This creamy 4 Ingredient Potato Soup is the easiest soup you'll ever make. All you need is 4 basic ingredients and less than 30 minutes of your time!
There's no better excuse than chilly weather for the perfect bowl of soup. And this 4 Ingredient Potato Soup is the simplest soup you can ever make!
All you need is 4 basic ingredients (potatoes, onion, oil, and cream) to make the perfect hearty soup during the winter months. This soup is creamy, flavorful, and comforting.
This 4 Ingredient Potato Soup takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish! It's great to batch-make ahead and a perfect budget-friendly recipe too.
Ingredients and Variations
This soup requires just 4 basic ingredients and less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
Potatoes - The ideal potatoes for this soup are Russet potatoes, new or baby potatoes, and Yukon Gold potatoes. These types of potato are great for mashing and soup. Feel free to use whatever is available to you.
The potatoes needs to be peeled, washed, and cut into cubes of around 1" thickness so they cook evenly and quickly.
Onion - The other vegetable required for this soup and a great flavor enhancer too. Use yellow or white onions for this soup. If these are not available, purple onions are acceptable too.
Oil - For this soup, I used extra virgin olive oil to saute the onion. If this is not available, you can use any neutral-flavored oil or unsalted butter for a richer soup.
Cream - This is what makes this soup really creamy and rich! You can either use heavy cream or whole milk for a less creamy soup.
To make this soup, you will need a peeler, a large saucepan and a potato masher or immersion blender.
How to Make 4 Ingredient Potato Soup
- Saute onions
Slice and saute the onion in olive oil (or butter) until soft and translucent. This usually takes 5-8 minutes. Do not skip this step - it's the secret to a flavorful soup. - Cook potatoes
Peel, wash, and evenly slice the potatoes into cubes. Place in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender. This takes around 15-18 minutes. - Drain potatoes
Drain most of the water used to cook the potatoes, leaving ½ to ¾ cups of liquid in the saucepan. - Add onions and cream
Add onions and heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for around 5 minutes and remove from heat. - Mash/Blend
Use a potato masher to gently mash the potato chunks. Alternatively, use an immersion blender and blitz until smooth. You can also use a stand-blender and pulse until the desired consistency is reached.
The soup will be quite thick. If you prefer a thinner soup, stir in some water until the desired consistency is reached. - Add toppings
Add your favourite toppings and serve warm!
Tips for the Best Potato Soup
The trick for a flavorful potato soup lies in the first step - perfect sauteed onions. Unfortunately, there is no shortcut to this.
Yes, you can add onions to directly to boiling potatoes, but the flavour will not be the same.
Make sure to saute your onions on their own, in olive oil or butter, until translucent, soft, and fragrant.
Slice the potatoes in evenly sized cubes. This way, they will cook more evenly.
If you prefer a chunky soup, do not overcook the potatoes. You'd want to go for fork-tender potatoes. If you will be blending the soup until smooth, overcooking the potatoes won't be a problem.
Leave some water in the saucepan when draining the potatoes. This will provide liquid to the soup (preventing it from being extra thick) and more potato flavor.
Soup Toppings
You can add a variety of toppings to make this soup more flavorful:
- Crispy bacon/pancetta
- Shredded cheese
- Seeds (like pumpkin seeds)
- Chopped parsley
- Croutons
- Green onions
Making Ahead and Storing
You can store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Make sure that the soup has completely cooled down before storing.
Reheat in the saucepan or microwave. You may need to add some water if the soup is too thick.
This soup can be made ahead and stored in a refrigerator without toppings. Before serving, reheat, add water as necessary, and add your favourite toppings.
Can You Freeze Potato Soup?
Yes! You can make a batch of this potato soup, let it cool down, and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Thaw the soup overnight at room temperature before serving.
Reheat and add water and toppings as desired.
Other Soup Recipes
Pumpkin Carrot Soup
Vegan Orzo Soup
Shallot and Leek Soup
4 Ingredient Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
- 1 large onion or 2 small onions, diced
- 1 kg russet potatoes peeled, washed, and cut into cubes around 1" thick (2.2 lbs)
- 350 mL heavy cream or whole milk (1½ cup)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add diced onions and saute for 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent. Transfer onions to a glass bowl and set aside.
- Using the same saucepan, place cubed potatoes. Add just enough water to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes until fork-tender, around 15-18 minutes.
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain most of the water, leaving ½ to ¾ cup of liquid in the saucepan.
- Add cooked onions and heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and mash potatoes using a potato masher or blitz using an immersion blender. You can leave some potato chunks as desired or blitz until smooth. The soup will be quite thick. Add more water for a thinner soup.
- Add your favourite toppings (croutons, bacon, cheese, green onions, seeds, parsley) and serve warm!
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