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This creamy and cheesy potato soup recipe is a family favorite with its super comforting rich cheddar broth! It’s simple to make in just 35 minutes and uses everyday ingredients.
Try my Easy Broccoli Cheddar Soup or Cheesy Sausage Potato Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
When I made my Easy Baked Potato Soup, I thought I’d perfected potato soup, but this creamy and fabulously cheesy cheddar potato soup might just rival it! It’s everything you dream of when you picture a velvety, decadent, and cozy soup on a chilly day.
This potato cheese soup is one of those soups that you might think is tricky to get perfect, but it has very few ingredients and really simple steps! It takes just over half an hour to cook and get it on the table to feed hungry mouths. It’s definitely a kid-friendly soup.
Why you’ll love it
- Butter – for sautéing
- Onion, celery, and garlic – our flavorful aromatic base. I like sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Flour – to thicken the broth
- Chicken broth – for additional savory flavor. You can use veg broth instead.
- Heavy cream – this makes the broth ridiculously creamy
- Worcestershire sauce – it brings a savory quality and enhances flavor a ton! I wouldn’t recommend skipping it.
- Potatoes – I like to use Russet potatoes since they’re nice and starchy and soften up in the soup, but you could sub with a different variety that you’ve got on hand
- Cheddar cheese – the star of the soup. A block of Tillamook is a good option.
- Chives – I love garnishing with fresh chives, but it’s optional
Pro tip
Use a good-quality cheddar that you grate yourself for this recipe since the taste really shines through. Don’t buy the pre-shredded bagged kind since it won’t melt as well.
How to make cheesy potato soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
In a soup pot, sauté the onion and celery in the butter until softened, then stir in the garlic and flour for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the broth until the flour has dissolved.
Add in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, and potatoes. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Turn the heat off. Stir in the cheddar, give it a taste, and then season generously with salt & pepper to bring out the flavors. Garnish with fresh chives if using.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I love my Le Creuset Dutch oven, and here’s a budget-friendly Lodge Dutch oven I recommend as well.
- It only takes me a few minutes to grate the cheddar with this grater, and it’s convenient how this butter dish has markings on it for easy measuring.
- This sturdy ladle is fantastic for avoiding spills.
Substitutions and variations
- If you need this to be a vegetarian potato soup, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and omit the Worcestershire sauce (or use a vegetarian one). Keep in mind it’ll be a bit less flavorful, so you may want to add a spoonful of vegetable bouillon paste such as Better Than Bouillon’s vegetable base.
- This soup is extra delicious if you top each bowl with some crumbled Oven Cooked Bacon!
- I like to garnish with chives fresh from my garden, but scallions would work too.
What to serve with this potato soup
- It’s great by itself, but you could definitely serve it with a slice of fresh bread. Or try Garlic Bread or knots.
- A simple side salad would complement it great. Give my 10-minute Caesar Dressing a go or this Creamy Balsamic Dressing with spring mix. This Creamy Pesto Dressing is a bright way to change it up.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge in a tightly sealed container.
- This soup will thicken up more the longer it sits, so you may need to add a splash of cream or chicken broth when reheating if needed. Warm over a low heat in a saucepan, stirring occasionally.
- I don’t recommend freezing this soup because of the dairy.
If you made this cheesy potato soup recipe, please leave a star rating and review below! I’d love to hear from you. Tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram with your creations.
Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 6 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth or veggie broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1.5 pounds Russet potatoes peeled & diced
- 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese + extra for serving shredded
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Fresh chives optional
Instructions
- Add the butter to a pot over medium heat, and once it's melted, add the onion and celery and sauté for 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and flour. Cook for about 2 minutes, breaking it up with your spoon/stirring it as you go along (this cooks the raw flour taste out).
- Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until all the flour has dissolved/there's no lumps.
- Stir in the cream, Worcestershire sauce, and potatoes. Crank the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat so it's simmering but not boiling rapidly (medium-low heat works with my cast iron pot & gas stove). Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.
- Let the soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has thickened up. I stir it a few times to ensure nothing is sticking and that the stove's temperature is still correct.
- Turn the stove off, and stir in the cheddar gradually.
- Season generously with salt & pepper. Serve and top bowls with extra cheddar and chopped chives (if using).
Notes
- Use a good quality cheddar since this soup doesn’t have a lot of ingredients and you’ll really taste it.
- I love using Lawry’s seasoning salt in here instead of regular salt.
- If the soup seems too thick, add in a splash more chicken broth (milk or cream works too). Keep in mind it’ll thicken up more as it cools so you may need to add more liquid when reheating.
- Serves 4-6 depending on how much people eat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hi! Can you make this in the crockpot?!
Hi Loreen! Unfortunately this wouldn’t be an easy adaptation that I can think of due to the roux. I don’t want to guess as I haven’t made something like this in the slow cooker before – sorry!
I’m Pamela Giles. My family loved the potato soup. I fried up some crisp bacon pieces and added a bit more sharp cheddar cheese for a topping on the soup.
Love that!! Thanks for your review, Pamela!
I tried your beer cheese soup and my husband and I both loved it! Now, on to the potato soup!!! I have a feeling that I will enjoy all your recipes so I’m going to try to get to your website to follow. Thanks so much. You’ve made this old lady enjoy cooking again!!!!
That is so nice to hear, Debra!! 😀 I’m so happy you found me and that the beer cheese soup was a hit. Let me know how you like this one!
Absolutely marvelous!!
Thank you, Mary!!
Yummmmm- made this for a school contest and it was gone within minutes and people were crabby they couldn’t get seconds, (we won the contest)
Wow that’s awesome!! 😀 Thanks for letting me know!
So simple and delicious. I saved this and plan to make it many times. This recipe is perfect.
Thank you so much, Sarah!!
Creamy and delicate soup. But filing and hearty at the same time?! Simply delicious. I stirred in a handful of chives when cheese was melting. Also added in an extra 4 oz of Velveeta cheese. This is heaven with some Hawaiian rolls to dunk in your soup.
Sounds like an amazing meal! We’re so happy you enjoyed the soup, Renee! 🙂
Super easy to make and extremely yummy! The kids also loved it, which is a win for me!
That’s awesome!!
I made this for my son and daughter-in-law last night, they just had a baby this week and I wanted comfort food that wouldn’t transfer to her milk. They loved it! Your site is my go-to cookbook! Thanks!
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad it was a hit. 🙂 And I appreciate you coming back for more recipes, Larry!
How many potatoes is a pound & a half? I’m using russets. Thank you!
They vary so much in individual size… so that’s why I give a total weight. At a guess, it’s anywhere from 2-3 depending on the size of the potatoes. If you’re using fairly large ones, I’d probably use 2, but it’s so subjective that I can’t really give you an accurate answer. I just weigh them at the grocery store, but kitchen scales are inexpensive and handy for things like this. 🙂