Cheesy Potato Soup is creamy, delicious, and comforting. This recipe takes everyday ingredients and transforms them in about 30 minutes into a rich, luscious soup that pairs well with other dishes or dazzles as an entree all on its own.
Potato cheddar soup is quick and easy to make — which means you can quickly put it together after a long day of work and errands or take your time and make it as part of a multi-course meal. Either way, this potato soup recipe will be one your family never gets tired of.
Why You'll Love This Cheesy Potato Soup
- Creamy, cheesy flavor. The sharp cheddar in this creamy potato soup kicks things up a notch and adds a ton of flavor — living up to its reputation for making absolutely everything taste better. Kids and adults alike will love this cheesy potato soup!
- It’s a classic comfort dish. When things get cold and the weather is a bit gloomy, this soup will warm you up from the inside out! Count on this soup for comfort all season long. It tastes like Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, but in soup form.
- It’s freezer-friendly. Soups are always an excellent option for stocking the freezer, and this potato soup with cheddar cheese is no exception. You can make a massive batch of this soup and use leftovers to feed your family any time you need something fast!
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Cheesy Potato Soup, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- butter - olive oil, avocado oil, or a vegan butter substitute would also work.
- onions - If you’re in a pinch or just not a fan of chopping onions, dehydrated diced onions or onion powder will add similar flavor to the recipe but will alter the texture of the soup slightly.
- garlic - freshly minced garlic is always best flavor-wise, but canned or jarred minced garlic are fine substitutes.
- potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes or russet potatoes work best for this recipe because of their high starch content that helps give the soup a robust texture, whether you decide to leave it chunky or make it smooth.
- stock - homemade stock will add even deeper flavors to this soup (plus you’re in control of the ingredients), but if you don’t have time to make your own, store-bought stock is great too!
- milk - if you or someone in your family has a milk allergy or sensitivity, you can use a dairy-free milk with similar fat content, like coconut milk.
- cheddar cheese - cheddar works especially well for adding tons of sharp, tangy, cheesy flavor to potato soup, but you can swap your favorite hard cheese in its place or use a vegan imitation cheese!
- salt and pepper
Toppings
Top this potato soup with your favorite toppings such as:
- sour cream - if you’re out of sour cream, greek yogurt is a great alternative that will taste and feel similar.
- green onions or chives - you can top this soup with any soft herb, like dill, parsley, or basil. Additionally, you can use dried herbs if you don’t have the fresh versions!
- bacon bits
- cheese - grated cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese are delicious on top.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a large cooking pot, and a potato mashed (or fork). You'll also need an immersion blender, food processor, or blender, to puree the soup until smooth if you don't want it to be chunky.
How to Make the Best Cheesy Potato Soup
- Sauté aromatics. Heat butter in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add potatoes. Add potatoes and stock, and give everything a stir.
- Simmer. Turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft when you insert a fork.
- Mash. Use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash the potatoes.
- Add cheese. Stir in milk until incorporated. Add cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Puree (optional). You can serve the soup chunky, or puree it until smooth. If so, use an immersion blender and puree the soup directly in the pot, or transfer to a food processor or blender to puree.
- Serve. Serve warm and top with a dollop of sour cream and green onions, if desired.
How to Serve
Cheesy Potato Soup is delicious served on its own with your favorite toppings. It also pairs really well with some classic fall soup sides including:
- Fall Harvest Salad
- Pumpkin Cornbread
- Pita Grilled Cheese
- Sweet Kale Salad
- Stuffed Butternut Squash
- Garlic Breadsticks
- Chicken Salad
Storage and Freezing Instructions
How to Store
Allow any leftover potato soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If only storing for a day or 2, you can keep it in the pot covered with the lid.
How to Freeze
Transfer leftover cheesy potato soup to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge a day before you want to use the leftovers to allow it to thaw overnight.
How to Reheat
To reheat, bring it up to the desired temperature in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also reheat straight from frozen in a crockpot or on the stovetop, but you’ll have to allow it to thaw a bit first or use a warm water bath to release the frozen soup from the container.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Choose your chunks. The texture of this soup is fully up to your preferences. You can mash the potatoes as roughly or as finely as you want. You can even add them to a blender, use an immersion blender, or throw in the food processor to get a smoother, silkier soup.
- Make sure the potatoes are cut uniformly. The ability to cut things uniformly is one of the most essential skills you can have in the kitchen! You don’t have to be perfect, but if the potatoes vary too much in size, they’ll cook at different rates and can affect the texture of your soup. Plus, no one likes a surprise bite of undercooked potato.
More Potato Soup Recipes
- 60 Best Soup Recipes
- Mashed Potato Soup
- Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
- Creamy Tomato Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Soup
- Turkey Potato Chowder
Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.
Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.
Recipe
Cheesy Potato Soup
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Cheesy Potato Soup is creamy, delicious, and comforting. This recipe takes everyday ingredients and transforms them in 30 minutes to a rich, luscious soup.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup onions, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds Yukon gold or russet potatoes, chopped (approximately 3 cups)
- 2 cups stock, chicken or vegetable
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
- sour cream (optional, for topping)
- green onions or chives, chopped (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large cooking pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add potatoes and stock, and give everything a stir.
- Turn the heat up to high and bring the soup to a boil. Then, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are soft when you insert a fork.
- Use a potato masher or fork to roughly mash the potatoes.
- Stir in milk until incorporated. Add cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- You can serve the soup chunky, or puree it until smooth. If so, use an immersion blender and puree the soup directly in the pot, or transfer to a food processor or blender to puree.
- Serve warm and top with a dollop of sour cream and green onions, if desired.
Notes
How to store: Allow any leftover potato soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If only storing for a day or 2, you can keep it in the pot covered with the lid.
How to freeze: Transfer leftover cheesy potato soup to a freezer-safe airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to six months. To thaw, transfer to the fridge a day before you want to use the leftovers to allow it to thaw overnight.
How to reheat: Bring it up to the desired temperature in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also reheat straight from frozen in a crockpot or on the stovetop, but you’ll have to allow it to thaw a bit first or use a warm water bath to release the frozen soup from the container.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Food Blogger Business School
A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business
in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.
Brittany says
Spectacular. I did have to add 1 cup extra broth while making the potatoes. Put in a splash of Worcestershire as well. Threw the potatoes in the food processor before adding the milk and cheese so it would fit properly. I’ll make this again!!