Potato Soup Recipe • 5★

Published October 10, 2023

Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

Luxurious, warm and filling, this classic soup checks all of the comfort food boxes. As the creamy Yukon gold potatoes cook, they release starches and thicken the broth. Half of the soup is blended for a contrast of textures, while the smoked paprika adds warmth, complementing the flavors of the bacon. Use as much cream as you like, but don’t be shy with it — it’s a welcome companion that doesn’t weigh down the soup, but rather lightens it. To serve, set up a toppings bar as you would for baked potatoes.

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6 slices bacon (about 10 ounces), diced into ½-inch pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (about 6 medium), peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

¼ teaspoon ancho chile powder, optional

4 cups chicken broth

½ to 1 cup heavy cream, to taste

Shredded cheddar cheese and finely chopped chives, for serving

Step 1Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon; set aside to use later as a topping.

Heat a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate with a slotted spoon; set aside to use later as a topping.

Step 2Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot. Over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, stir in the celery, onion, carrot and garlic; season with a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

Leave 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot. Over medium heat, add the butter. Once melted, stir in the celery, onion, carrot and garlic; season with a little salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.

Step 3Stir in the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the thyme, smoked paprika and chile powder (if using). Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. As the soup simmers, taste the broth and add salt if needed. Stir in as much heavy cream as you like and remove from the heat.

Stir in the potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the thyme, smoked paprika and chile powder (if using). Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broth, increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. As the soup simmers, taste the broth and add salt if needed. Stir in as much heavy cream as you like and remove from the heat.

Step 4Transfer half of the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and cook on medium-low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend about half the soup in the pot.) Add more heavy cream, salt and pepper, if desired, and serve in bowls topped with bacon, cheese and chives.

Transfer half of the soup to a blender and process until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and cook on medium-low, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender and blend about half the soup in the pot.) Add more heavy cream, salt and pepper, if desired, and serve in bowls topped with bacon, cheese and chives.

It's' quite a stretch to say that this soup is not palatable without "a lot of editing", especially because the recipe recommends toppings such as what would be used for baked potatoes. Not everyone "needs" hot sauce on everything. Cheese and chives are recommended. Ancho chile, paprika, and garlic add sufficient flavor for many of us.

It's one thing to say that the recipe wasn't spicy enough for you; no need to completely pan the recipe.

An immersion blender is the way to go. It eliminates the chore of transferring back and forth and washing up. Immersion blenders, IMO, are a kitchen must-have!

What this soup needs is a leek.

Perfect as it is, yet easy to riff. I created a mix of fresh parmesan and sharp cheddar with chopped fresh parsley to sprinkle on top. Lots of fresh ground black pepper livens it up! This recipe is in rotation throughout the fall and spring.

Good soup! I made it without the bacon and used veggie broth so that I could have a vegetarian version, then my husband cooked bacon on the side so he could add chopped bacon. We were both happy. The ancho chili powder gives it a subtle little kick. Might add bay leaf next time

Love this soup-made it with half n’ half, yellow potatoes. I put a slice of meatloaf right out of the oven in it and then made the salad from the NYT chicken schnitzel recipe to have alongside. It supports anything with a bite that you add. I think it would be fabulous with kielbasa.

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024500-potato-soup