Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
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Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
This Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup is the ultimate comfort for the cooler months. It’s rich, velvety, and packed with bold flavors that are sure to leave you satisfied. Whether it’s a quick weeknight dinner or a cozy weekend treat, this soup is loaded with creamy potato goodness and cheesy perfection! Slow Cooker + Vegan Options.
If you love soups during the cold winter months, this Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup is a must-try! It's creamy, velvety, and packed with flavor. Made with just a few staple ingredients, this soup is an easy, comforting dish and comes with a dairy-free + vegan option—plus, it has a slow cooker option for extra convenience!
I’ve really been leaning into creamier soups lately, and this one is definitely a standout. My Creamy White Chicken Lasagna Soup and Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup are also top contenders, but this potato soup takes the flavor game to a whole new level. Fall is all about indulging in comfort food, and this soup is unapologetically delicious—guaranteed to satisfy your cravings for bold, rich flavors!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- How to Make Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- Ingredients for Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- Roast (Bake) Those Veggies For More Flavor
- How to Thicken Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- Serving Suggestions for This Creamy Potato Soup
- Can I Make this Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup in a Slow Cooker?
- Why Won't My Cheese Melt on the Soup?
- Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup Q + A's
- More Comforting Soup Recipes to Try this Season!
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
Why You’ll Love This Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
Once you make and eat this Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup—– you’ll fall in absolute love. Haha. More importantly, here are also the reasons why you’ll love it the most:
- It’s super easy to make.
- Simple set + forget it—simmer, simmer, simmer over the stovetop! There's even a slow-cooker option!
- Super flavorful + only requires ONE pot.
- Great for meal prepping and make aheads for the week!
- Perfect fall + winter vibes!
- Did I mention, it’s just delicious?
How to Make Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
To make this delicious Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup, you'll start by sautéing your minced garlic and chopped onions, until fragrant. Then you'll add the cubed potatoes and veggie stock and allow everything to boil and then simmer for at least 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
To naturally thicken your soup, I allow the potato to simmer for a bit of extra time. This is optional!To finish the soup, you'll add the remaining ingredients, stir until creamy and wallah!
Ingredients for Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
Here's what you need to make this creamy cheddar garlic potato soup at home:
- Potatoes. Use russet or Yukon gold potatoes for the best texture. Peeled + cubed.
- Heavy cream. I recommend organic–always! Of course, for a vegan option, just use full-fat coconut cream/milk.
- Vegetable stock. Use store-bought low-sodium broth or make your own!
- Garlic. You'll need about 6 garlic cloves. For a bolder garlic flavor, you can roast 1 garlic bulb instead.
- Olive oil. You can also use Grapeseed oil or coconut oil as well.
- Butter. I recommend unsalted.
- Herbs + Seasonings – A great addition of flavor. Adds such savoriness from the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, parsley, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, thyme, etc.
- White wine. Choose a dry wine that you like the taste of.
- Sharp cheddar. I love to freshly-grate my cheese, however, you can use your favorite shredded brand---quality does matter! For a vegan option, So Delicious Dairy-Free or Violife cheese shreds tastes great or nutritional yeast is great!
- Red onion. Substitute with yellow or white if that’s what you have.
- Kale. Use fresh for best results, but frozen also works! Ensure that it’s chopped.
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR COOKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS SOUP!
Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup. Everything from my fave high-powered blender, dutch ovens, wooden spoons, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Roast (Bake) Those Veggies For More Flavor
Roasting the vegetables adds a delicious depth of flavor, bringing out natural sweetness and creating those perfect caramelized bits. Once roasted, let them cool slightly, then scoop the potato flesh and roasted garlic into a blender with veggie stock. Finish everything on the stovetop for a rich, flavorful soup.
How to Thicken Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
While many soups are thickened for texture, it is not inherently necessary. My recipe is simmer for long enough to reduce enough to create a natural thickness, but you may want to have larger chunks of potatoes included, in which case you can use a thickener if needed.
All in all, it depends on how you like it! Use 1 tablespoon at a time mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to dilute. Then pour the mixture into the soup, simmering for an additional few minutes to activate the thickener.
Some thickening agents you can use are:
- Cornstarch (GF)
- Arrowroot starch (GF)
- Potato starch (GF)
- All-purpose flour
Serving Suggestions for This Creamy Potato Soup
I like to add some extra texture to creamy soups like this one. Most people might enjoy this soup with a side of grilled cheese or bread, which is totally fine. But I wanted to share a few more ideas in case you make this soup more than once and want to switch things up!
Other topping ideas include:
- Roasted broccolini
- Herb roasted tomatoes
- Crispy bacon (if you're not plant-based, of course)
- Garlic bread, my favorites are Texas Toast Garlic Bread, Cheesy Pesto Garlic Bread and Roasted Garlic Bread
- Homemade croutons
- Crispy sage leaves
- Roasted chickpeas
- Shredded chicken
Can I Make this Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup in a Slow Cooker?
Absolutely! To make this potato soup in the slow cooker, simply sauté garlic and onions before adding everything (besides the heavy cream and cheese---save those for the last few minutes) into your slow cooker and cooking on a low setting for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
Why Won't My Cheese Melt on the Soup?
It's so important to use freshly-grated sharp cheddar cheese for the creamiest results in your Potato Soup. While you can use shredded cheese, it won't melt as seamlessly because it has a special "coating", which prevents it from melting smoothly.
NOTE: If you only have shredded cheese, then I recommend adding it the soup while it's simmering in the last 5 minutes or so, stirring until melted and then topping it immediately after serving it into bowl(s).
Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup Q + A's
Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, for optimal freshness. Can also be frozen for 4-6 months. To defrost, simply place soup in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before re-heating on the stove top to serve.
Yes! Of course. To make this potato soup vegan, be sure to substitute the butter with vegan butter, heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream/milk, and cheese with nutritional yeast and/or dairy-free cheese shreds.
Yes, this soup is naturally gluten-free as long as you use a gluten-free vegetable broth. No need to worry about flour—this recipe is thickened by the creamy potatoes!
More Comforting Soup Recipes to Try this Season!
Now that you've fallen in love with this Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup recipe, try these family-friendly recipes next!
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Tortellini Soup
- Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
- Creamy Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Chickpea Soup
- Apple Cheddar Sweet Potato Soup
- Loaded Vegan Veggie Soup
- Easy Flavorful Rigatoni Meatball Soup
- Creamy Lemon Broccoli Tortellini Soup
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup
Ingredients
SOUP:
- 4-5 medium organic russet potatoes, peeled + cubed (You can also use Yukon potatoes)
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ red onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 Tbsps white cooking wine (You can use additional veggie stock, instead)
- 4 cups organic vegetable stock/broth
- 1 cup organic heavy cream (See Notes!)
- 1-2 cups freshly-grated Sharp cheddar (See Post for other Cheese options!)
- 1 cup kale, chopped (optional)
Instructions
TO MAKE THE SOUP:
- In a medium-sized dutch oven pot over medium high-heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once heated and the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and chopped onions, and sauté until translucent + fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, oregano, parsley, thyme, and basil, stirring until combined.
- Add in the cubed potatoes, stir to combine, and add in the vegetable stock. Bring everything to a boil for 1-2 minutes and reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes become tender and cooked through. NOTE: I prefer to let the potatoes simmer an extra 10 minutes until almost broken down which helps to naturally thicken the soup. However, if you prefer larger potato chunks, just add 1-2 Tbsps of flour mixed with water into the soup to thicken.
- Add in the heavy cream, kale (if using), and white cooking wine followed by the freshly-grated sharp cheddar, stirring frequently until the cheese has melted. Once creamy, remove from heat.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately into prepared bowl(s), top with freshly chopped parsley or green onions (scallion), and with a side of bread, if desired.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, for optimal freshness. Can also be frozen for 4-6 months. To defrost, simply place soup in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature before re-heating on the stove top to serve.
- SLOW COOKER OPTION: To make this potato soup in the slow cooker, simply sauté garlic and onions before adding everything (besides the heavy cream and cheese---save those for the last few minutes) into your slow cooker and cooking on a low setting for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- SPICES/HERBS: If desired, you can reduce the amounts slightly. Please know that this recipe is bold in spice/herb flavor, so feel free to adjust based on your tastebuds.
- VEGAN OPTION: To make this soup vegan, be sure to substitute the butter with vegan butter, heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream/milk, and cheese with nutritional yeast and/or dairy-free cheese shreds.
- EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with this Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup. Everything from my fave baking sheet, dutch ovens, immersion hand-blender, mixing bowls, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
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Tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea
Hearty Cheddar Garlic Herb Potato Soup.
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This recipe was fantastic. My family loved it.
Hi Allison! I'm SO thrilled to hear that you and your family enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for choosing to make it! 🙂