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This old fashioned potato soup recipe is pure comfort in a bowl – creamy, simple, and made with just 4 ingredients like grandma used to make. It’s a silky, nostalgic soup with naturally thickened broth from the potatoes themselves. Load it up with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and sour cream for the ultimate loaded experience, or keep it simple and let the wholesome potato flavor shine through.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- This is potato soup at its purest and most comforting (soo good) – just 4 simple ingredients create that classic, old-fashioned flavor that tastes like a warm hug from grandma. No fancy add-ins or complicated techniques, just wholesome, homestyle goodness that hits the spot every single time in my household.
- You can have this on the table in about 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for those nights when you need something warming and satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen.
- The awesomeness of this soup is its versatility as a blank canvas for your favorite toppings. Load it up with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, tangy sour cream, and fresh green onions, or keep it simple and let the creamy potato flavor shine. You’re in control of how indulgent or basic you want to go!
- This soup is family-friendly. Everyone loves it, and it’s so adaptable to not only different toppings but can also be reheated during the week. You can keep it in the fridge for about 3 days.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- Since this is an old-fashioned recipe without flour, cheese, or heavy cream, the consistency will be thinner than modern loaded potato soups. For a thicker result, mash more of the potatoes (aim for 75% instead of 50%), leaving fewer chunks. The more potato starch you release into the liquid, the creamier and thicker your soup will be. You can also let it simmer an extra 5-10 minutes to reduce the liquid further.
- Once you add the milk, you want a gentle simmer with just small bubbles forming around the edges – never let it come to a rolling boil. Boiling milk can cause it to curdle and separate, which would ruin your soup’s silky texture. Medium to medium-low heat is your best friend here.
- Whole milk gives you the creamiest, most satisfying result. Reduced-fat or skim milk will work, but your soup will be noticeably thinner. If you’re using a plant-based alternative, stick with full-fat, unsweetened options like coconut milk or oat milk for that full-body richness.
- That starchy cooking liquid is the ticket to adjusting your soup’s consistency. If your soup gets too thick after simmering or cooling, add the reserved water back in a few tablespoons at a time until you reach your ideal texture. It’s already seasoned and full of potato flavor, so it won’t dilute your soup like plain water does.
Recipe Variations
Make it Loaded: Transform this simple soup into a loaded baked potato soup by stirring in 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, ½ cup sour cream, and 6 strips of crumbled crispy bacon. Top individual servings with extra cheese, bacon, sour cream, and sliced green onions. Kids looove the loaded version.
Add Extra Veggies: Sauté 2 diced carrots and 2 diced celery stalks along with the onion for added nutrition and flavor. You can also stir in 1 cup frozen corn or peas during the last 5 minutes of simmering.
Make it Creamy and Thick: For a restaurant-style consistency, substitute 1 cup of the milk with heavy cream, and add 2 tablespoons flour to the butter when you sauté the onions to create a roux. This will give you a much thicker, more indulgent soup.
Add Fresh Herbs: Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill, parsley, or chives just before serving for a bright, fresh finish that complements the earthy potatoes beautifully.
Make it Smoky: Add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika along with the salt and pepper, and top with crumbled bacon and smoked gouda cheese for a campfire-inspired twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
Russet potatoes work best because they’re high in starch and break down easily to create a creamy texture. Yukon golds are a great alternative with a slightly buttery flavor. Avoid waxy potatoes like red potatoes or fingerlings – they hold their shape too dang well and won’t thicken the soup properly!
Old-fashioned potato soup is naturally thinner than modern loaded potato soups that use flour, heavy cream, or cheese as thickeners. To thicken yours, mash more of the potatoes (75% instead of 50%), let it simmer longer to reduce the liquid, or add a bit less milk to start with and thin it out with the reserved potato water as needed.
Yes! This soup actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors have time to meld. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The soup will thicken as it sits, so you’ll want to add a splash of milk or some of that reserved potato water when reheating to loosen it back up.
I don’t recommend freezing this particular soup because dairy-based soups with potatoes tend to separate and become grainy when thawed. The potatoes can also get mealy and watery. If you really need to freeze it, the texture won’t be quite the same after reheating, though it’ll still taste good.
The classic combo is shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crispy bacon, and sliced green onions. But you can also try crumbled blue cheese, fresh chives, crispy fried onions, croutons, or a drizzle of truffle oil for something fancy. A dollop of pesto is also surprisingly delicious!
Keep your heat at medium or medium-low once you add the milk – never let it come to a rolling boil. You want just gentle, small bubbles around the edges. Also, make sure your milk is at room temperature before adding it to the hot potatoes, as this helps prevent temperature shock that can cause separation.
Yes, this does well in the Instant Pot (my favorite one is the Dream Cooker from Our Place)! Cook the chopped potatoes with 2 cups water on high pressure for 8 minutes, then quick release. Drain, reserving some liquid, then continue with the recipe on sauté mode. For a slow cooker, combine everything except the milk and cook on low for 6-7 hours, then stir in the milk and let it warm through before mashing.
More Yummy Potato Recipes
- Mashed Potato Soup
- Crockpot Swamp Potatoes
- Mashed Potato Pancakes
- Red Potato Salad
- Baked Potatoes on the Grill
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Casserole
- Mom’s Cheesy Potato Casserole
- Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup
- Roasted Potato Salad
- Pan Fried Potatoes
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Simple Sous Vide Potatoes
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Old Fashioned Potato Soup
Equipment
- Large pot
- water enough to cover potatoes
- Large wooden spoon
- Fork
- Bowl
- colander
- dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot
- Potato masher or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to boil potatoes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 cups whole milk or milk of choice, at room temperature
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add chopped potatoes to large pot. Fill pot with enough water that water sits 1" above top of potatoes. Add 1 to 2 pinches salt and stir to incorporate, then place pot on stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Bring water to gentle boil. Boil 10 to 15 minutes or until potatoes can easily be pierced with tines of fork but not fall apart.
- While potatoes boil, heat dutch oven over medium heat. When pot is warm, add putter and melt completely, moving butter around occasionally with large spoon to coat bottom of pot.
- When potatoes are ready, remove 1 cup of water from boiled potatoes and transfer water to small bowl. Pour remaining water and potatoes through colander to drain, then set potatoes aside.
- When butter is melted, add chopped onion. Sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened. Be careful not to burn butter.
- Remove pot with onions from heat. Add boiled potatoes, room-temperature milk, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pot. Stir to incorporate, then return pot to heat.
- Bring mixture to gentle simmer. Be careful not to boil milk – mixture should only develop small bubbles around edge of pot.
- Let mixture simmer gently 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove pot from heat. Use potato masher or immersion blender to mash or purée approximately 50% of potatoes, leaving remaining potatoes chunky as desired.
- If desired, stir in reserved liquid from boiling potatoes as needed to thin soup and achieve preferred consistency. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed, then portion into serving bowls and serve hot.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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It was very good! I might add chicken bouillon next time to the warm milk though. But this was easy to make and came together quickly. My whole family liked it.
Adding a bit of chicken bouillon sounds like a great idea. And so glad your family enjoyed it!
I have been making for years but found your recipes and it is a lot like mine but much better! The difference is I never let my milk get to room temperature or used onions. I will be using your recipe from here on out!
Thanks
We’re so glad it was a hit! Thanks for sharing, Rozalyn!
This recipe is the closest to my Grandma’s I’ve ever found. I knew she added garlic to just about everything so I sautéed 2 cloves of minced garlic with the onion and it was Heaven just like hers! Thank you for this recipe💜
We’re so glad it was so close to your Grandma’s! Thanks for sharing, Amy! 😊
My mom used to add hard boiled eggs to her potato soup!!!
How delicious!
Easy and very tasty. I did add bacon when serving. Delicious!
Bacon is a perfect topping! Thanks for sharing, Lynn. 🙂