Grandmother’s Potato Soup Recipe
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My Grandmother’s Potato Soup Recipe makes an old-fashioned, easy, comforting soup recipe. Made with 5 ingredients and no heavy cream! Instant Pot instructions included.
Soup always makes one of my favorite meals. Like our favorite vegetable soup and chicken and dumplings, this is one of the soups that I grew up loving the most. Before there was such a thing as loading a potato soup with bacon, cheese, and onions, my Grandmother Verdie made her potato soup very simply – with potatoes, milk, butter, and salt and pepper. If my sister Wendy and I knew that Grandmother made this soup for supper, we’d beg to be able to eat supper with her. With one bite, it is so easy to understand why!
The Best Potato Soup Recipe
You could add all sorts of things to this soup if you’d like, but I recommend starting with this simple, basic recipe and go from there. Most times, we would rather stick with this version than add a lot of other ingredients, like leeks, onions, and whatnot.
Simple really is best most of the time, isn’t it?
How to Make The Best Potato Soup Recipe
To make Grandmother’s easy potato soup recipe, you’ll only need a few ingredients and to follow a few steps.
Ingredients
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Potatoes – I prefer to use russets. You’ll need 2 pounds, about six medium. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes.
- Water – You will need enough fresh, clean water to cover the potatoes.
- Milk – I use whole milk in my potato soup. You can also use your favorite dairy-free milk substitute.
- Butter – the butter adds so much flavor to this soup.
- Salt and Pepper – add salt and pepper to taste for seasoning.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep potatoes. begin by scrubbing your potatoes clean, peeling, and then cutting them into about 2-inch chunks. Place the potatoes into a large soup pot (I use my Dutch oven), cover it with clean water, and stir.
- Cook. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain away the water from the potatoes. Add your whole milk and butter to the potatoes and place back on medium heat. Allow the milk to bubble slightly around the edges of the soup pot, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Season. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Creamy Potato Soup Recipe Without Adding Flour
To customize the consistency and texture of this soup recipe, you can serve it as shown with tender chunks of potatoes or you can make a smooth and creamy soup by using an immersion blender in your soup pot until it reaches the consistency you prefer. No need to add flour or make a slurry with this simple trick! Naturally gluten-free! But really, the chunkiness is simply perfect and I definitely recommend that you give it a try!
If you like a smoother textured soup with all the trimmings (think sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions), you may want to check out my creamy Loaded Potato Soup Recipe as well.
Dairy-Free Potato Soup
To make this soup dairy-free, replace the milk and butter called for in the recipe with dairy-free substitutes. A delicious option for dairy-free milk for this soup is coconut milk. I prefer to use the canned version for the added creamy texture. For the butter, there is plant-based butter readily available. Use your favorites!
Can You Make Potato Soup Ahead?
Allow your soup to cool completely and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat and serve.
How to Make Potato Soup Recipe in the Instant Pot
This easy soup recipe is so easy to make in the Instant Pot.
- Rather than cooking in the Dutch oven, add the water, potatoes, butter, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot. Place the lid onto the Instant Pot and turn the vent to seal it. Cook on the manual setting at high pressure for 10 minutes, then use the quick-release feature.
- Remove the lid to the Instant Pot and set the cook setting to saute. Stir in the milk and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off the Instant Pot and serve. If you prefer a smooth and loaded potato soup, use an immersion blender to blend the soup and serve it with your favorite toppings.
Other Favorite Soup Recipes:
Here’s Grandmother’s Potato Soup Recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 pounds (about 6 medium) Russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled, and chopped
- water
- 3 cups whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cover potatoes with water in a large soup pot.
- Cook over medium heat until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
- Add milk and butter to the potatoes. Place back on medium heat and allow milk to bubble slightly around the edges of the soup pot, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Remove from heat and ladle into soup bowls.
- Serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives. Orignally published 2011.
I make this soup as written. One of my all time favorite comfort foods!
Simple recipe my grandma and Mom would make though they added onion in it to boil as well. !! In a pinch I have used this same recipe but now tend to jazz it more.
This is really good, just as written. What a simple, wonderful recipe. Thanks for sharing!
My mom’s recipe exactly. So simple, so comforting. I made it for my grandkids on a cold rainy night tonight.
Thank You. I’ve recently had intestinal surgery and had to be careful of what I eat. I’m learning a lot of things too late in life. You have helped me with some recipes. Family members are already passed away.
William, I’m so glad that recipe was helpful but most of all, I’m praying for you. I treasure preserving family recipes so they are available to my son and hopefully for his future children. If you ever have questions about recipes that may help you, please email me.
my mother made Fantastic potato soup many cold winter day’s here in North Dakota. always with diced onion ( I prefer white onion. also mustard seed and celery seed, not too much after the soup was cooked she would use the potato masher and dice up the potato’s a bit , making all the pieces a nice bite size,,, and it thickend the soup nicely . Dad. milked cows so we always had a wonderful supply of creamy milk… Good stuff man.J
very similar to how my nana used to make it. she added celery, instant potatoes and cut up hot dogs at the end. she also didn’t drain anything
I don’t drain mine either.
I was surprised to read that they drained it. Got to have onions too.
Kathryn, it makes a creamier soup when you drain the excess water and add milk. Of course, you can leave the water and just add milk if you want.