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Red Potato Soup

Red potato soup that uses red potato skins for a rustic, chunky texture and a creamy finish with cheddar and sour cream. Simmer until very tender, mash partly for body, then melt in cheese for a thick, comforting bowl.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (skins on)
  • 3 lb Red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (skins on) Keep skins on for rustic texture.
Onion, diced
  • 1 Onion, diced
Garlic, minced
  • 4 Garlic, minced
Bacon, diced
  • 4 strips Bacon, diced Cook until crisp; save drippings.
Chicken broth
  • 4 cup Chicken broth
Heavy cream
  • 1 cup Heavy cream
Sour cream
  • 0.5 cup Sour cream Used in the soup base; reserve extra for serving.
Shredded cheddar
  • 1.5 cup Shredded cheddar
Salt
  • 1 tsp Salt
Black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp Black pepper
Fresh dill, chopped
  • 2 tbsp Fresh dill, chopped
Green onions and extra sour cream for serving
  • 1 Green onions and extra sour cream for serving Serve on top for freshness and tang.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook bacon and aromatics
  1. Cook the diced bacon in a large pot until crisp, then remove and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the bacon drippings for 4 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Simmer potatoes until tender
  1. Add the chicken broth and the red potatoes with skins, then simmer for 18-20 minutes until very tender.
  2. Mash some of the potatoes in the pot to keep it chunky, letting the red skins create a rustic texture.
Make it creamy and season
  1. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream, then add the shredded cheddar and stir until melted.
  2. Season with salt and black pepper, then stir in the chopped fresh dill.
Serve
  1. Serve the soup with the reserved bacon, green onions, and extra sour cream on top.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the simmer gentle after adding broth so the potatoes stay intact before you mash for texture. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently to prevent the dairy from separating. Freezing is not recommended due to cream and sour cream texture changes. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (and keep cheddar the same) for a similar creamy finish.