Cheesy Potato Soup: Thick Pub-Style Recipe

The Ultimate Comfort Food: Hearty, Pub-Style Cheesy Potato Soup

There is nothing and I mean nothing that cures the mid-week blues quite like a bowl of outrageously thick, profoundly velvety cheesy potato soup. You lift the spoon, the steam curls around your face smelling like sharp cheddar and roasted potatoes, and honestly, the world just melts away.

This isn't the thin, watery soup you might get from a can; this is a meal that sticks to your ribs and hugs you from the inside out.

We all have those days when time is short, the budget is tight, and you just need something utterly satisfying. This cheesy potato soup is my hero recipe for exactly those occasions. It uses cheap, pantry friendly ingredients, but when treated right, those humble potatoes and cheese transform into pure gold.

It’s comforting, ridiculously easy to scale up for a crowd, and honestly, takes less effort than deciding what takeout to order.

I've made countless versions, trying everything from adding canned cream of chicken (please don't) to experimenting with various dairy products. This specific method, focusing on the proper roux and the right potato, results in the very best thick cheesy potato soup you will ever encounter.

Forget the shortcuts that compromise texture; let’s crack on and master this ultimate bowl of comfort food.

Mastering the Velvety Texture: The Science of Thick Cheesy Potato Soup

Getting that perfect, spoon coating thickness in a bowl of cheesy potato soup isn’t accidental; it’s all about layering starches correctly. Many people rely solely on cream, but that’s an expensive habit, and it doesn't give you the deep body we are looking for.

Our strategy involves three key thickening agents working together: rendered bacon fat, flour (the roux), and the potatoes themselves.

Defining the Perfect Thick Texture (No Watery Sadness)

Watery soup is a tragedy, especially when you’re aiming for robust, easy cheesy potato soup. The challenge in potato soup is balancing the liquid content (the stock/milk) with the thickeners.

We start by using less liquid than you might think, counting on the starch released from the russet potatoes as they simmer. When you partially blend the soup later, those broken down potato starches act as a natural binder, giving you that incredible, satisfying mouthfeel.

Why This Recipe is Better Than the Rest (The Roux Difference)

My secret? Starting with bacon fat instead of just butter. You render the bacon, use that flavorful fat, and then build the roux with butter and flour right into those sautéed aromatics. This blonde roux is the foundation; it ensures your whole pot of liquid emulsifies beautifully.

Plus, the slight nuttiness from properly cooking the flour prevents that terrible raw taste that ruins so many homemade soups. If you want truly robust flavor in your cheesy potato soup, this is non-negotiable.

A Quick Note on Cheese Quality

You cannot skimp on the cheese. Pre-shredded bags are coated in cellulose, which prevents clumping but also melts into a grainy disaster. For a smooth, restaurant quality cheesy potato soup , you must buy a block of good sharp cheddar and grate it yourself.

Trust me, spending five minutes grating a block saves you thirty minutes of despair when your finished product separates into oil and curds.

The Power of the Buttery Roux (Our Foundation)

The roux is just melted fat and flour, cooked together briefly. It’s brilliant. If you cook it for just two minutes, you get a "blonde" roux that thickens the liquid without imparting much color.

We whisk the stock into this paste slowly, allowing the starch molecules to swell and immediately start forming a smooth, stable emulsion. This is the cornerstone of great, thick cheesy potato soup.

Starch Release: Choosing the Right Potato

When making cheesy potato soup, you need a high starch potato. High starch varieties like Russets (or Maris Piper if you're in the UK) fall apart easily when boiled. This is normally a bad thing, but here, it’s exactly what we want!

As the edges break down, they release their starch into the cooking liquid, creating a second layer of thickening that complements the roux perfectly.

Achieving Silky Smoothness (Blending Techniques)

We are not aiming for baby food here; we want texture. I always recommend blending only about one-third to one-half of the soup. Use an immersion blender (the stick blender is your best friend) and pulse it right in the pot.

If you don't have one, scoop half the soup into a regular blender, pulse until smooth, and return it to the pot but be careful with hot liquids! This partial blend gives you those creamy, starchy bits while leaving satisfying chunks of potato remaining, proving this is truly homemade cheesy potato soup.

Essential Ingredients for Robust Cheesy Potato Soup

A great soup relies on simple, high-quality ingredients handled with care.

• Potatoes (Russets/Maris Piper): High starch for maximum creaminess.
• Bacon/Fat: Crucial for flavour depth. Omit only if making a strictly vegetarian version.
• Aromatics (Onion, Celery, Thyme): Sautéing these properly builds the initial flavor layer.
• Flour and Butter: For the beautiful, stable roux.
• Stock (Chicken or Veg): Provides flavor and acts as the initial cooking liquid.
• Dairy (Milk and Cream): Added at the end for richness.
• Sharp Cheddar: The cheesy part of the cheesy potato soup! Sharpness is necessary to cut through the richness.
• Dijon Mustard: Don't skip this. It doesn't make the soup taste like mustard; it just deepens the savory, cheesy flavor profile, making it taste richer than it actually is.

Ingredient Swaps and Substitutions

Life happens, and sometimes you just don’t have the exact ingredients the recipe demands. Here are your viable workarounds for making a fantastic cheesy potato soup regardless of what’s missing from your fridge.

The Best Potatoes for Creamy Results (Starch is Key)

I have friends who insist on using waxy potatoes, but they make for a terrible cheesy potato soup experience. Waxy potatoes, like new potatoes, hold their shape beautifully which is great for a Easter Side Dishes: Elegant Potato Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette Crispy Shallots . But for this soup, you want them to break down a little. Stick with the Russets; their crumbly nature is their strength here.

Selecting the Perfect Sharp Cheddar

When we talk about classic, pub-style cheesy potato soup, we mean cheddar. Choose a sharp or extra sharp variety. The strong flavor is essential because dairy fat (cream/milk) can mute flavor drastically. The sharper the cheese, the more cheesy your soup will taste.

If you're feeling adventurous, try adding a little pepper jack for a subtle kick!

Pantry Staples and Aromatics (The Flavor Backbone)

The initial sauté is where the magic happens. Onions and celery cooked low and slow until they are completely soft (sweating) release their sugars, creating a sweet, savory base. Skipping this step or rushing it results in thin, high note flavors.

This step is essential groundwork for the truly decadent cheesy potato soup you crave.

Dairy Alternatives for the Base

If you are aiming for a healthier or lighter cheesy potato soup slow cooker version, you can substitute the heavy cream entirely with evaporated milk. It adds creaminess without the high fat content, and because it’s shelf stable, it’s great for prepping in advance. You can also use cashew milk or oat milk, but avoid standard almond milk, which can thin out the texture too much. For a related dairy delight, if you want a lighter soup, check out my Broccoli Cheddar Soup: The Gold Standard Creamy Recipe .

gluten-free Roux Options

Using gluten-free flour in the roux is easy, but it often needs slightly less fat or liquid to stabilize. Alternatively, ditch the flour completely. Make a slurry by mixing cornstarch or potato starch with a little cold stock, and then whisk it into the soup base five minutes before the potatoes are done.

This works perfectly for a quick cheesy potato soup, but it doesn't give quite the depth of flavor as a true flour/fat roux.

Making It Vegetarian or Vegan Friendly

To make this a true vegetarian cheesy potato soup, swap the bacon for 4 tablespoons of olive oil or butter, and use a high-quality vegetable stock. If going vegan, you'll need to use plant based milk (cashew or full fat oat milk works best) and a vegan cheddar substitute.

Note: Vegan cheese requires very, very low heat to melt without separating.

How to Build Depth: step-by-step Cooking Guide

You’ve got your ingredients ready. Now, let’s talk technique. Cooking this soup is a process of layering, ensuring that the flavor develops gradually at each stage.

Phase 1: Sautéing Aromatics and Building the Roux

First, grab your Dutch oven. We need a pot that holds heat well. Cook your diced bacon over medium heat until crispy, then scoop it out, leaving behind that precious rendered fat. This fat is our first flavor layer.

Add the onion and celery to the pot, reducing the heat to medium low, and let them soften completely for about 7 minutes until they are translucent. Stir in the thyme. Next, melt the butter alongside the fat, then sprinkle in the flour.

Whisk non-stop for two full minutes until the raw flour smell is gone; this creates your blonde roux. Slowly, bit by bit, pour in the chicken stock while whisking vigorously to avoid any lumps. This is the base for your cheesy potato soup instant pot recipe, if you choose to convert it later!

Phase 2: Simmering Potatoes to Tender Perfection

Once the stock is added and the base is smooth, introduce the cubed potatoes. Bring the whole mixture to a gentle simmer. Do not boil it violently. A steady simmer for 15- 20 minutes is perfect. You want the potatoes fork tender, meaning they are just starting to break down around the edges.

This release of starch is what gives the best cheesy potato soup its body. Taste a cube if it crumbles easily, you’re ready for the next step.

Phase 3: The Crucial Cheese Melting Stage

Remove the pot from the heat completely. Let it sit for a moment. Now, pour in the room temperature milk and heavy cream, along with the Dijon mustard. Stir well. Return the pot to the absolute lowest heat setting or ideally, just use the residual heat.

Add the freshly grated cheddar slowly, stirring continuously and patiently until it completely melts into the soup before adding the next handful. If you rush this, or if the soup is boiling, the cheese will seize, leaving you with that oily, separated texture that ruins the experience of homemade cheesy potato soup .

Quick Adjustments for Consistency

Is your soup too thick? This can happen if you used too many Russets or reduced the stock too much. Simply stir in a little extra warmed milk or stock until you reach your desired consistency. Is it too thin? Never fear!

Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to form a slurry, and whisk it into the simmering soup base. Let it bubble for 2 minutes to thicken.

Expert Tips for the Best Bowl of Potato Soup

This is the section where I share the mistakes I made so you don't have to. Pay attention, because these small tweaks make the difference between a good cheesy potato soup and a life changing one.

Chef’s Note: Never salt your soup heavily until the cheese has been fully incorporated. Cheese, especially sharp cheddar, is inherently salty, and adding salt too early guarantees an over seasoned disaster. Taste, then season.

Preventing a Grainy or Oily Finish (The Cheddar Rule)

This is the number one failure point in making any creamy, cheesy soup: adding cheese over high heat. High heat causes the dairy proteins to tighten and expel the fat (oiling out). Always turn the heat off or use the lowest setting before adding the cheese.

Incorporate the grated cheese in stages, allowing the residual heat to melt it gently and fully. This guarantees the smoothest, most luxurious texture in your velvety potato soup recipe .

The Importance of Tempering Dairy

When you add cold milk or cream directly to a hot soup base, it shocks the liquid, sometimes causing separation or encouraging the roux to seize slightly. Before adding, either set your dairy out on the counter for 30 minutes, or microwave it briefly until it's just lukewarm.

This gentle temperature adjustment ensures the final creamy texture is flawless.

Seasoning Your Soup Layer by Layer

Flavour comes from layering. We salted the bacon initially, then seasoned the aromatics lightly, and now we finalize the seasoning after the dairy and cheese are in. Using white pepper instead of black pepper is a trick I learned that keeps the color of the thick cheesy potato soup beautiful and bright, while still adding warmth.

Making Ahead: Storage, Reheating, and Freezing Guide

When you make a batch of this fantastic cheesy potato soup , you’re definitely going to have leftovers. Luckily, it stores well, provided you follow a few specific rules, especially concerning the dairy and starch content.

How Long Does Potato Soup Last in the Fridge?

Provided it was cooled quickly and stored in an airtight container, your homemade cheesy potato soup will last beautifully for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After day four, the potatoes can start getting mushy, and the texture begins to degrade slightly.

The Freezing Challenge: Preventing Separation

Freezing potato soup is always tricky because potatoes contain a lot of water. When thawed, they often take on a grainy, crumbly texture. If you plan on freezing a batch, I recommend two things:

1. Freeze Before the Cream: Freeze the soup base (stock, potatoes, roux, and aromatics) before adding the heavy cream and cheese. When you thaw and reheat it, add the cream and cheese fresh right before serving.
2. Mash Completely: If you must freeze the finished soup, use your immersion blender to completely puree it into a smooth liquid before freezing. This minimizes the chance of crumbly chunks upon thawing.

Reheating Methods That Preserve Texture

Never boil the soup when reheating. Remember the Cheddar Rule? It applies to leftovers too! Reheat the cheesy potato soup gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. Add a small splash of milk or stock if the soup has become overly thick while chilling.

This helps restore the smooth texture without turning the cheese oily.

Perfect Pairings: What to Serve Alongside This Hearty Soup

This is a heavy, rich soup, so you want sides that offer a textural or acidic contrast.

• Crusty Bread: Essential. A hunk of toasted baguette for dipping is perfect.
• Acidic Salad: A simple side salad with a bright lemon vinaigrette and maybe some red onion cuts through the richness beautifully.
• The Ultimate Comfort Duo: You know I love my starchy sides. For an absolute comfort overload, serve a small bowl of this cheesy potato soup alongside a square of Tater Tot Casserole: Cheesy Beef Hotdish Recipe .

Ultimately, making homemade cheesy potato soup is one of the most rewarding kitchen experiences. It is simple, cheap, and deeply satisfying, proving once again that the best comfort food is always made right at home. Enjoy every thick, comforting spoonful!