Come in and put a pot on the stove! This cheese and potato soup recipe turns potatoes, onions, garlic, leeks, cream, and swiss cheese into a thick, satisfying lunch or dinner. Serve it with bread for a light supper, or offer smaller bowls before the main course as a starter.
For another day, try a similar recipe but different enough Leek and Potato Soup, bright orange Creamy Carrot Soup, or a cold French soup, Vichyssoise. There is plenty of room in the soup pot for variety!
🔍 Quick Look: Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
- 🕒 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 6
- 📊 Calories: ~ 565 kcal per serving, depending on the stock used
- 🔥 Cook Method: Stovetop sweating and simmering
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Creamy, savory, and gently sweet from the leeks, with a nutty Swiss or tangy cheddar finish.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
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What Is Cheese & Potato Soup?
This is a French-style potato and leek soup enriched with cream and cheese. The original calls it potage crème de pommes de terre et du fromage. Part of the cooked vegetables forms the thick base; the rest stays in tender pieces. It is substantial enough for lunch without needing meat.
Swiss gives a gentle, nutty flavor; cheddar adds a sharper bite. Both have been tried in our house, so choose the one you enjoy.
Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- What Is Cheese & Potato Soup?
- Key Ingredients
- Substitutions For Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Variations For Creamy Potato Soup
- How To Make Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Expert Chef Top Tip
- What To Serve With Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Best Wine To Pair With Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe FAQ
- More Recipes Like This One
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Key Ingredients
- Potatoes: They supply both the tender pieces and the starch that thickens the soup when some are puréed.
- Leeks: Their mellow onion flavor gives the potatoes a sweeter, more rounded base.
- Swiss or cheddar cheese: Swiss brings nuttiness, while cheddar gives a tangier finish; grate either freshly for easier melting.
- Cream: Stirred in near the end, it rounds out the stock and gives the soup a richer texture.
NOTE: See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions For Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable stock and a cheese made with vegetarian rennet; leave off any bacon garnish.
- Different cheese: Gruyère is a good alternative to Swiss. Use the same weight and taste before adding salt.
- Lighter finish: Replace the cream with whole milk for a less rich soup. Warm it gently and avoid boiling.
- No leeks available: Add another onion or two in their place, depending on size. The flavor will be more distinctly oniony.
For a gluten-free version, check the stock and cheese labels. This recipe uses potatoes rather than flour to thicken the soup.
Variations For Creamy Potato Soup
- Broccoli and cheddar: Use cheddar and stir in small, separately cooked broccoli florets just before serving. Keep them out of the puréed portion.
- Smoky bacon and chives: Finish each bowl with crisp cooked bacon and snipped chives. Add the bacon at the table so it keeps its crunch.
For a potato dish with a different texture altogether, try Pommes Aligot Mashed Potatoes With Cheese.
How To Make Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
Soften and simmer the vegetables
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized chunks or thick slices. Chop the onions and garlic. Split the leeks, rinse between the layers, and slice them.
- Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, and leeks. Cook gently for about 10 minutes, stirring often, without browning.
- Add the turmeric and enough stock to cover the vegetables, starting at the lower end of the recipe's range. Add a little salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
Choose your texture and add the cheese
- Lift out about half the vegetables with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Mash or briefly blend the remaining vegetables with their stock, then return the reserved pieces. For a smooth soup, purée all the vegetables briefly instead.
- Return the soup to the stove and warm it through. Add a little extra stock if it is too thick. Reduce the heat before slowly stirring in the cream.
- Take the saucepan off the heat. Stir in half the freshly grated cheese a small handful at a time. Let each addition melt before adding more.
- Add a dash of nutmeg and adjust the salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with the remaining cheese. Add parsley, cooked bacon crumbles, or cooked broccoli florets if you wish.
Secrets From Judith's Kitchen For Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
- Keep a little stock back: Potatoes continue to thicken the soup as it stands. A splash of warm stock loosens it without adding more cream.
- Save the best pieces: When lifting out the vegetables before puréeing, choose some intact potato chunks and leek slices. They give the finished bowl a more appealing texture.
- A useful trick is to: purée only part of the vegetables. You get a creamy base with tender pieces still waiting on your spoon, and no flour is needed to thicken it. Prefer it completely smooth? That works too.
Hint: Taste after the cheese has melted, then add salt. The stock and cheese may have done much of the seasoning already.
Expert Chef Top Tip
Take the pot off the heat before adding the cheese. Stir it in gradually and let the soup's warmth do the melting; boiling can leave you with a grainy finish.
What To Serve With Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
The soup supplies the richness, so give it something crisp or fresh alongside.
- Crusty bread: A slice of French Baguette is useful for the last spoonful in the bowl.
- Green salad: Dress tender leaves with French Vinaigrette for a sharp contrast to the cream and cheese.
- Garlic toast: Toast thin slices of bread, rub lightly with a cut garlic clove, and serve while crisp.
Best Wine To Pair With Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
Try a dry Sauvignon Blanc, such as Sancerre. Its bright acidity refreshes the palate between spoonfuls of creamy soup, while its herbal character suits the leeks.
Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe FAQ
This cheese & potato soup recipe works well with Yukon Gold or another all-purpose potato. These soften enough to thicken the base while some pieces keep their shape. Floury potatoes also work, but blend them briefly to avoid a gluey texture.
This cheese & potato soup recipe can be made smooth by puréeing all the cooked vegetables with their stock before adding the cream and cheese. Blend only until smooth, then stop.
This cheese & potato soup recipe needs gentle heat when the cheese goes in. Take the pot off the heat, use freshly grated cheese, and stir in small handfuls. Do not boil the soup after adding it.
This cheese & potato soup recipe can be prepared ahead. For the freshest texture, cook and purée the vegetable base first, refrigerate it promptly, then reheat and add the cream and cheese before serving. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and use within 3-4 days.
This cheese & potato soup recipe is better frozen before the cream and cheese are added, as the finished dairy-rich soup may separate and the potatoes may change texture. Thaw the base in the refrigerator, reheat thoroughly, then add the dairy. A smooth base generally tolerates freezing better than one with large potato pieces.
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📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
Cheese & Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan with a lid
- Blender
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 lb potatoes peeled and cut into even thick slices or chunks.
- 2 onions chopped or thinly sliced.
- 1 garlic clove crushed or chopped.
- 4 small size leeks thoroughly washed and sliced.
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 cup cream
- 2 cups swiss or cheddar cheese grated - Divide equally between the soup and garnish.
- ½ teaspoon tumeric
- a dash of nutmeg.
- ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper How much salt will depend on the saltiness of your cheese.
- optional garnishes: Chopped parsley, cooked bacon crumbles.
Instructions
- Peel and evenly cut the 2 lb potatoes. Chop the 2 onions and 1 garlic clove. Split the 4 small size leeks, rinse between the layers, and slice.
- Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat. Add the potatoes, onions, garlic, and leeks. Sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring often, without browning. (To sweat vegetables, heat fat at medium heat, add vegetables with a sprinkle of salt, and cover with a lid. Do not brown.)
- Add the ½ tsp tumeric and enough 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock to cover the vegetables. Season (lightly) with ½ tsp each salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Lift out half the vegetables and reserve. Mash or briefly blend the remaining vegetables with the stock, then return the reserved pieces. For a smooth soup, briefly purée all the vegetables instead.
- Warm the soup through and adjust the consistency with extra stock if needed. Lower the heat and slowly stir in the 1 cup cream
- Take the pan off the heat. Add half the grated 2 cups swiss or cheddar cheese in small handfuls, stirring until each addition melts.
- Add the a dash of nutmeg. and adjust the salt and pepper. Serve in warm bowls with the remaining grated or sliced cheese on top. Add any optional garnish at serving time.
- Add optional garnishes: Chopped parsley, cooked bacon crumbles.
Notes
- This is an easy, delicious soup to make. The only part to be careful with is not overcooking the vegetables by letting them brown.
- Blending part of the soup gives a nice creamy base.
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