Potato Cheese Soup
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Potato Cheese Soup made with gold potatoes, leeks, and fresh garlic simmered in savory broth and pureed with cream and sharp cheddar cheese, topped with crispy bacon and ready in 30 minutes!
We love making any hearty soup in this house when the weather gets colder. For more great ideas, check out this Classic Potato Leek Soup, Tuscan White Bean Soup, and Kale and White Bean Soup!
Potato Cheese Soup is a family favorite in this house, so much that we almost never have leftovers! It’s the ultimate comfort food on a cold day, and fast enough to make for a weeknight dinner. Plus, you only need a few simple ingredients for a really nice cheesy flavor. And it’s really cost-effective, and a great way to use up the last few potatoes in the bag!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes are the perfect choice for this soup because they’re considered an all-purpose potato. They’re the perfect combination of starchy and waxy, so they work well in most dishes, and add a nice creamy texture to soups.
You can also make this dish with russet potatoes, just wash and peel them first.
Butter. I like to use unsalted butter, so I can control the amount of salt that goes into the dish later. This is just to keep the onions from sticking to the pan, and to add some flavor to the soup overall. You can also use olive oil here.
Garlic. I like to use fresh garlic because it has the best flavor, and it’s really healthy. If you have garlic powder, you can use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder per garlic clove.
Onions. These are added for a really nice savory flavor. You can use a sweet onion like Vidalia, or regular white onion or yellow onion.
Leeks. These are a good way to add some veggies to a dish, with the flavor of onions.
Broth. You can use chicken broth or vegetable stock for this recipe. Just make sure it’s gluten free.
Cheese. I like to use extra sharp cheddar cheese because of the flavor. This recipe will work with most shredded cheeses.
Half & Half. This is added to make the soup creamy. You can also use regular milk, or heavy cream. If you’re dairy free, you can just leave the cream out entirely and add a little more broth instead.
Spices. This is a simple recipe with just some kosher salt and black pepper to taste, and a bit of cayenne pepper if you like the spice.
Bacon. This goes perfectly with potatoes and cheese. I make my bacon in the microwave, on a plate between two paper towels. Just microwave 1-2 minutes at a time until cooked through and crispy.
How to Make Potato Cheese Soup
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter and add onion, leeks, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until the onions and leeks start to soften.
- Add the potatoes and spices and stir everything together. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let soup simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until everything is smooth. You can also leave a few pieces of potato whole here for texture, so you’ll have some chunks of potato in the soup.
- Stir in the cheese and half and half. Stir everything together and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with chives and bacon pieces and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’re thickening this cheddar potato soup using an immersion blender. This should puree the potatoes and leeks, and give the soup a really nice thick and smooth texture.
If you’ve added too much broth or cream and need to thicken the soup, you can mix 1-2 tablespoons of corn starch with 1/4 cup cold water. Whisk together, then stir into the soup and wait a few minutes for the soup to thicken.
This is usually because the cheese isn’t very flavorful, like regular cheddar. I like to use an extra sharp cheddar cheese for this reason. You can also add additional salt and pepper to taste, chopped chives, garlic powder, or cayenne pepper.
More Soup Recipes
Storage
Refrigerate potato cheese soup for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container for 2-3 months. Keep in mind that this pureed soup can change texture when frozen.
I recommend reheating this creamy soup in a saucepan over medium heat. After it’s heated through, add another dash of cream and stir together.
Recipe Variations
- Make this potato soup recipe spicy with some additional cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
- You can use whatever cheese you’d like. Try pepper jack, Swiss cheese, or Monterey jack cheese.
- Top this cheesy potato soup with extra cheese, sour cream, and green onions.
- Make this delicious soup in the slow cooker! Add all ingredients except for the cheese and half & half. Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours, until the potatoes are soft. Use the immersion blender to puree the soup, then stir in the cheese and half and half. Put the lid back on for a few minutes to let the cheese melt, then top with bacon and serve.
Cooking Tips
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can very carefully add a few ladles of soup to a blender or food processor and blend until pureed. Do this in batches, because the soup is very hot.
- If your soup is too thick, add another 1-2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- I recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. I like to use a food processor. Store-bought shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients that can prevent it from melting well.
- You don’t have to peel the potatoes, but you’ll have pieces of the skin this way. It will be good either way.
If you loved this recipe, be sure to leave a 5 Star review below, and tag me with a photo of your finished recipe on Instagram @Jacqui_DishingDelish!
Potato Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 large leeks, white parts only, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- 4 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, (optional)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, gluten free
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 pieces bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or soup pot
- 1 Immersion blender
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt butter and add onion, leeks, and garlic. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until the onions and leeks start to soften.
- Add the potatoes and spices and stir everything together. Cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and bring everything to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Let soup simmer for about 10-12 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until everything is smooth. You can also leave a few pieces of potato whole here for texture, so you'll have some chunks of potato in the soup.
- Stir in the cheese and half and half. Stir everything together and cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Top with chives and bacon pieces and serve.
Notes
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can very carefully add a few ladles of soup to a blender or food processor and blend until pureed. Do this in batches, because the soup is very hot.
- If your soup is too thick, add another 1-2 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth.
- I recommend buying a block of cheese and shredding it yourself. Store-bought shredded cheese has anti-caking ingredients that can prevent it from melting well.
Nutrition
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