Irish potato soup is a simple, classic recipe made with a handful of easy to find ingredients. You can't go wrong with a bowl of creamy potato soup on a cold day.
Irish potato soup is a mild, lightly seasoned soup that's both hearty and comforting. It's made with simple, inexpensive ingredients that you may already have on hand, making it easy to whip up for a quick lunch or dinner.
Since this soup is blended until creamy and smooth, there's no need for added thickeners like flour, making it naturally gluten-free. Plus, it's filled with nutritious ingredients like potassium-rich potatoes, celery, and onion, so you can feel good about what you're putting on the dinner table.
Serve Irish potato soup with your favorite toppings, like chopped parsley, chives, garlic croutons, shredded cheese, or bacon. It's perfect for lunch or dinner, and can be served with a side salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Potatoes - Russet potatoes are best for a blended soup, but yukon gold potatoes can also work if you already have them on hand.
- Celery and onion - Add depth of flavor to your soup. I don't recommend omitting either ingredient.
- Broth - Use vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian. Or, use chicken broth if it's what you commonly keep on hand in your kitchen.
- Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with salted butter. Cut the listed salt in half. After your soup is finished cooking, do a taste test and add more salt as desired.
- Salt & pepper - Lightly seasons your soup. If using a low sodium broth, add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of thyme, oregano, or basil to your soup before blending for flavor without requiring additional salt.
- Milk - I used whole milk, but half & half or heavy cream can be used for a richer, thicker soup.
- Parsley - Parsley is a staple in Irish cooking. It adds fresh, peppery flavor that helps cut through the richness of the soup, as well as a splash of color when used as a garnish. Parsley is optional, and can be substituted with your favorite potato soup toppings.
Tips and tricks
When your potatoes are fork tender, you'll want to use either an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend your soup.
If you have an immersion blender, transfer your stock pot from the stove to the countertop, then use your immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. It can be blended right in the same pot it was cooked in.
If you have a regular blender:
- Allow your soup to cool slightly.
- Remove the center cap from your blender's lid and have a kitchen towel ready to lightly cover the hole to allow steam to escape while blending. Otherwise, steam can build up inside the blender and cause the lid to pop off.
- Make sure not to fill the blender more than halfway full. You may need to blend your soup in batches depending on the size of your blender.
- When blending your soup, start on low speed, then slowly increase the speed until soup is blended to your desired texture.
- Return the blended soup to your stock pot over medium-low heat, add milk, and stir until incorporated and heated to your liking.
Frequently asked questions
Irish potato soup is a mild, lightly seasoned soup, making it the perfect base for your favorite potato soup toppings.
Garlic butter croutons (pictured above)
Shredded cheese
Chopped parsley
Chives
Crumbled cooked bacon
Parmesan crisps
Chopped green onion
A dollop of sour cream
Leftover Irish potato soup can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, lightly covered, or on the stove top over medium heat, stirring frequently.
As written, this soup has a mild, savory flavor. I don't recommend using a low sodium broth because it adds a significant amount of flavor. If using a low sodium broth, you'll want to increase the salt and pepper listed in the recipe. Red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce can add a little heat, or ½ teaspoon of thyme or rosemary can add some savory flavor.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Irish Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1.5 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 24 ounces vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounces whole milk
Instructions
- In a stock pot over medium heat, add butter. Once melted, add diced onions and celery and cook until edges begin to lightly brown and onions begin to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add cubed potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes can easily be pierced through with a fork (cooking time will depend entirely on the size of your potato cubes).
- Remove from heat and allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Use an immersion blender and blend until smooth, or transfer soup in batches to a standard blender to process until smooth (remove the center cap from the lid and lightly cover with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape. Never fill a blender more than halfway full with hot soup).
- Pour soup back into stock pot (if using a standard blender) and transfer back to the stove. Over medium-low heat, add whole milk and stir until incorporated and soup is heated to your liking.
- Serve warm with your favorite soup toppings, like chopped parsley, croutons, cheese, or crumbled bacon.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Recipe makes four large servings, or six side dish servings. Serve soup with your favorite toppings, crusty bread, or a side salad for a complete meal.
- Leftover potato soup can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to five days and reheats well.
- Reheat leftover soup in the microwave (lightly covered), or on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring frequently.
- For a thicker, richer soup, substitute whole milk with heavy cream or half & half.
- This soup is lightly seasoned and mild as written, and depends on the vegetable/chicken broth for flavor. If using a low sodium broth, I highly suggest adding ½ teaspoon of your favorite dried herbs, like thyme, oregano, or basil, for extra flavor.
Best potato soup I've ever have, not heavy and very simple to make it.