Ree Drummond’s Cozy Potato Soup Has Hundreds of Five-Star Reviews — And Yes, It’s That Good

If you’re craving a warm, comforting soup that’s also incredibly hearty, a good creamy potato soup is hard to beat. With countless 5-star reviews, Ree Drummond’s Perfect Potato Soup seems to be an internet-wide crowd favorite. Requiring a handful of simple ingredients and boasting a quick 55-minute cook time, I couldn’t think of a reason not to give this homey recipe a shot.

Get the recipe: Perfect Potato Soup

Start by cutting 6 slices of bacon into 1-inch thick pieces. Peel and dice 6 small russet potatoes. Add the bacon to a large pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy. Transfer bacon to a plate and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon bacon grease.

Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the 2 diced carrots, 3 diced stalks of celery, and one diced onion. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the diced potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with 1/2 teaspoon Cajun spice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Pour in 8 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth and bring mixture to a gentle boil. Cook until the potatoes are starting to get tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1 cup milk and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. When potatoes are tender, pour the milk mixture into the soup and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove about half of the soup and blend in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Pour it back into the soup pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Stir in the 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley. Serve garnished with grated cheddar cheese and crisp bacon pieces.

I love recipes like this because they show how simple ingredients can come together to create something incredibly delicious. With the rich, smoky flavor of bacon prominently featured, the soup tasted a bit like a loaded baked potato in soup form, in a very good way. Texturally, it reminded me a bit of pot pie filling, with a thick, creamy broth filled with tender pieces of potatoes, carrots, and celery. Typically when I make blended soups I blend the entire soup, but I liked this partial blending technique that yielded both smooth velvety broth and some pleasant texture.

As you might expect, 1/2 a teaspoon of Cajun spice gets completely lost in the 12 servings of soup this recipe yields, so adjust that amount to your liking. And if you don’t already have Cajun spice, I’d skip it. Adding a combination of spices that add some heat, like ground cayenne pepper or hot paprika, along with dried herbs like thyme or oregano, would certainly do the job. I also think this soup is particularly good with a splash of your favorite hot sauce, both for the heat and for the acidity, which will help cut through the richness of the soup. I like pairing a more vinegar-forward hot sauce with this recipe, like Texas Pete’s or Crystal.