Move aside, heavy cream, this 2 ingredient potato soup doesn’t need you.
Do you love a chilly day as much as I do? When the winter months are just around the corner, my focus turns back to creating my favorite comfort food. A few potatoes paired with some root vegetables is in my opinion the best way to enjoy a Sunday night. Our farmers markets are stocked well with all sorts of autumn vegetables. Bunches of leek in their beautiful shades of green, stand proud next to rainbow coloured carrots and crates of potatoes. Their sight alone makes me want to grab my dutch oven and start chopping.
There’s really no need for fancy recipes when you have access to fresh produce. With a few simple ingredients and a basic recipe, any cold day quickly turns cozy. To me, the best part of cooking is when you don’t need to do much. Still, my food is hearty, nourishing and delicious. This 2 ingredient potato soup recipe is no different. I mean, it’s got 2 ingredients, how hard could it be?
Whether it’s your fall or you just want a delicious, hearty meal for dinner, let me show you how to whip up this delicious 2 ingredient potato soup. No slow cooker, pressure cooker or instant pot required.
Ingredients for my old-fashioned potato soup
Potatoes, of course. The beauty of this easy potato soup recipe is that you can create it with pretty much nay type of potato. Your grandma would have used whatever was in the house, and so will we. I usually use Yukon gold potatoes or some type of red potatoes, because they’re my staples. Russet potatoes or any other type will work just as well though.
Leek. I prefer leek in this 2 ingredient potato soup, because leeks have a delicious sweetness to them which adds to the flavours of our soup. If these are difficult to find, use yellow onions instead.
Stock. Potatoes pair incredibly well with beef flavoured stock, and I tend to use half beef and half vegetable broth in my recipe. I hear the French prefer chicken stock in their potato soups. Again, use whatever you have available.
Butter as my preferred fat to use for creamy potato soup. For a vegan version, use olive oil.
Salt and black pepper to taste.
How to make this simple potato soup recipe
We’ll start our homemade potato soup by peeling our potatoes and leek.
Give your produce a rinse and slice the leek. Cut the potatoes into small chunks, about 1-2 inches big.
In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat, then add the leek. Sauté until they start to brown, then add the potato chunks.
Stir the vegetable mixture for a minute or two until the first few potatoes are starting to brown. Scrape the bottom of the pot continuously to make sure nothing sticks and burns.
Cover the vegetables with stock and bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat.
Allow your potato leek soup to cook until the potatoes have softened. You can test this by piercing them with a fork.
Lastly, use an immersion blender to turn the mixture into a steaming pot of creamy soup. Keep blending the chunks of potatoes until the desired consistency is achieved.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve your hot soup topped with fresh chives and green onion, a dollop of sour cream or crispy bacon bits. Add slices of fresh sourdough bread on the side.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Other cozy meals to try
To add more cozy meals to your plate, try one of these recipes next:
Tips and tricks to make this 2 ingredient potato soup recipe a success
Use starchy potatoes. To create the ultimate comfort food without the need for whole milk or cream, use starchy potatoes as your base. The starches break down in the cooking process, creating a smooth and creamy texture all by themselves.
Sauté before you boil. Sautéing your vegetables, especially the leek or onion, brings out the beautifully sweet aroma of the vegetables. Add this step to your favorite soup recipes to make them even more delicious.
Add fresh herbs for a nice twist. Topping a bowl of your favorite potato soup recipe with a handful of freshly chopped chives or parsley adds some extra flavor to your plate.
Season well. No one likes bland potato soup and this recipe will need a fair bit of flavour to make it delicious. Beef flavoured stock works wonders, but if your soup pot still lacks flavour, feel free to add a few extras like a little bacon grease or bacon fat.
Mash before you blend. As much as I love my immersion blender, it often takes a while to get a large stockpot full of soup really creamy. Instead of ending up with chunky potato soup, try and use a potato masher to break the potatoes into easy-to-blend pieces.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good thickener for potato soup?
Sometimes, even the best potato soup recipe turns out a bit thinner than anticipated. If you can, try and use starchy potatoes like yukon golds, or any other starchy potato your grocery store has on offer. Good ingredients are so important when it comes to a quality meal. For those moments where you have already cooked the original recipe, try and thicken your dish by adding a little sharp cheddar cheese, or a few extra chopped potatoes for an easy fix. If this still won’t do the trick, try and sift in a tablespoon of cornstarch to help absorb excess liquid.
How can I make bland potato soup taste better?
When your favourite 2 ingredient potato soup recipe just didn’t end up as delicious as anticipated, try a few simple tricks to add more flavour. The first step I usually take is to add an extra half stock cube to my soup. Because I’m using mostly beef flavoured stock cubes in my potato soup recipes, an extra sprinkle is easily added to give my dish more flavour. It’s a much easier way than using store-bought broth I find. If this still isn’t enough, you can start to work with your favorite toppings. A few herbs, a few red pepper flakes, or a dash of cream often work wonders. My rule of thumb is, if it works on a loaded baked potato it will go just fine with a typical potato soup.
Why is my potato soup turning brown?
If your potato soup is turning brown, chances are you prepared your potatoes a little too early. The good news is, there’s a super easy fix for next time. Second time’s a charm I guess. Whenever you make your potato recipes, only peel and cut the potatoes as late as you can. If this stresses you too much, like it does me, peel and chop your potatoes and submerge them in a bowl of cold water until needed. This is also an excellent way to pre-prepare your potatoes for any large gatherings without them oxidising.
2 Ingredient Potato Soup
Move aside, heavy cream, this 2 ingredient potato soup recipe doesn't need you.
Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes
- 1 large leek or 2-3 small ones
- 1 tbsp butter
- 500 ml beef flavoured stock
- 500 ml vegetable stock
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- We'll start our homemade potato soup by peeling our potatoes and leek.
Give your produce a rinse and slice the leek. Cut the potatoes into small chunks, about 1-2 inches big.
In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat, then add the leek. Sauté until they start to brown, then add the potato chunks.
Stir the vegetable mixture for a minute or two until the first few potatoes are starting to brown. Scrape the bottom of the pot continuously to make sure nothing sticks and burns.
Cover the vegetables with stock and bring everything to a boil on medium-high heat.
Allow your potato leek soup to cook until the potatoes have softened. You can test this by piercing them with a fork.
Lastly, use an immersion blender to turn the mixture into a steaming pot of creamy soup. Keep blending the chunks of potatoes until the desired consistency is achieved.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve your hot soup topped with fresh chives and green onion, a dollop of sour cream or crispy bacon bits.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Notes
- Use starchy potatoes. To create the ultimate comfort food without the need for whole milk or cream, use starchy potatoes as your base. The starches break down in the cooking process, creating a smooth and creamy texture all by themselves.
- Sauté before you boil. Sautéing your vegetables, especially the leek or onion, brings out the beautifully sweet aroma of the vegetables. Add this step to your favorite soup recipes to make them even more delicious.
- Add fresh herbs for a nice twist. Topping a bowl of your favorite potato soup recipe with a handful of freshly chopped chives or parsley adds some extra flavor to your plate.
- Season well. No one likes bland potato soup and this recipe will need a fair bit of flavour to make it delicious. Beef flavoured stock works wonders, but if your soup pot still lacks flavour, feel free to add a few extras like a little bacon grease or bacon fat.
- Mash before you blend. As much as I love my immersion blender, it often takes a while to get a large stockpot full of soup really creamy. Instead of ending up with chunky potato soup, try and use a potato masher to break the potatoes into easy-to-blend pieces.
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