Was this page helpful?
Help improve this recipe for others.
Send this recipe to your inbox.
We'll email it straight to you - plus weekly cooking inspiration.
Ingredients
Some product links may be affiliates. If you buy through them, you're supporting the site and Pekin may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Soup Base
Thickening & Finish
Method
Soup Base
- 1
Prepare potatoes
Peel and cut russet potatoes into roughly 1/2-inch cubes so they cook evenly (about 1.25 lb for a quart yield). Rinse the cubes briefly to remove excess starch and drain.
- 2
- 3
- 4
Blend for creaminess
When potatoes are tender, remove about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the potato-broth mixture and set aside in a bowl. Use an immersion blender to partially purée the soup in the pot until it reaches a thick, creamy texture but still has some small potato pieces (or transfer half the soup to a blender, pulse until smooth, then return to pot).
- 5
Incorporate dairy
Stir in 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup half-and-half (or heavy cream) into the pot over low heat. Warm gently—do not boil—to avoid curdling.
Thickening & Finish
- 6
Make slurry
In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water until fully dissolved to make a slurry.
- 7
Adjust thickness
If soup is too thin, stir the cornstarch slurry into the reserved 1–1.5 cups of potato-broth mixture, then whisk that back into the pot. Heat gently, stirring, until soup thickens slightly, 2–3 minutes. If soup becomes too thick, add up to 1/2 cup more broth or milk to reach desired consistency.
- 8
Finish and taste
Stir in 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, if using, until melted and combined. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- 9
Serve
Ladle soup into bowls (this recipe yields roughly 1 quart or 4 servings of about 1 cup each). Garnish with chopped fresh chives and crumbled bacon if desired. Serve warm.