This lusciously creamy Cheese Soup Recipe is here to feed your body, comfort your soul, and please the part of you that secretly wishes we could eat cheese for dinner every night. Potatoes make it perfectly creamy without being heavy!
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Classic cheese soup made lighter.
From creative Curried Carrot Soup, to Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup or Chicken Gnocchi Soup, to fancy-feeling Mushroom Soup, there is a soup for any mood and occasion.
And when you want a soup recipe that will envelop you in a warm hug, make your tummy happy, and your cheeks glow? This cheese soup recipe is the one you choose!
- It’s creamy. Buttery Yukon gold potatoes are blended perfectly smooth to a velvet-like consistency.
- It’s cheesy. Made with plenty of sharp cheddar cheese that melts smoothly and contributes not only color but richness and flavor too.
- And it’s lightened up. Unlike other cheese soups, this recipe contains ZERO heavy cream. Instead, a simple flour-based roux and nonfat milk thicken the soup fabulously without adding unneeded fat or calories.
5 Star Review
“Just like all of Erin’s other recipes I’ve tried, this one turned out amazing and was a huge hit with the whole family!”
— Barb —
Key Ingredients
You’ll find the full list of ingredients in the recipe card below, but here are some notes about the heavy-hitters.
- Potatoes. Yukon golds are my favorite type of potato for this cheese soup recipe. Their buttery flavor gives the soup inherent richness, and they puree velvety smooth while still adding plenty of thickness and body to the soup.
- Broth. Chicken broth enriches with more flavor and taste than water can. For a vegetarian cheese soup, use vegetable broth instead (and skip the bacon topping at the end).
- All-Purpose Flour. Creates a roux when stirred into the butter used to sauté the vegetables. It thickens the soup without needing to use heavy cream, half-and-half, or whole milk.
- Cheddar Cheese. The classic! Use sharp cheddar for max flavor; you can get away with adding less without sacrificing flavor.
- Carrots. For hidden veggies, a lovely “cheesy” color, and a subtle sweetness. (If you enjoy carrots in your soup, give this Roasted Carrot Soup a try.)
How to Make Cheese Soup
Cook the Aromatics (photo 1). Sauté the vegetables and spices in melted butter in large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the flour, cook until golden, then slowly stir in the milk.
Simmer (photo 2). Once the mixture has thickened, stir in the broth, add the potatoes, and bring to a boil on medium heat. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Puree (photo 3). Blend the soup until smooth.
Make It Cheesy (photo 4). Stir in the cheese until melted then garnish with chives, bacon, and additional cheddar cheese. Ladle into bowls and ENJOY!
What to Serve With Cheese Soup
- Bread. Try serving this cheese soup recipe with Crock Pot Bread or crusty No Knead Bread
- Green Salad. This simple Arugula Salad or Pear Salad are both great options.
- Cornbread. My Mexican Cornbread and Jalapeno Cornbread would be ideal for dunking into cheesy, creamy soup.
Cheese Soup Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium jalapeño seeded and diced, optional for a little heat
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup nonfat milk
- 4 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 ¾ cups freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese plus additional for serving
- Chopped fresh chives or green onions for serving
- Cooked and crumbled bacon for serving (use Oven Baked Bacon or Air Fryer Bacon for easy cooking methods)
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large, deep stockpot or Dutch over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and sauté until just beginning to soften; about 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook the garlic is fragrant; about 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables, then cook for an additional minute until lightly golden and no white bits remain. Slowly stir in the milk and cook until the mixture thickens, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the broth, then add the chopped potato. Bring to boil, then partially cover and let simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir from time to time and adjust the heat as needed so that you maintain a steady simmer (but not a full-on boil).
- Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree in batches until smooth (alternatively, you can use an immersion blender directly in the pot).
- Stir in the cheese a half-cup at a time, allowing it to melt completely before stirring in the next half cup. Serve garnished with chives, bacon, and additional cheddar cheese.
Notes
-
TO MAKE IN A SLOW COOKER: After Step 2, transfer the vegetable mixture to a 5-quart or larger crockpot. Add the chicken stock and potato. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 to 6 hours on low. Proceed with the recipe as directed.
- TO STORE: Leftover potato cheese soup may be refrigerated for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- TO REHEAT: Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave (at a reduced power level) until steaming. Do not warm too quickly or the soup may separate.
- TO FREEZE: Potato cheese soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. For best results, allow the soup to cool completely before putting it in the freezer and defrost overnight in the fridge before warming. Note that dairy-based soups do tend to curdle and separate when frozen and thawed. If this bothers you, then I would not recommend freezing this soup.
This is so yummy. We’ve had it twice in two weeks already. It was perfect to use up some of the jalapenos from the garden. Thank you for sharing it!
Kimmy, that is fantastic, and I especially love that you used your own garden peppers to make it. Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out!
We made this tonight, followed the recipe exactly, and it tastes really good! This was a nice easy recipe that we look forward to making again!
James, I am SO happy to hear this! Thanks for taking time to let me know how it turned out for you and for trying it too!
Found this recipe on imgur a while back and I made it for a family get together. It was just supposed to be a warm-up appetizer but it was so good some of us, after seconds and thirds, had no room for anything else. Thank you for your lovely website. I want to eat better, healthier, and save some money by cooking at home. This is going to be a big help getting me more comfortable and confident in the kitchen. I’ve bookmarked a folder full of your recipes that I’m excited to try!
Alex, I am so incredibly excited to hear that you loved this soup and are being inspired to make other recipes too! It makes my day. I can’t thank you enough for letting me know. Enjoy every bite!
So I’ve found this amazing-looking recipe a bit late in the game, but as someone who’s really just starting to cook things seriously, would it ruin the recipe to let it cook longer? My problem is that I’m away nine hours during the day for work, and don’t want it to turn to inedible mush… Really looking forward to trying out my instant pot, though, so I hope it would work!
Hi Nerni! If you have a slow cooker that will automatically switch over to “keep warm” instead of staying on full heat, I think it will work fine. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
This sounds amazing! Do you know if it would freeze well?
Hi Kim! I’ve never tried, but I see no reason why it wouldn’t. I’d suggesting letting the leftovers thaw overnight in the fridge. If they are too thick, reheat gently with a bit of milk or chicken stock to thin the soup back out. I hope you enjoy!
Omg…..yumminess!! I have made this multiple times now and always double the recipe! So easy and so tasty! I cook some bacon and crumble it on the soup before serving……mmmmm another level of tasty!
Darlene, I’m so glad to hear the recipe is a winner for you! Thanks so much for leaving this awesome review!
Erin….question for you just so I know I’m not losing my mind. When you say 1 3/4 cup of cheese, that would be 14 oz correct? A block of 8oz cheese and 3/4 of another?
Hi Darlene! Cup measurements are actually by volume, not by weight. 1 cup of coarsely grated cheese weights about 3.5 ounces, so you’d need something more along the lines of 6 ounces. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I loved this soup. I made a couple tweaks by switching 12 oz of dark beer in for some of the chicken broth, adding a rib of celery, one more jalapeño, adding 1/4t of paprika instead of cayenne, and using 1/2 +1/2 instead of milk.
Rob, your tweaks sound DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for leaving this wonderful review. I really appreciate it, and it is so helpful for others considering the recipe too!
What is the approximate serving size?
Hi Cory! I didn’t measure this one cup for cup, so you’ll need to estimate.
Had something like this and looked on the internet for a recipe. Tried this one and loved it! Passed it on to two restaurants and a friend who enters soup competitions as well as a number of other friends. Great flavour and not too spicy. I didn’t use any of the “additional” items.
I’m so happy this recipe was a hit, Gordon! Thank you for taking the time to share your success with this reicpe!
I am soup obsessed and could eat soup everyday, and this is one of the very best soups I’ve ever had. Perfectly spicy, cheesy, but not thick and goopy. I could live on this soup.
This MAKES my day, Jenny! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Just like all of Erin’s other recipes I’ve tried, this one turned out amazing and was a huge hit with the whole family!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Barb! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This soup was amazing! The picture showed a slightly thicker soup, however, mine turned out great! I would make this again. Flavour was amazing and it packed a little punch of heat. Great soup for people who are just starting out with heat. Love this!!
Hi Sonja! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
This looks amazing!! Is there any chance I can just do this on the stove top if I’m short on time?
Hi Sally! I’ve only tested this recipe as written so I wouldn’t be able advise on how to make this on the stove top. If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Wonderful soup. Easy to put together. Adding it to my favorites.
Hi Cathy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Made this for lunch on a cool fall day, it was just what my family needed! Delicious in every aspect. We didn’t add the jalapeño since I have 2 toddlers, but it was still so good. Even my fussy 5 year old enjoyed it!
Hi Makayla! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Looks yummy, Erin. I always have a hard time with the quote unquote servings. I’ve made soup according to however it’s come up in recipes on different blogs and it shows servings but they don’t tell you the amount of each serving or the amount it makes in total…Quart(s), etc. And then I’m either stuck with too little or too much but I never know how to adjust serving size if I don’t know how much the recipe makes. Do you think you could start putting at least the finished amount a soup makes so at least we have an idea of how to adjust depending on how many people it has to feed. I know a lot of people just have a cup of soup but we love our soups and usually have a nice big bowl. So that would be very helpful to know how much it makes! Thanks!
Hi Cat! Thanks for the feedback! Unfortunately I don’t have the capacity to measure out each recipe! The serving would account for how many people it feeds or how many servings you would get from one recipe. Example this soup has 6 servings, so it would be up to you how to divide it up. Also take a quick look at the amount of liquids and it will give you a rough estimate on how big your portions will be. Everyone has different ideas what a portion size is.
We’re definitely getting into soup season and this one has to be a must make. We do soup night with our across the road neighbors in the fall and because we all enjoy soup, it’s so fun to make different ones. I generally make at least 3 different recipes and have a muffin/bread/roll to go with each one. And this year, I’ll be making Caramel Apple Bars to top off the meal. I’m sure your fall is really busy what with the new book out and all. I’m a little bit past half way through it and so far , so VERY good. I always like a picture to go with each recipe and these are absolutely beautiful!
Makes me so happy to hear, thank you Chris!