Description
This creamy potato soup recipe is a comforting and hearty dish featuring Yukon gold potatoes, sautéed vegetables, and a blend of savory seasonings. Crisp bacon and cream cheese enrich the soup's texture, making it a perfect warm meal for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (optional, recommended)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped (about ½ inch)
- 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (powder, base, or 1 crushed cube)
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (plus more to taste)
- 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
Toppings
- Bacon pieces (from recipe)
- Shredded cheese
- Sliced green onions
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Add bacon pieces to a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Cook until crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the grease.
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt the butter in the reserved bacon grease over medium heat. If omitting bacon, use 2 additional tablespoons butter or olive oil. Add diced onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until onions are softened. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and cook for an additional 2 minutes until thickened.
- Add Potatoes and Broth: Add peeled and chopped Yukon gold potatoes, reduced sodium chicken broth, evaporated milk, chicken bouillon, dried parsley, salt, pepper, dried thyme, and oregano to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Blend Soup: Working in batches, remove half of the soup (vegetables and liquid) to a blender along with softened cream cheese. Fill the blender no more than one-third full to avoid overflow. Blend until very smooth, allowing steam to escape by leaving the blender cap open and covering loosely with a towel. Alternatively, use an immersion blender for a less smooth texture.
- Combine and Season: Stir the pureed soup back into the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, oregano, or thyme as desired. If the soup is too thick, stir in milk to reach preferred consistency.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with reserved cooked bacon, shredded cheese, and sliced green onions. Serve warm.
Notes
- Storage: Let the soup cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating in an airtight container or the Dutch oven for up to 5 days. The soup will thicken when stored but can be thinned by adding milk when reheating.
- Make Ahead: Soup flavors develop and improve when refrigerated overnight. For prepping potatoes in advance, keep peeled chopped potatoes submerged in water in the refrigerator to prevent browning.
- For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, increasing the butter or oil slightly.
- Use an immersion blender for a chunkier texture or a high-speed blender for a silky smooth consistency.
- Adjust seasoning and toppings to personal preference for added flavor and texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg
