This cheesy potato soup recipe is the ultimate comfort food, packed with hearty potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and a creamy goodness that will warm you from the inside out. It's a great way to use simple ingredients and create a delicious soup that's perfect for any occasion.
Why You'll Love It
This cheesy potato soup recipe with sour cream and onion potato chips is the perfect vegetarian soup for cozy nights when you need something warm, creamy, and comforting.
The combination of caramelized onions, sharp cheddar cheese, and creamy potatoes creates a velvety texture that's rich and satisfying and packed with so much flavor.
And best of all, this creamy soup does not require an immersion blender or baking the potatoes ahead of time. The texture of the soup is still thick and creamy even though there's no heavy cream or whole milk.
This recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen, like chicken broth, sour cream, and green onions.
Not only is it packed with great flavors, but this potato cheese soup also incredibly easy to make and super versatile.
You can make it in a large pot, Dutch oven, or even a slow cooker if you're looking for a hands-off approach.
Or if you want to switch things up, skip the chips andadd crispy bacon, tater tots, and more cheese on top for that next level of indulgence.
Oh and not to mention, this creamy potato soup is a great option for meal prep since it stores well in an airtight container for 3-4 days, making it easy to enjoy leftovers.
Here's everything you need to know about this creamy cheesy potato soup. So let's dig in and make a big bowl together!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here is everything you need to know to make this creamy cheesy potato soup. Don't forget to get the ingredient quantities at the bottom of this post in the printable recipe card.
- Salted Butter: Salted butter adds richness and depth to the soup. You can use unsalted butter if you prefer to control the salt level but just add an extra pinch of kosher salt to make up for it..
- Olive Oil: Adding a little olive oil helps to sauté the onions in the butter without burning. You could substitute with vegetable oil or another neutral oil like avocado oil if needed.
- Sweet Onions: Vidalia onions bring a natural sweetness when caramelized. Yellow onions, white onions or red onions can work as a substitute.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a punch of flavor. Garlic powder can be used in a pinch. But please avoid the pre-minced jarred garlic if you can.
- Green Onions: Scallions add freshness and a pop of color. You can swap with fresh chives if desired. But this ingredient really helps with that sour cream and onion flavor profile.
- All Purpose Flour: Flour helps to thicken the soup. Gluten-free flour works for a gluten-free version.
- Chicken Broth: Provides a savory base. Substitute with vegetable broth for a vegetarian option.
- Baking Potatoes: I always opt for Russet Potatoes when making this cheesy potato soup recipe. Yukon gold potatoes, red potatoes or fingerling potatoes are also perfect for a creamy texture.
- Sharp Cheddar Cheese: Cheddar adds bold, cheesy flavor but feel free to mix it up and use white cheddar, asiago, or even colby jack. And if you want to add even more extra cheese, you know that my answer is always YES!
- Sour Cream: A cup of sour cream gives this perfect soup a tangy, creamy finish. Whole fat greek yogurt or cream cheese can be a substitute, too.
- Optional Additions: Although this soup is already perfect as-is, here are a few things that you can use to make this soup even more flavorful. Try adding a few dashes of hot sauce, worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce), or mustard powder to really up the umami. You can even add bacon bits to make this more of a baked potato soup.
How to Make It
Here are the detailed steps to make this cheesy potato soup recipe. It's super easy and only uses one pot!
CARAMELIZE ONIONS: Add salted butter and olive oil to a large pot over medium heat. Once melted, add sweet onions with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and cook for about 15 minutes until the onions are beginning to caramelize just slightly.
ADD GARLIC AND GREEN ONIONS: Stir in the garlic and green onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the garlic is tender and fragrant.
THICKEN WITH FLOUR: Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the flour darkens slightly.
ADD BROTH AND POTATOES: Pour in the chicken broth and add the diced potatoes. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
MAKE IT CREAMY: Turn the heat down to low and stir in the sour cream and room temperature sharp cheddar cheese until melted and creamy. Season with kosher salt and black pepper to taste.
GARNISH AND SERVE: Serve hot, topped with additional shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, green onions, and crushed sour cream and onion potato chips.
SAVE: You can place any leftover potato soup in an airtight container and keep it for for 3-4 days.
What to Serve with this cozy recipe?
Besides some crusty bread slathered in salty butter, here are a few easy recipes that go really well with this cheesy potato soup.
- Caprese Pasta Salad Recipe
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Grilled Cheese Sandwich
- Prosciutto & Burrata Sandwich Sliders with Fig Jam & Arugula
- Easy Cheesy Meatball Sliders Recipe (on Hawaiian Rolls)
- Easy Classic Southern Deviled Eggs with Relish
Recipe
One Pot Creamy Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe with Sour Cream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Salted Butter
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 large Sweet Onions
- 5 cloves Garlic finely diced
- 3 stalks Green Onion finely diced (plus more for garnish)
- ½ cup Flour
- 2 32 oz boxes Organic Chicken Broth (I'm using Pacific Foods)
- 3 cups Russet Potatoes finely Diced
- 2 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese room temperature
- 1 cup Sour Cream
For Garnish:
- Green Onion thinly sliced
- Sour Cream
- Cheddar Cheese shredded
- Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips crumbled
Instructions
- Add salted butter and olive oil to a large pot over medium heat.
- Once melted, add onions, a pinch of salt, and stir. Cook down for 15 minutes or until they’re beginning to caramelize.
- Stir in garlic and green onion, and cook for 3 more minutes or until garlic is tender and fragrant.
- Stir in the flour (it will be slightly chunky) and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly darkened.
- Add in the chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Drop the heat to low then stir in sour cream and sharp cheddar cheese.
- Season to taste with kosher salt (I recommend about a half tsp) and some fresh cracked black pepper.
- Serve hot with additional sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, and crushed sour cream and onion potato chips.
MacKenzie Smith
My fam gave this a 10 out of 10 so i hope you enjoy it as much as we do!