Hash Brown Potato Soup is so creamy, cheesy, and delicious that it tastes like your grandmother made it!
If there’s one device chefs swear technology will never give us, it’s an automatic potato peeler. No matter how far we evolve, it seems, we still have to do this arduous task ourselves.
“In the army,” as Chef Smith told our class full of students at Sullivan University one day, “they toss potatoes in a great big vat and just knock them around together until the peels eventually bump off.” But that would give you some bruised potatoes. And who wants bruised potato soup?
So, moms, until they invent an automatic potato peeler, avoid all this peeling and dicing. My recommendation for the easiest, creamiest, most delicious potato soup in the world is—wait for it—to use a bag of frozen, cubed hash browns.
After all, plain, frozen hash browns are just frozen potatoes, already cubed and peeled for you. You just dump them in a pot with a medley of flavor-enriching aromatics, your cooking liquid, and seasonings, and soon, a swoon-worthy and familiar aroma will begin to wind its way around your home …
And you’re a child again, waiting for your mother to call you to dinner, to eat that comforting, satisfying bowl of velvety potato soup she’s made for you.
Why you and your family will love this easy take on potato soup
A good potato soup is one of the more satiating meals I know of. It fills the belly to the absolute brim. Not that this is proven in studies and all that, mind you, but I know that when I’m feeling low energy or trying to get over the hump of a cold, after a sinus-opening, steamy bowl of this delicious soup, I feel energy and a warm satiety just a-flowing through my body.
This recipe is a cheesier play on a traditional Irish potato soup, containing good-tasting things like chicken broth, already diced and peeled for you hash brown potatoes, butter, cheddar cheese, and only sour cream and cream cheese to thicken it, giving it a “brothier” quality that creates one steaming-hot, delicious bowl of soup.
How do I store leftovers?
Store leftover hash brown potato soup in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop for best results, gently heating and stirring until warmed through. To freeze this soup, pour it into freezer-safe bags or containers. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge, then reheat it on the stove. Because this soup contains potatoes, cheese, and heavy cream, the texture might change when it’s frozen and reheated, so keep that in mind.
Serving suggestions
This creamy, cheesy, potatoey soup is just heavenly with sides that complement it, such as with a contrast of crunchiness (or with good things to dunk in it). My favorite sandwich to serve with this velvety hash brown potato soup is this hammy, cheesy, scrumptious Ultimate Grilled Cheese Sandwich—the flavors are so complemented by a big dunk in that creamy soup.
For the best salad to complement all the deeply savory notes here, try the rich, bacony flavor profile of this Bacon Ranch Layered Salad or the tart, sweet bite of this Strawberry Pretzel Salad. The salad has just the right sweet, acidic, crunchy, bitter complement to this meal. Just try it, you’ll become a quick believer.
For dessert, how about the iced, cinnamon-y deliciousness of these Apple Cinnamon Scones?
Hash Brown Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (32-ounce) package frozen diced hash brown potatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (10.5-ounce) can cream of chicken soup
- 1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese cubed and softened
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Sliced green onions for garnish
- Cooked and crumbled bacon bits for garnish
Instructions
- In a large pot, add butter, onions, and garlic; cook until onions are softened.
- Add the frozen hash brown potatoes, chicken broth, and cream of chicken soup.
- Cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until the hash browns are tender.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in shredded cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, salt, and pepper until the cheese is melted and the soup is well combined. Adjust seasonings and add more broth to thin it out if needed.
- Serve the soup hot. Optional toppings include extra shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or bacon bits.
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