Cheesy Potato Soup

This Cheesy Potato Soup recipe is easy to make with creamy mashed potatoes, caramelized onions, and 3 kinds of cheese! It has the BEST combination of flavors and makes a great freezer meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: cups

Calories: 340kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Seasonings

½ teaspoon each: dried parsley, oregano, mustard powder
¼ teaspoon each: dried thyme, pepper

For the Potatoes

2 lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes can sub russet
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cream cheese softened
¾ cup sour cream

Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion or 2 small
3 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon hot sauce
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups half and half
1 ¾ cups cheddar cheese shredded
¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded

Optional Garnishes

Green Onions or Chives
Crumbled Bacon
Extra Cheese

Instructions

Caramelize the Onions

Note: If you are short on time, soften 1 medium yellow onion for 10 minutes or so and skip the full caramelization.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Dice the onions a little larger than you normally would as they reduce in size during caramelizing (see process shots above).
Add the onions to the pot and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium-low and caramelize for 45 minutes, stirring often. While they caramelize, cook the potatoes and measure out remaining ingredients.

Cook the Potatoes

Peel the potatoes and cut them into ¾-inch slices. Submerge them in a large pot of cool water so that they’re covered by 2 inches. Gradually bring them to a gentle boil and add ¾ teaspoon of salt (boiling gently ensures they cook evenly and stay intact.) Cook until they’re very fork tender, about 15 minutes.
Drain and return them to the warm pot they cooked in. Add the cream cheese and the sour cream but let the steam escape from the potatoes for about 10 minutes prior to mashing. Then mash until creamy, (don’t over-mash or they will become gluey). Set aside.

Make the Soup

Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic, hot sauce, and soy sauce and cook for 1 minute.
Add the flour and toss to coat. Cook for 1-2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the chicken broth in splashes, stirring to incorporate. Add the half and half in the same manner. Add the seasonings.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the mashed potatoes and use a potato masher to incorporate the potatoes into the soup. Alternatively, you can briefly use an immersion blender or regular blender to create a completely smooth consistency.
Reduce heat to low and gradually sprinkle in the cheddar and Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously.
Garnish with chives, bacon, or cheese if desired and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips

You can’t taste the soy sauce, hot sauce, or mustard powder in this recipe, they are used as flavor enhancers.
2 lbs. potatoes is equal to about 5 large Yukon gold potatoes or 4 large Russets.
For thicker soup: Let it simmer and thicken with the lid off. For thinner soup: Add additional chicken broth or some milk.
Use high quality cheese shredded from a block, it makes a huge difference in the finished result. I use Cracker Barrel Yellow Cheddar and Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
Gruyere or Gouda cheese can be used instead of cheddar if preferred, it complements the caramelized onions nicely.
Vegetable broth can be used instead of chicken broth for a vegetarian option.
The potatoes are boiled separately for this recipe instead of right in the broth so that we can rid them of excess starch prior to adding them to the soup. Otherwise the soup could end up with a gummy consistency.

Storage

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat well.

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