Easy Loaded Potato Soup
Creamy homemade potato soup made in one pot with Yukon golds, carrots, and sour cream. Top with bacon, cheddar, and chives for an easy family dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 carrots peeled and diced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 10 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed (about 3–3½ lbs)
- 4 cups 1 quart chicken broth, homemade or store-bought
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon paste
- 1½ cups light sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For serving: crumbled bacon chopped chives, shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5–7 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the sour cream, salt, and pepper. Don't return it to a boil once the sour cream is in.
- Carefully blend with an immersion blender directly in the pot, or in batches in a stand blender, until it reaches your desired consistency — fully smooth, or left a little chunky.
- If the soup is thicker than you'd like after blending, stir in the water and 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon paste until it loosens to your liking — this thins the texture without watering down the flavor the way plain water alone would.
- Ladle into bowls and serve warm, topped with crumbled bacon, chives, and shredded cheddar.
Notes
- Potatoes: Yukon golds give the creamiest, least gluey result. Cut them into even cubes so they cook at the same rate.
- Sour cream: Stir it in off the heat and don't let the soup boil again, or it can curdle. For extra insurance, whisk a ladle of the hot broth into the sour cream first, then add it to the pot. Whole milk or heavy cream can be swapped in at the same amount.
- Blending: Let the soup sit off the heat for a minute or two before blending to avoid splatters. Blend it all the way smooth, or leave some chunks of potato and carrot for texture.
- Thickness: If it's too thick after blending, add the water or milk a little at a time until it's the consistency you like. If it's too thin, simmer it a few minutes longer.
- Salt last: The broth and bouillon already bring plenty of salt, so taste after blending before you add more.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth and vegetable bouillon, and skip the bacon.
- Storage: Keeps up to 3 days in the fridge and freezes well. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Calories: 298kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 9gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 144mgPotassium: 1215mgFiber: 6gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5382IUVitamin C: 45mgCalcium: 109mgIron: 2mg
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