Featured comment
Thank you very much for this gorgeous recipe! I made it today and it was much enjoyed. Very good. Wishing you peace and love.
Leslie Cartwright
I haven’t been excited about much in the last three months.
But here it is: I am, in fact, excited today about the start of a brand-new series.
It’s called Feeding a Broken Heart, and it’s a collection of recipes that are the food equivalent of a million hugs.
As you guys know, life has made me an expert on the topic of feeding a broken heart after the early birth and passing of our sweet baby boy, Afton, just two and half months ago. In the first few weeks after losing Afton, I found myself unable to eat. We’re talking about long periods of time with zero food. I know. Me. Food girl. Not able to eat food. It was all wrong, but my heart was so heavy. I just literally could not. There would be times that I would sit with a bowl of oatmeal in front of me and stir it and mix it and stare at it but literally not be able to take even one bite. “You need to eat,” everyone told me, and I knew it was true. Food would help me heal, both physically and emotionally. But not even the most silky smooth Pad Thai noodles or the warmest gooey chocolate brownies could work their magic on my broken heart. Food was straight-up offensive.
You have to understand: normally, I am a person whose life is built around food. Skipping breakfast, forgetting to eat lunch – who are the people who say these things? I have never understood.
But now I understand, in my own way. I became the opposite of hungry. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner would pass me by, either completely unnoticed, or with some misplaced frustration about how food was supposed to be appealing to me, and it wasn’t, and how could I be expected to like ANYTHING right now? My stomach was full of rock-heavy grief and my heart was – still is – will forever be, in some ways – broken to its core. In the beginning, there was no room for food in this sad house.
How To Make Our Creamy Potato Soup (1 Min):
But do you know what happened?
The helpers showed up. And they started bringing us meals.
Our friends reminded us of how to eat when we couldn’t even remember what we liked to eat or how to pour our own bowls of cereal. Sometimes they brought us Pinch of Yum favorites, and sometimes they delivered restaurant gift cards, and sometimes they introduced us to new recipes. Sometimes they dropped meals off and stayed for a visit, and sometimes they slipped away quietly, just leaving a card and maybe some flowers and a big Pyrex container of soup.
For example, basic + awesome creamy potato soup. 👇🏼
So before we talk about the food, I want you to know that this series is a close-up look at what it means to feed a broken heart, whether that broken heart belongs to you or someone you love. These are the recipes that brought (er, currently are bringing) me back to life.
And this series comes with a challenge: we want you to practice feeding a broken heart, whether that broken heart belongs to you or someone you love.
Join Our Mini-Movement:
- Think of someone who has a broken heart. I know, there are lots. Loss, breakup, diagnosis, anything. Got it?
- Make them one of the extra-comforting recipes in this series. Or… just any recipe. Or give them a restaurant gift card. Or bring them a chocolate bar. Use food to show them that you care.
- Show us your awesome love-sharing by using the hashtag #feedingabrokenheart. (Preferably on Instagram which is where I live my alternate internet life 24/7/365, but I guess anywhere will work. We check ’em all.)
As they come in, we will be rounding up some of your inspiring, love-filled stories and featuring them on our Feeding a Broken Heart page. ♡
And if you make THIS SPECIFIC basic + awesome creamy potato soup recipe, we would love to feature it on this post. 🤗
Alright now. A quick word about this creamy potato soup.
It is the epitome of back-to-basics comfort food. Pair it with a slice of crusty white bread (may I STRONGLY SUGGEST the no-knead bread?) with a thick slather of butter and a sprinkle of sea salt and the long-gone appetite is going to find it’s way back. Better yet, even if the appetite doesn’t show up, this is the kind of food that you can eat with no appetite because it’s mellow and basic in the best possible way. No flashy flavors or ingredients – just good ol’ potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and bites of bacon in a creamy homemade soup base.
Thank you to my sweet friend Liz for bringing this basic and wonderful soup into my life.
And psst. Guys. Don’t forget the bread.
Print
Basic + Awesome Creamy Potato Soup
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
Creamy Potato Soup – so simple and all-homemade, with carrots, celery, potatoes, milk, butter, flour, and bacon. perfect comfort food with no canned cream-of-anything soups.
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups mirepoix (celery, carrots, and onions, all minced)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of favorite seasoning (I’d recommend chicken seasoning mix which has thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc. – if it has salt, reduce the salt above)
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1–2 cups chicken broth
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (3 cups cubed)
Instructions
- Bacon Prep: Bake the bacon on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Crumble or cut into pieces.
- Soup Base: Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the mirepoix, garlic, salt, and seasoning and sauté until nice and soft. Add flour and stir with the vegetables for a few minutes to cook off any floury taste. Add milk, just a little bit at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth and creamy. The soup should start out very thick and eventually thin out as you add milk. Add the potatoes, and add chicken broth as needed to achieve the right consistency. For a thicker soup, you may not need as much of the broth.
- Simmer Time: Let the soup simmer for 30-40 minutes. The potato soup will thicken as it simmers, and even more as it cools down. I like to wait until the potatoes are almost melty, with their edges softened just a bit, before removing from heat. When ready to serve, crumble the bacon and stir it into the soup.
Equipment
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → 
Buy Now → - Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: potato soup, creamy soup, soup recipe
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our coziest comfort food recipes page. Check it out!
What is a chicken seasoning mix?
This soup is completely tasteless. It lacks and sort of flavor and spice.
This was delicious! I tweeked a couple things with the seasonings (added rosemary, oregano, basil, tiny bit of Marjory, and thyme) I also added some chicken better than bullion, I also added a little bit of tiny ham cubes from our holiday ham… made with homemade rolls. #chefskiss thank you so much!!!!
This is possibly the most delicious soup I’ve ever made, and it was comfort food for my aunt, for whom I am primary caregiver, as she experiences terminal ovarian cancer. I added a tablespoon of Penzey’s Fox Point seasoning blend, and before serving I stirred in a small tub of Trader Joe’s Unexpected Cheddar spread. Highly recommend!
I’m making it now and it looks delish- bet it also tastes amazing just wanted to drop a note before I forget- thank you!!!
Simple and oh so delicious. We really enjoyed it on a cold and rainy night.
Is there a way to make this gf that works well?
Hi Ashley! We haven’t tested this, but I think gf flour in place of regular flour will work!
Hi,
Thank you for you recipe. It’s really good content.
If you are looking for another good recipe, check this one: https://www.comptoirgourmand.co.uk/post/chocolate-puff-pastry-twist
Wilhelm
I have made this soup more than several times and it tastes always good! My boyfriend is a super super picky eater, but he’s approved this soup…lol I like this recipe only uses basic ingredients that I can find in the fridge.
So glad it’s been a hit, Sayo!
My favorite potato soup bar none. Withis I made 3 delicious meals by adding “extras”.
1 – Potato soup just as your directions.
2 – I took a portion from a double batch and used it as a base for the best ever seafood chowder, in fact, next time I made a double batch with a pound of scallops, a pound of garlic shrimp and 12oz of baby clams.
3 – Add roasted chicken to this and made the best tasting creamy alfredo sauce with linguine noodles. Even with the chunks of potato, it was awesome!
Those extras sound delicious, Ron! Thanks for sharing!
The soup turned out good although the bacon burned in the oven! Maybe my industrial oven is hotter than regular ovens… 🙁
Oh no! A little too crispy! Glad you enjoyed the soup though, Lauren! 😊
Made this last night and it was awesome. Didn’t even modify the recipe which I usually do. ❤️
So glad you enjoyed this, Cathy!
Just made this as part of my Corona quarantine and it was just what I needed! I used new potatoes and left most of the skin on, which was a great pop of color. Soup itself was delicious and super creamy! So cozy!
So glad you enjoyed the soup, Megan! 😊
Making this tonight for St. Patrick’s Day. Will try and post a pic. ❤️
Enjoy!
Thanks for this recipe! My 9yr old and I made this for our friend who is in hospice care. We added chicken stock and leeks to the mirepoix. And then added your recipe for no-knead bread! This was a welcone dinner for a home needing love and comfort. Thank you!
Love this, Sarah! ❤️
I used this recipe last night. I was making the mirepoix and thought to myself, “man, that sounds like jamiroquai!” So, as I am stirring my finely chopped vegetables in butter while loudly singing “virtual insanity”(because deliberately ticking off your pregnant wife is always the best move), the dog walked in. So, as I stir in the flour and cook off the flour flavor, the dog and I were in a very intense conversation about how she’s the bestest girl ever. During our heart felt talk, I accidentally grabbed the beef broth instead of the chicken and just started pouring away. I was almost through, and swore aloud. “*Explitive* now I’ll have to start over!!!” Then my genetic predisposition as a man to not admit I was actually wrong kicked in, so I soldiered on. When I finished cooking, it was like I was spooning liquid pot roast into my mouth, and I have never been so happy. My joy was so great, that my wife hated it by default, and didn’t even try, because it made me so happy. Later on, as I’m doing the dishes, and singing jamiroquai, I’m still very happy with your recipe, and as I go to sleep on the couch tonight because of my annoyances, I do so with a full belly, and new favorite potato soup recipe.
My family inhaled this so quickly I was barely able to snag a serving to share with my mom, much less a pretty picture for Instagram. Two weeks ago my dad died after battling cancer for 14 months. The first week I stayed with Mom while my husband held down the fort at home. We mostly ate what others fed us or what we could scavenge from past meals in the freezer. Last week (week 2) I started cooking again but the food hasn’t been interesting to me. This week (week 3), I remembered this series. I made the potato soup today and some cheddar chive biscuits. Finally, something really hit the spot and I think it will hit Mom’s spot, too. Thank you.
So so sorry to hear that about your dad, Anne. ❤️ Glad to hear this soup was what you needed right now.
Hi. I was just looking for a great creamy potato soup recipe and I picked your site. I’m heartbroken and deeply touched by your courage to share your son’s life story with us. He will always be with you and us. So, thank you for your recipes and giving all of us a true bond of humanity.
I found this recipe when you posted it on Facebook recently. I made it for dinner and it was amazing! For my seasonings I used sage, thyme, oregano and a teaspoon of roasted chicken bouillon, salt and pepper. Added a bit of parsley at the end and POW. So much so I just finished making a second batch and doubled it!
So happy to hear you enjoyed this soup, Sally!
It was ok. It needed….something..more pepper? Spice? It was bland. I omitted bacon because I’m a vegetarian. Maybe some BacOs would have added enough flavor.
Hey girl. I am so sorry for your loss. 🙁 it wrenches my heart and moves me to heavy breathlessness to hear you lost your baby. I have a 3 month old son and i cant imagine losing him. I am so so sorry. This recipe was amazing and so fun. Thank you for posting ❤
I added cayenne pepper to add some heat omg!!! Yummy!!! And because I’m a vegetarian I just used veggie stock and omitted the baccon.
Hello great recipe! I was just wondering do you have the nutrition facts for this?
We are missing our 2 furry members of the family, within 5 months we have lost both of these incredible dogs. I was searching for a potato soup and came across your site, then read your story on this and it was meant to be!
Looks delicious,going to make this for my daughter who is going thru a bad breakup. Sorry for your loss, and thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us.