Creamy Cheddar Outback Potato Soup (Printable)
Velvety potato and cheddar soup with smoky bacon and chives - comforting, hearty, and ready in under an hour.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables & Dairy
01 - 6 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian)
05 - 2 cups whole milk
06 - 1 cup heavy cream
07 - 2½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
08 - ¾ cup sour cream
09 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Proteins & Garnish
10 - 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional; omit for vegetarian)
11 - ¼ cup fresh chives, finely sliced
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Spices & Pantry
13 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
# Directions:
01 - Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, approximately 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
02 - Add the diced potatoes to the pot along with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stirring to coat evenly.
03 - Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
04 - Remove approximately one-third of the soup and mash the potatoes using a potato masher or blend until smooth. Return the mashed portion to the pot and stir to combine, creating a rich, thick base.
05 - Stir in the whole milk and heavy cream. Heat gently over low heat until warmed through, ensuring the mixture never reaches a boil to prevent curdling.
06 - Gradually add the shredded sharp cheddar cheese a handful at a time, stirring continuously after each addition until fully melted and smoothly incorporated into the soup.
07 - Remove the pot from heat. Gently fold in the sour cream, stirring until the soup is silky smooth and uniformly blended.
08 - Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top each portion with crumbled bacon, freshly sliced chives, and an extra sprinkle of sharp cheddar as desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- This soup tastes like something you would pay eighteen dollars for at a steakhouse except you made it in your own kitchen in slippers.
- The trick of mashing just a portion of the potatoes gives you that luxurious creamy texture without needing to dirty a blender.
02 -
- Never let the soup boil after you add the dairy or the cream will separate and the texture will turn grainy instead of silky.
- Shredding your own cheese off the block is the single biggest difference between a smooth soup and one with weird floating oily patches.
03 -
- Cook the bacon in the oven on a sheet pan at 400 degrees for fifteen minutes while you prep the soup and it comes out perfectly crisp every single time.
- A tiny dash of smoked paprika on top of each bowl right before serving makes people think you did something way more complicated than you actually did.