Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Classic Potato Soup
A warm bowl of potato soup has a quiet appeal, especially when there are tender chunks in every spoonful. This one has a creamy broth and a simple savory flavor. Let it cool just a little before settling down with a bowlful for lunch or dinner.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 10 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: 31–60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Soften without browning
Cook the onion, celery and garlic until very soft but unbrowned before stirring the flour through the vegetables.
2. Whisk broth in gradually
Pour in the broth slowly while whisking continuously, helping the flour mixture become smooth before adding the potatoes.
3. Mash with restraint
Take the pot off the heat to mash some potatoes gently, leaving plenty of chunks and avoiding an overworked, gummy texture.
Get to know the ingredients
Half-inch potatoes
Peel and cube the Russets into half-inch pieces before adding them to the broth for a gentle simmer until very tender.
Room-temperature milk
Let the whole milk come to room temperature before its final addition, helping avoid cooling the soup too sharply.
Kosher salt
Kosher salt is the listed choice. Try starting with one teaspoon if using table salt, then tasting before adding more.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 9 steps completeMake room for Classic Potato Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Cool a little before serving
After the low, uncovered milk simmer, let the soup cool for five minutes before serving, with optional chives if desired.
A little more help as you go
Adjust a thick soup
If the soup becomes too thick, you can stir in a little extra broth to loosen its consistency.
Choose a smooth finish
For smooth soup, cool five minutes before blending in small batches or with an immersion blender, stopping as soon as smooth.
A few questions you might have
Can I use vegetable broth?
Yes, vegetable broth works. Its flavor and color may differ, so taste before adjusting the salt.
Can I replace the whole milk with cream?
Half-and-half or heavy cream are allowed, though you may need less than the listed milk amount.
Is there a flour alternative?
Use the same amount of a one-to-one gluten-free flour blend, and check that the broth is suitable too.
Can I use dairy-free ingredients?
You can use plant-based butter and an unsweetened dairy-free milk, such as oat or almond.
Should the potatoes stay completely whole?
Mash roughly a third to thicken the broth, leaving the rest in chunks. Avoid excessive mashing, which can make Russets gluey.
Any more cooking tips?
This recipe is tested and cost out using Better Than Bouillon to make the chicken broth. If using a different broth or stock, seasoning levels may vary. Taste before serving and adjust salt as needed. **For best results, allow the milk to come to room temperature before adding it to the soup. This helps keep the soup from cooling too quickly when you add the milk. Half-and-half and heavy cream will also work (though you may need less!). Dairy-free? Use plant-based butter and an unsweetened dairy-free milk, like oat or almond milk. ***I tested this potato soup recipe using kosher salt. If using iodized or table salt, start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste. Different types and brands of salt vary in density, so 1½ teaspoons of table salt may make the soup too salty. **** Mashing the potatoes: Mashing about one-third of the cooked potatoes naturally thickens the soup and gives it a creamy texture without adding cream or using a blender, while still leaving plenty of hearty potato chunks throughout. Avoid over-mashing, which can make the potatoes gummy. Prefer a completely smooth soup? Carefully blend it with an immersion blender, or use a countertop blender in small batches. Let the soup cool for 5 minutes before blending and never fill the blender more than halfway and vent the lid. Stop blending as soon as the soup is smooth because overworking russets can make them gluey. If it becomes too thick, stir in a little extra broth. Vegetarian option: Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Vegetable broths often have a more pronounced flavor and may give the soup a yellower color. Taste the finished soup before adjusting the salt. Gluten-free option: Replace the all-purpose flour with the same amount of a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. I like King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour. Check that your broth or bouillon is also gluten-free.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: budgetbytes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
