Potato soup, quite simply, is a comfort soup for me. And these cold winter months are the perfect time to cozy up with something as warm and nourishing as a simple dinner of Creamy Potato Soup.
Versatile with Lactose-Free and Vegan Options
This is not the milky potato soup I remember as a child. If that’s was you’re looking for, you won’t find it here. But it is still made with simple whole foods. What has amazed me about this recipe is that it is so creamy and delicious without added milk or cream.
Since butter and Parmesan cheese have trace amounts of lactose, this soup is virtually lactose-free! Quite honestly, if you left out the Parmesan cheese and chose to stir-fry the vegetables in oil instead of butter, this soup would suddenly be dairy-free. But for those with slight lactose intolerance, this potato soup is perfect as is. It already goes a long way to cut down on the dairy.
And once you leave out the dairy, this Best Creamy Potato Soup is only one step from vegan. All that’s left is to swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and there you have it! Delicious vegan potato soup!
Creaminess Without the Cream
The secret to the creaminess is to mash the potatoes. Not all the potatoes, just enough to thicken the soup. Leave the rest of the carrots and potatoes as nice, satisfying chunks. To accomplish this, I simply use my immersion blender, but you could also remove 1 cup of the soup mixture to puree in a blender. Stir the pureed soup back into the pot to thicken.
A Crowd-pleasing Favorite
This recipe is included in my pdf ebook, Help! Company’s Coming! a free guide for the hurried hostess. The ebook contains quick and easy crowd-pleasing recipes that can be prepared quickly with common pantry items. Be sure to subscribe to my monthly email so that you can enjoy this fun recipe book that includes cute stories from my childhood as well.
The Recipe
I found the original version of this recipe in a Martha Stewart Food magazine Glad advertisement in 2003. The fact that I still use my adaptation of this potato soup means its a good one! It’s replaced my previous milky version and has been made in my kitchen for almost 20 years.
Best Potato Soup
This delicious, creamy soup gets its flavor from broth and veggies, and its creaminess from partial puree! Skip the Parmesan, swap out the butter to make this completely dairy-free! Then opt for veggie broth instead of chicken broth to make a tasty vegan recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp butter
- ¾ cup diced onion
- ¾ cup diced carrot
- ½ cup diced celery
- 1 ½ lbs red potatoes, cut into ¾ inch cubes (about 5 ½ cups)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups (32oz) chicken broth*
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, thyme and broth. Bring to a boil on high heat, then reduce heat. Simmer,
covered, until potatoes are tender; about 30 minutes. - Blend slightly with an immersion blender or puree 1 cup of soup in a blender and add back to pot.
- Season with pepper. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.
Notes
*may substitute vegetable broth.
I find this recipe has enough salt from the broth and the Parmesan cheese. Any substitutions may require additional salt.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 236Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 330mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 3gSugar: 6gProtein: 8g
This soup is perfect for a last-minute dinner and chances are you already have the ingredients at home! So why not make Best Creamy Potato Soup for supper tonight?
