What You’ll Need To Make Potato Soup
- Bacon: Adds a smoky, savory flavor to the soup and provides savory crispy bits for topping. To make it easier to work with, stick it in the freezer to firm up for 15 minutes before cutting.
- Yellow onion and garlic: The flavorful, aromatic base for the soup.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the soup, giving it a creamy consistency.
- Chicken broth: Forms the flavorful liquid base of the soup.
- Russet potatoes: These starchy potatoes create a silky, creamy texture when blended.
- Dried thyme: Infuses the soup with earthy flavor.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy creaminess that balances the richness of the soup.
- Butter: Brings a velvety richness to the finished soup.
- Fresh chives: Brightens the soup with a mild onion flavor and a pop of color.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Adds a melty, savory finish to each bowl.
Step-By-Step Instructions
In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until it’s nice and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Keep an eye on it—bacon can go from perfectly crisp to overdone fast! Once it’s done, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, but don’t ditch all that flavorful bacon fat—leave about 2 tablespoons in the pot to give the soup extra richness.
Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to let the garlic brown—if it starts to darken too quickly, just turn the heat down a notch.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir for about 30 seconds, until it’s fully dissolved. This helps thicken the soup and gets rid of any raw flour taste. It might look a little pasty at first, but don’t worry—it’ll smooth out once you add the liquids. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits.
Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender (or a regular blender, in batches). Stir in the sour cream and butter until fully incorporated. Give the soup a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Creamy Potato Soup
Serves 8 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour- 6 slices (8 ounces/227 grams) thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch (13-mm) pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled (see note)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Return the pot to the stove over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Do not brown; reduce the heat if necessary. Add the flour and stir until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Carefully add the potatoes, along with the salt, pepper, and thyme, and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the potatoes are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
Make-Ahead Instructions: The soup can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. (Hold off on adding the bacon, chives, and cheese until you serve the soup.) Keep in mind that it will thicken up quite a bit in the refrigerator. Reheat over medium heat until hot, and thin, if necessary, by whisking in a little water or milk.Note: To smash a garlic clove, put an unpeeled clove on your cutting board, lay your chef’s knife on top of it, and hit the flat side of the knife blade firmly with the heel of your hand; this will smash the garlic clove underneath, and the peel will slip right off. (Since this soup gets puréed, you don’t need to bother chopping the garlic. Leaving it in large pieces also prevents it from burning.)
