It was a bit chilly this weekend here in Richmond, so it was the perfect excuse to make a huge batch of soup. This 5 ingredient potato soup is one of the easiest soup recipes on my blog and it’s the ultimate comfort food. The basic recipe is one of our favorites but I’ll also share a few of my variations!
Yes, you really only need 5 ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand. If you do have to take a trip to the grocery store, you’ll still be able to get all the ingredients for somewhere between $7-$10 making this a pretty budget friendly recipe!
Like a lot of soup recipes, this one reheats really well! It’s a great packed lunch so I like having leftovers. However, I wouldn’t recommend freezing this recipe since it contains milk.
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This 5 ingredient potato soup is an easy, budget-friendly dinner recipe!
Ingredients
- 3lb russet potatoes
- 2 cups 2% milk (see note)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 12 green onions, chopped (green parts only)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Peel and wash the potatoes and then cut into 1″ pieces.
- Fill a large pot of water with just enough water to cover the potatoes and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to cook the potatoes for about 15-20 minutes until soft. When poked with a fork, the potato should mostly fall apart.
- Remove from heat and drain most of the water, from the pot, leaving just a half inch of water at the bottom of the pot. (This doesn’t have to be exact so don’t stress!)
- Add the milk garlic powder, salt, and pepper, then gently mash the potatoes with the back of a fork until the potatoes start to break down. I like my soup chunky, but if you like it smoother, you could use a potato masher or an immersion blender.
- Continue to cook on low heat for 5 minutes.
- Divide into bowls and top each bowl with a little cheese, green onions, and additional salt and pepper to taste
Notes
We’ve tried this soup with skim milk, 2% milk, soy milk, and almond milk. 2% milk produced the creamiest result but there wasn’t a big difference with skim milk. Soy and almond milk are a bit thinner, but they’re both still delicious in this recipe! Just be sure that you use an unsweetened milk substitute with no added sweetener or vanilla flavors.
The nutritional facts below are calculated using 2% milk.
Keywords: potato soup
Lower Calorie Option
- If you’d like to lighten up this recipe just a bit, try using 2lbs of potatoes and 3 cups of frozen riced cauliflower.
- Thaw and cook the riced cauliflower in the microwave. Then, after cooking and draining the potatoes, add the riced cauliflower with the milk and the rest of the ingredients.
- You can use an immersion blender to puree the soup. (No one will even know there is cauliflower in it!)
- This will lower the calories by about 40 calories per cup!
Vegan Option
- To keep this recipe dairy free, use almond milk or soy milk in place of regular milk. Soy milk will give you a richer texture but both will work! Be sure not to use a sweetened or almond flavored version.
- For a really creamy texture, you can use 1 cup of almond or soy milk and 1 cup of Ripple’s dairy free half and half. (It’s great in creamy recipes!)
- Instead of topping with cheese, try using a tablespoon of nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor. You can also add croutons for a delicious crunch!
What’s your favorite kind of cold weather soup?
This post was originally published in January 2013, updated February 2019.
Mmmm that sounds delicious! I love a good soup recipe 🙂
This weekend was a family-packed weekend for us. A few good meals in restaurants, and a great home-cooked dinner by my mom.
Happy Monday!
Super cute snow people! I do love potato soup 🙂
This look so creamy and delicious!!
Awww, I like your snow people. I have the feeling I’m not going to see in snow here in NC this year, but there’s still a chance!
Haha aw, thanks!
I’m probably the only one in Miami saying this, but I wouldn’t mind a little cold weather down here. AKA I’m jealous! If nothing else, it would give me an excuse to make this soup!
Ill trade you some slush for a little sunshine 😉
Those little snowmen are so cute! 🙂
Also, this soup looks excellent. I love how easy it is to make. The nutritional yeast sounds like a nice addition. I’ll have to pick some up at the grocery store this morning.
Even my friend who had never heard of nutritional yeast agreed it was good!
I love recipes with only a couple ingredients :D. And those snow people are too cute
This looks so simple and delicious!
What is it about snow and cold that just makes me want soup soup and only soup too!! This sounds tasty, love how versatile potato soup can be with all the fixins! Hope you had a lovely weekend 🙂
It almost sounds too simple to be true 🙂
I’m pretty sure my husband would adore this soup! Looks so warming and comforting! Hmmmm . . . what did I eat this weekend? Saturday night was special, because I splurged on some halibut for us. With a side salad and roasted veggies, dinner was delicious. 🙂
Love your baby snow people. And that soup sounds so delicious!! I will have to try it out! 🙂
AWE I saw that it was very snowy down there but I’m glad you did something productive…I just normally stay inside LOL. That soup looks really warm and like it could hit the spot right now ha ha.
Yummmm! Soup + snow is like the perfect winter combo! Have you ever tried putting cauliflower in your potato soup? I did it a few months ago and you seriously cannot tell the difference at all, but it definitely amps up the veggies. You just blend it right in with the potatoes! I’m all about sneaking in veggies where the hubby can’t see them!
!! You made snowmen!? Eee! That’s seriously too sweet – it’s been years and years since I’ve made any of my own. And yes, a bowl of that delicious potato soup sounds like the perfect way to warm up.
Sounds awesome! I would FOR SURE add the garlic, too!
I saw this on your instagram! It looks delicious! I love how simple the ingredients are too 🙂
This soup sounds so warm and cozy!! I will definitely be checking out your vegan version. Thanks for sharing :).
The vegan version is more complicated but totally worth it! It’s one of my favorite recipes!
I wonder how this idea would work with a sweet potato and coconut milk. I’m thinking it could be kind of fabulous… I love the idea of just potato and milk!
Ohhh you should try it and let me know! 😉
So simple!
I’m a big fan of soup year round but it always seems extra comforting in the winter, doesn’t it? Stay warm 🙂
Nothing like a simple soup recipe. Love this 🙂
That looks simple and comforting! I love soup when it’s cold and rainy outside. We don’t get any snow here but were in Tahoe last weekend which was a lot of fun! I had forgotten how beautiful the snow was 🙂
I love an easy soup recipe! Sounds so good!
Yummers. I honestly don’t know that I’ve ever even had potato soup. (!) I am all about easy though. When I made my Vodka Sauce with Cauliflower in it, I was thinking how the caulifower alone would make an amazing, easy soup….maybe I should go ahead and make it. 🙂
Thank God! Finally someone who doesn’t add vegetable stock to their potato soup! I love this. Thank you so much! Going to make this now. 🙂
Awesome! Let me know how you like it!
Great recipe! I just made it and im eating it right now!
Great! I’m so glad you liked it!!
You forgot to saute some diced onion in lotsa butter!! I make basically the same recipe except I haven’t peeled a potato in many years (all the good for you stuff is in the skin!!) & I add the sauteed onion with everything else. Yum!!
So simple!!! I love this. I always say as long as you have potatoes, you can eat! And well.
My family asks for potato soup every other day so this quick, tasty recipe is perfect!
★★★★★
Potato Soup was always one of our end-of-the-month meals when I was growing up. It’s so satisfying, and yet so easy on the budget!
★★★★★
I grew up on potato soup but I never make it for my own family. How can I not when it’s this easy? I think my kids would love this on a cold night!
★★★★★
This Potato Soup looks so creamy and delicious! I love that it’s so easy to make and only uses 5 ingredients!
★★★★★
I have been really enjoying collecting recipes that are easy to make and that have very few ingredients – just like this potato soup! 5 ingredients? Perfect. And I bet it is a great recipe to expand into other soup types that are more sophisticated.
★★★★★
Oh yum! I was just thinking about potato soup earlier this week!