This easy cheesy potato soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food! For an extra treat, you can even go for a loaded potato soup version, using all of your favorite loaded potato toppings!
In my mind, there’s only one thing that sounds better than potato soup in the fall and winter. And that’s cheesy potato soup. I’ll tell you right now, this recipe does not skimp on the cheese. You could almost call it potato-y cheese soup!
When preparing this, I was in the mood for mega comfort food, so I went all out. There are several ways to lighten up the recipe if that’s your preference. You can cut back on the calories and fat in several places.
This soup includes a whopping 7 ounces of cheddar cheese. For added richness I sautéed the vegetables in a bit of bacon fat and also garnished the soup with bacon, but you can easily use olive oil or butter, omitting the bacon entirely for a tasty vegetarian soup.
How do you make a Loaded Cheesy Potato Soup?
This soup can easily be modified into a loaded potato soup! Here are a few of my favorite additional toppings to add, which you can mix and match depending on personal preference:
- Sour cream
- Chives (green onions would also work)
- Bacon
- Cheeses: shredded cheddar and/or Monterey jack
How do you reheat Cheese Soup?
It’s important to note that cheese will separate and develop a gritty texture if you heat it up too quickly over high heat. Low and slow is key, while stirring constantly to ensure that the soup heats evenly. I recommend not going above medium low. A heavy bottom saucepan also really helps.
Looking for more Cheesy Recipes? You may also like my Cheesy Spinach and Artichoke Pasta, Cheesy Baked Jalapeño Popper Dip, and Cheesy Broccoli Bacon Quiche! I also love this Cheesy Lasagna Soup from Joanne at Fifteen Spatulas.
Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or bacon fat
- 1 large yellow onion, diced (approximately 3 cups)
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
- 7 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Optional garnishes: fresh parsley and cooked, diced bacon (see notes for more options)
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or heavy bottom pot, melt the olive oil or bacon fat over low heat and then add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Allow the vegetables to sweat for several minutes until soft.
- Add the potatoes and stir well. Allow the vegetables to cook for 5-10 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the stock, stir, and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, cover (venting slightly), and allow the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Add the half-and-half, and then carefully ladle the soup into a blender. Puree the soup, in batches if necessary, and return the soup to the pot. Do not turn the heat back on (too much heat can cause cheese to separate). Stir in the cheese in batches until the soup is evenly combined. Add salt, pepper and cayenne. Taste; adjust seasoning if desired.
- Serve with optional garnishes. Reheat over low or medium-low heat to prevent the cheese from breaking.
Notes
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Erica {Coffee & Quinoa} says
My favorite cookbook is Flour by Joanne Chang. I love her Boston bakeries, and her recipes are out of this world!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says
I like the Bon Appetit Desserts cookbook. Great to learn all kind of basic dessert recipes!
Amy @ Elephant Eats says
Oooh, what a great giveaway! I really could use some cookbooks…i think the last time I bought one was probably 5 years ago. Also, this soup looks amazing :)
Jenn says
I love my mom’s Betty Crocker cookbook from the 1970s. I made so many recipes from there growing up!
Colleen says
I follow a lot of food blogs, but I love cookbooks! There’s just something about a book opening up to my favorite recipes because the spine is broken and pages sticking together because I’ve spilled ingredients on them…
Angelica says
Authentic Mexican by Rick Bayless
Candice says
Ming Tsai’s One Pot Recipe Cookbook
Laurie @ Relishing It says
I adore Ottolenghi and Nigel Slater’s books.
Mer says
My ancient Joy of Cooking is my favorite cookbook. It looks terrible thanks to years of use, crumbs, and spills but it has all my notes in it.
Ellen says
That’s a great giveaway! I just moved from Amsterdam to Los Angeles and I had to get rid of almost all my cookbooks :( While I’m building up my collection again I could also use some help with it ;-)
My favorite cookbook of this moment is River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall :)
Monica says
What an awesome giveaway! I love all of Martha Stewart’s cookbooks but when i think of a favorite – and since I love to bake – I have to say my favorite has been David Lebovitz’s “Ready for Dessert”.
Tari Martosudirjo says
I already have some of the cookbooks listed, BUT I could use extra copies for both my homes! :)
My favorite cookbook is anything by Jamie Oliver or Ina Garten. But the Joy of Cooking and Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking have been my go-to-book for a lot of basics.
Stacy | Wicked Good Kitchen says
This is a great giveaway…but, I came for the soup! Beautiful photography, girl! xo
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Great giveaway!! So many of my favorite cookbook in here :) And I need that delish soup, its chilly over here!!
Ann-Marie says
It’s so hard to pick a favorite, but I’m cooking through Gourmet Today, so I’ll pick that. :)