This Gluten-Free Potato Soup Recipe is the perfect meal for a chilly fall day. All you need are some basic kitchen staples and about 30 minutes and you are ready to dive into perfection.
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One of my favorite comfort foods is a loaded baked potato. This soup is essentially just that in soup form.
Because let's be honest, when soup season is here, there is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of my favorite chunky potato soup topped with sharp cheddar cheese and bacon on a cold winter day.
It is a meal the whole family will love!
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📖Why This Recipe Works
Traditional potato soup recipes use a roux made of all-purpose flour and butter.
In order to make this recipe gluten-free, we could use gluten-free flour. However, I didn't see any reason to do that given how easy it easy to make a potato soup without flour.
Potatoes are naturally starchy. By using an immersion blender, you are able to get a creamier potato soup recipe than using a blender while still having a good amount of potato chunks.
With sour cream in addition to heavy cream, you get an undeniable thick, smooth, and creamy bowl of soup with a delightful added tanginess.
And finally, the smoked paprika compliments the added bacon. I mean, I couldn't make a boring potato soup. I had to make the very best loaded potato soup!
🧾Ingredient Notes
For this potato soup recipe, we use yukon gold potatoes or yellow potatoes, which cook up fluffier than russet potatoes and red potatoes. A waxy potato is better for thickening the soup.
When choosing your gold or yellow potatoes, look for those with smooth skin. A potato with wrinkles or shriveled indicates dryness.
Bacon- Use simple bacon, no maple or other sweet flavors.
Unsalted Butter- I always recommend using unsalted butter. If you use salted butter you will need to reduce the salt add to the soup. I don't recommend using olive oil.
Onion- White or yellow onions, and even red onion work in this recipe. Just don't use a sweet onion.
Chicken Stock- You can use homemade chicken broth, store-bought, or even vegetable broth.
Thickeners- Sour cream and heavy cream work with the potato starch to create the best texture. Do not substitute milk for the cream. But you can substitute Greek yogurt or creme fraiche for the sour cream.
Seasonings- Smoked paprika is a critical element. If you only have regular paprika try adding a bit of chili powder to deepen the flavor. You also need dried thyme, pepper, and garlic.
Toppings- Cheddar cheese, green onions, chives, and more bacon (of course!).
See the recipe card for exact quantities.
⏲️How to Make Potato Soup Without Flour
The hardest part about this soup is peeling and cutting the potatoes. Not a task I relish, but the effort is so worth it!
Step 1- Crisp
Add your bacon pieces to a large stock pot or dutch oven and cook over medium heat until the bacon is crisp. Be sure to
Remove the bacon and set it aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
If your bacon is really fatty you definitely need to remove most of the bacon drippings. As it will pool on top of the refinished soup and look oily.
Step 2- Saute
Next, add the butter to your pot. Swirl it around to mix it with the bacon fat.
Add your onion and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and cook until it smells fragrant, only about 30 seconds.
Step 3- Boil
Add the peeled and diced potatoes, chicken broth, and spices to your pot. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 12-ish minutes.
The potatoes are ready when they are fork-tender and fluff when pierced.
Step 4- Puree
Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, puree for 30 to 45 seconds or until chunky. The soup should look creamy but still have chunks.
Be sure not to blend too much or you will have added unwanted starch, causing a potentially gummy texture.
If you want to use a blender only puree half the soup and then add it back to the pot. Alternatively, you can also use a hand masher (like for mashed potatoes).
Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream. Once thoroughly mixed in bring the soup to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Do not let it boil.
Top with your favorite toppings and serve!
🥗What to Serve with Potato Soup
I like to pair this soup with a roasted veggie sandwich, a spicy chicken sandwich, or a salad. My beet and apple salad is a good pairing. Or just grab some buttery gluten-free dinner rolls and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tip
If your soup isn't as thick as you prefer, make a potato starch or cornstarch slurry. Add a little at a time to the finished soup until you get your desired consistency.
💭 Variations
Spicy- To add some spice to the flavor of your soup, add pepper flakes or a pinch or two of cayenne.
Another option to add some color and make your soup spicier is the addition of fresh jalapeno or serrano peppers. Just seed, slice and mince your pepper and stir into the pot.
Ham and Potato Soup- This is a great option after a holiday meal! Swap our leeks for the onion.
Optional but a great tip is to save the hambone and add it to your stock. Simmer for 15-20 minutes and then remove the bone. Add the cooked ham to your soup at the end in place of the bacon.
Potato Bisque- Puree the soup in a blender until completely smooth. Add the heavy cream and sour cream and cook until thickened. Don't add the bacon to the soup just serve it on top with chives and sour cream.
🔪Equipment
If you don’t have an immersion or stick blender you can substitute a food processor, blender, hand or stand mixer, or potato masher. See above for instructions.
🌡️Storage
You will want to store your soup in an air-tight container or if you have room, you can place the cooking pot in the refrigerator, making sure the lid is on.
I prefer to reheat soups on the stove top over low heat to prevent burning. But you can also reheat it in the microwave, placing a paper towel on your open container.
You can store your potato soup in the fridge for up to 5 days! Making an ideal recipe for meal prep.
More Gluten-Free Soup Recipes
💬Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional potato soup is made with a roux of all-purpose flour ad butter and therefore is not gluten-free. My recipe is made without any type of flour making it gluten-free and grain free.
Because potatoes are starchy if you puree some of them they will act as a natural thickener for your potato soup.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave us a rating or a comment. It helps other wonderful people connect with our food.
📖 Recipe
Gluten-Free Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon uncooked and cut into small strips
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ lbs yukon potatoes peeled and cut into a 1-inch dice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- Shredded cheddar cheese, green onions or chives, and additional sour cream and bacon for topping, optional
Instructions
- Place bacon pieces in a stock pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp. Move the bacon to a clean plate and set aside. Leave 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot and drain the rest.6 strips bacon
- Add the butter to the bacon fat and melt. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until onions are soft about 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 cup onion, 3 cloves garlic
- Add diced potatoes to the pot along with chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 to 12 minutes.2 ½ lbs yukon potatoes, 4 cups chicken stock, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Remove from heat. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until chunky. About 30 to 45 seconds. Leave some of the potato pieces broken into chunks.
- Add the heavy cream and sour cream. Allow soup to simmer for 15 minutes on low. Stir in the reserved bacon before serving.⅔ cup heavy cream, ⅔ cup sour cream
- Top with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, or chives.Shredded cheddar cheese, green onions or chives, and additional sour cream and bacon for topping,
Video
Notes
- You can use an immersion blender or a hand potato masher.
- For a creamy potato bisque blend in a high-speed blender until smooth.
- If the soup is too runny simmer to reduce down but do not boil. Or make a cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Bonnie says
It’s delicious but next time I’ll cut back on the thyme. It’s too strong for me.
Jen Wooster says
Thanks for the feedback!