It's soup season! So whip out your soup pot! You're only 30 minutes away from eating this super easy creamy potato soup! Chunks of potato and pieces of smoky bacon in a creamy soup will fight off that winter chill! Serve this old-fashioned soup with hot rolls, crackers, or even in a bread bowl!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Just 6 simple ingredients plus some salt and pepper to taste
- This creamy bacon potato soup is ready in 30 minutes!
- Not thickened with flour! This recipe is gluten-free!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken Broth - This soup is best when you make your chicken broth from a chicken base rather than a granulated bouillon. A base is a super-concentrated broth or chicken stock that is not dried or dehydrated. It retains flavor rather than going stale.
- White Pepper - you can substitute black pepper, but if you haven't tried white pepper, I can guarantee you'll love it! I hardly ever use black pepper anymore because white tastes so much better!
- Whole Milk - You can substitute 2 percent milk; however, the soup won't be as thick or as creamy. If you use lower-fat milk, you can always add a cup of heavy cream to make up for the lower fat in the milk. You can also use half and half in place of the whole milk.
- Bacon - I like to use thick, smoky bacon; however, any bacon is fine. You could use leftover ham in place of the bacon or a bag of real bacon bits. If you choose to do this, you will need a little olive oil to sauté' the celery and onions as the recipe uses the bacon drippings for that.
- Potatoes - Russet potatoes are best to use for this soup. They hold up well and thicken the soup as well. Yukon gold potatoes are not good for soup as they tend to fall apart. See this article to learn more about different Types of Potatoes.
How To Make
- Begin by slicing the celery, chopping the onions, slicing up the bacon, and peeling and dicing the potatoes to your preferred size. I like my potato pieces rather small.
- TIP: Bacon is easier to slice up when it's partially frozen.
- Heat a large pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the sliced bacon pieces and cook until nearly done.
- Drain and discard all but a tablespoon or so of the bacon grease from the pot and add the celery and the onion.
- Cook until the bacon is done and the celery and onions are lightly sautéed.
- Add the diced potatoes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring the contents of the pot to a boil,
- Turn the heat down to medium heat and cook at a low boil until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Warm up the milk slightly and add it to the soup.
- Heat soup over a low heat until hot. Do not let it boil again at this point to avoid the milk breaking.
- Add the white pepper and salt to taste.
- Serve!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
Potatoes act as their own thickeners. If you want this soup extra thick, cut up an extra potato to cook with the soup. You can either leave the soup with the extra potatoes or, before you add the milk, spoon out roughly a cup of potatoes and mash them up with a potato masher or blend them with an immersion blender and stir them back into the soup. You could also ladle out a ½ cup of soup liquid before adding the milk and whisk in 2-3 Tbs. of potato starch. Whisk that mixture into the soup.
You can sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese and thinly sliced green onions on top! Some people even like a little bit of sour cream, too, for more of a loaded potato soup.
This soup lasts 3-4 days in the fridge. Unfortunately, this soup doesn't freeze well, in my opinion. The texture just isn't the same after freezing. You can, however, prepare this recipe a day early, store it in the fridge, and reheat it on the stove.
More of the BEST Soup Recipes
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Easy Potato Bacon Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Bacon
- ½ Cup Onions chopped
- 1 Cup Celery chopped
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 3 Cups Potatoes peeled & cubed small
- 4 Cups Whole Milk slightly warmed (*see note)
- ¼-1/2 teaspoon White Pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Begin by slicing the celery, chopping the onions, slicing up the bacon, and peeling and dicing the potatoes to your preferred size. I like my potato pieces rather small.
- TIP: Bacon is easier to slice up when it's partially frozen.
- Heat a large pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add the sliced bacon pieces and cook until nearly done.
- Drain and discard all but a tablespoon or so of the bacon grease from the pot and add the celery and the onion.
- Cook until the bacon is done and the celery and onions are lightly sautéed.
- Add the diced potatoes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring the contents of the pot to a boil,
- Turn the heat down to medium heat and cook at a low boil until the potatoes are cooked through.
- Warm up the milk slightly and add it to the soup.
- Add the white pepper and salt to taste.
Notes
- Chicken Broth - This soup is best when you make your chicken broth from a chicken base rather than a granulated bouillon. A base is a super-concentrated broth or chicken stock that is not dried or dehydrated. It retains flavor rather than going stale.
- White Pepper - you can substitute black pepper, but if you haven't tried white pepper, I can guarantee you'll love it! I hardly ever use black pepper anymore because white tastes so much better!
- Whole Milk - You can substitute 2 percent milk; however, the soup won't be as thick or as creamy. If you use lower-fat milk you can always add a cup of heavy cream to make up for the lower fat in the milk. You can also use half and half in place of the whole milk.
- Bacon - I like to use thick smoky bacon; however, any bacon is fine. You could use leftover ham in place of the bacon. If you choose to do this, you will need a little olive oil to saute' the celery and onions as the recipe uses bacon drippings for that.
- Potatoes - Russet potatoes are best to use for this soup. They hold up well and thicken the soup as well. See this article to learn more about different
- Nutritional Disclaimer
Kate
Absolutely packed with flavour - perfect comfort food for a chilly evening, thanks so much!
Michele
So creamy and delicious. Pure comfort food at its best! Thanks for a great recipe!
Amy
Such a comforting soup, perfect now that the weather is getting colder!
Rika
This was so simple to make and delish! The bacon gives the soup so much flavor.
Ashley F.
Soups are on repeat here during the fall and winter so we are always happy to try new ones! This was so tasty!