’ll want potatoes with a good amount of starch to thicken the soup properly. Regular russet potatoes or other baking types of potatoes work best. You can also use gold potatoes, but avoid red potatoes because they don’t have enough starch.

Onions – I like to use yellow or sweet yellow onions (like Vidalia) for the best flavor.

Butter – Just good old butter is my preference. If you want to make a vegan or plant-based potato soup, substitute vegetable oil for butter or use your favorite plant butter.

Milk – While whole milk is my milk of choice for this recipe, you could add some heavy cream or half-and-half if you want to make it extra creamy. You can also use low-fat milk, but it will result in a thinner and less creamy soup. Also, the risk of curdling is higher with lower-fat milk, so you will need to be mindful to simmer the soup gently on low heat to prevent this. If you want vegan or plant-based soup, use your favorite non-dairy milk.

Optional Ingredients:

This is such a delicious soup that I typically keep it simple and make the recipe without any extra ingredients. But there are some optional ingredients you can add to amp up the flavor even more.

Celery – If you love celery, try frying some sliced celery with the onions.

Stock or broth – For extra flavor, you can boil the potatoes in chicken broth, chicken stock or vegetable broth.

Bacon – Top with bacon bits or crumbled cooked bacon to make this more of a “loaded” potato soup.

Sour Cream – A dollop of sour cream will make the soup creamier.

Sharp Cheddar Cheese – If you love cheese, go ahead and add a generous sprinkling of shredded cheddar.

Green Onions – Top with chopped fresh green onions or chives for some fresh green flavor.

Tips for making this Simple, Old-Fashioned Potato Soup Recipe:

1. Use a large pot or a Dutch oven. You want a generously sized pot with a heavy bottom to avoid boiling over or burning the milk.
2. For the best flavor, add a few pinches of salt to the water you boil the potatoes in. Also, add just enough water to cover the potatoes when boiling them. When draining the potatoes, reserve the cooking water. You can use it later to thin the soup if necessary.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, cook the onions in the butter until they are soft and golden around the edges. This will sweeten the onions and really bring out the onion flavor. Do this over medium heat and keep an eye on the temperature to avoid burning the butter.
4. When heating the milk, be sure to do it very gently, just until it bubbles around the edges. Don’t boil it or you risk curdling the milk.
5. I like to mash up about half of the potatoes with a potato masher. That way the soup is thick and creamy, but still has some chunks of potatoes. If you prefer a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to blend up more (or all) of the potatoes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. If you don’t like a lot of salt, start with a bit less than the recipe calls for. I recommend using a generous amount of ground black pepper.
7. You don’t need to wait for a chilly day to make this old-fashioned potato soup recipe. I will eat this soup all year round for a simple and delicious lunch or supper.

This Old-Fashioned Potato Soup is hearty and delicious. I hope you try it and If you do, I hope you love it. And don’t forget to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram so you don’t miss a post.

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