This is a super creamy and flavorful Potato Soup made with red potatoes (new potatoes). The best part is that it is finished with a whole block of Garlic and Herb Boursin Cheese! Serve this potato soup loaded up with crispy bacon, cheese and green onions.
We love a good potato soup recipe around here, if you do too, check out this recipe for Potato Leek Soup or Instant Pot Creamy Potato Soup.
Why This Recipe is Amazing
- The recipe starts by making crispy bacon, then the bacon grease is used to cook the veggies.
- You choose if you want to peel the potatoes or leave the skins on.
- Smash up the potatoes for texture or leave them whole for a smoother soup.
- Instead of sour cream this potato soup is finished with a whole block of Herb & Garlic Boursin Cheese. YUM!
Ingredients
Here is what you need to make this Creamy Red Potato Soup, and some tips on a few ingredients.
Red Potatoes – These are sometimes called new potatoes, b- potatoes or baby reds. They are a smaller, soft potato with red skin.
You can choose to peel the potatoes or leave the skin on. The red skin is very thin and cooks through nicely if you choose to leave it on.
Boursin Cheese – It is a brand of Gournay Cheese. Soft and creamy in texture and FULL of flavor! It melts perfectly into the Red Potato Soup adding thickness and flavor.
You can find it in your local grocery store. You will find it either by the cheese, specialty cheese or deli.
Step-by-Step Picture Instructions
In a large pot over medium heat cook the diced bacon until it is crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon, set aside.
Discard all but 2 tablespoon bacon drippings from the pot.
In the reserved bacon drippings, sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes.
Pro Tip: As the veggies release their liquid scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the 2 tablespoon butter the pot and melt then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Slowly whisk in the 4 cups chicken broth or chicken stock.
Add in the chicken base, salt, pepper, onion powder and cut potatoes.
Pop the lid on the pot and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Pro tip – Make sure to test a couple potatoes before moving on to the next steps.
Reduce the heat to low.
At this point you can mash some of the potatoes if you like. Use a potato masher, fork or wooden spoon to smash a few or a lot of the potatoes.
Stir in the half and half and Boursin Cheese. Warm over low heat until the Boursin is completely melted.
Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Pro Tip- If you like your soup even thicker you can stir in a few tablespoons of instant potato flakes! Let them cook and thicken the soup for about 4-5 minutes.
Make Ahead
You can absolutely make this soup ahead, like chili, it gets even better with time!
Make it up to 3 days ahead and reheat over low, medium-low on the stove top.
I would not recommend freezing the soup because of the cream and cheese content.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t cut your potatoes too far ahead of time. They will brown the longer the flesh is exposed to the air.
- Place the cooked bacon pieces on a paper towel lined plate for the grease to drain.
- Cut the carrots and celery about ¼ inch thick and the potatoes in a ½ inch dice. It is the perfect thickness for everything to cook together.
- Test a couple potatoes for doneness before adding the cream and cheese.
Recipe FAQ’s
Absolutely not! The red potato skins are actually quite thin and will cook nicely in the soup. Leaving the skin on also provides structure for the potatoes if you choose to leave the pieces whole.
If you like your potato soup a little thicker you can add a few tablespoons of dried potato flakes. They thicken the soup perfectly! Another option is mashing together 1 tablespoon of room temperature butter and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, stir it into the soup while it simmers.
Related Recipes
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Creamy Red Potato Soup
Equipment
- Large pot with a lid
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 1 cup carrots cut into ¼ inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon chicken base
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 lbs red potatoes cubed ½ inch pieces, peeled or unpeeled
- 2 cups half and half
- 5.2 oz Garlic and Fine Herb Boursin Cheese
Garnish
- crispy bacon, cheese, green onions
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat cook the bacon until it is crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon, set aside.
- Discard all but 2 tablespoon bacon drippings from the pot.
- In the bacon drippings sauté the onions, carrots, celery and garlic for about 5 minutes. Pro Tip: As the veggies release their liquid scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the 2 tablespoon butter the pot and melt.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly whisk in the 4 cups chicken broth.
- Add in the chicken base, salt, pepper, onion powder and cut potatoes.
- Pop the lid on the pot and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender. Pro tip – Make sure to test a couple potatoes before moving on to the next steps.
- Reduce the heat to low. At this point you can mash some of the potatoes if you like. Use a potato masher, fork or wooden spoon to smash a few or a lot of the potatoes.
- Stir in the half and half and Boursin Cheese. Warm over low heat until the Boursin is completely melted.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Serving
- Serve bowls of your Red Potato Soup loaded up with the crispy bacon, cheese, and green onions.
Notes:
- Don’t cut your potatoes too far ahead of time. They will brown the longer they are exposed to the air.
- Place the cooked bacon pieces on a paper towel lined plate for the grease to drain.
- Cut the carrots and celery about ¼ inch thick and the potatoes in a ½ inch dice. It is the perfect thickness for everything to cook together.
- Test a couple potatoes for doneness before adding the cream and cheese.
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Kelly
Absolutely LOVED this soup, can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
B. Branford
This is a very delicious and hearty soup, but mine was much too salty (and I use strict measurements in the kitchen). I think my issue stemmed from using bouillon cubes to make my broth. Next time I will use low-sodium broth and skip adding the kosher salt. Instead, I’ll add salt to each individual serving as desired.
Jessica
By far the best potato recipe I’ve tried! I was very skeptical at first at the fact that the carrots and celery weren’t blended up broken down but it makes the soup unique! I have never left a review on a recipe before but this needed a review, it was absolutely delicious
Susie Weinrich
Hi Jessica- Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I truly appreciate it. I am so glad you loved the soup.
Tina w
Delicious! I didn’t have half + half but the flour worked great. Perfect for this rainy day!
Thank you!!