4 Ingredient Potato Soup

This incredibly easy 4 ingredient potato soup requires simply russet potatoes, chicken stock, sour cream, and dill. Effortless to prepare, simple ingredients, hearty, and delicious!

I love this potato soup recipe because the flavor is so much bigger than you would expect using minimal ingredients. Best of all, you are not limited to just the four ingredients I used, this recipe is essentially a blank canvass for you to customize with additional flavorings of your choice. Whether you stick to the recipe as written, or jazz it up, you will have a budget-friendly hearty soup the whole family will enjoy.

How do you make potato soup with few ingredients?

The secret to making this easy potato soup recipe with so few ingredients is choosing ingredients that bring a lot of flavor to the pot. Potatoes are the backbone of any potato soup recipe, while chicken stock thins them out into a soup consistency while also adding a lot of flavor, as well as some needed sodium. Sour cream adds a subtle tanginess and gives the soup a creamy texture, while fresh dill is the secret ingredient that packs an incredible amount of flavor into each spoonful.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Russet potatoes - The high starch content of russets make them the best potatoes for soup because they have a lighter texture than waxy potatoes like red potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. However, to change up the flavor you can substitute them as desired.
• Chicken stock - Chicken broth works equally as well. Alternatively, you can use vegetable stock or vegetable broth instead to make this creamy potato soup vegetarian.
• Sour cream - Crème fraîche can be substituted, or you can use heavy cream but it will lack the tanginess and thin the soup out more. However, any of these are a great addition for crafting a creamy soup.
• Fresh dill - Fresh dill is the best part of this recipe and obviously highly recommended, but you can substitute 1 tablespoon of dried dill instead. You can also substitute a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme, oregano, or rosemary depending on your personal preference.

Customize this recipe

If you wish to customize this basic recipe by using more than four ingredients, any of the following would make fantastic additions or toppings. Of course, feel free to add any of your favorite toppings not mentioned here as well.

• Garlic cloves - Saute a couple of minced garlic cloves in butter or olive oil to coax out the flavor. Otherwise, you can also sprinkle in a little garlic powder.
• Onion - Saute chopped yellow onion to add some texture to the soup. Red onion can also be used, but it will have a much stronger flavor.
• Celery seed - ½ teaspoon of celery seed is a great option that adds some herbal freshness to this delicious soup.
• Bacon - Stirring in some chopped bacon is always a popular addition to any potato soup. You can even use the bacon grease to saute the garlic and onion.
• Cheese - Melt shredded cheddar cheese into the soup, or use it as an optional topping.
• Green onions - The green tops add freshness and a pop of color to your bowl of soup.

How to make it

To make this easy 4 ingredient potato soup recipe begin by adding the chopped potatoes to a large stockpot filled with enough water to cover the potatoes. Set over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 18 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Once the potatoes are fork-tender, drain them from the water, and return them to the pot. Add the sour cream and mash to combine. Mashing them creates a chunky soup texture, otherwise use an immersion blender to craft a smooth soup.

Next, add your chicken stock. You can adjust the quantity of your chicken stock to create your ideal consistency. Regular chicken stock has salt in it, but now is a good time to taste the soup for salt and add more if desired. You can stir in the fresh dill at this time as well. Bring the soup back to temperature, being sure to stir the bottom of the pot so it doesn't burn, then serve immediately.

Potato Soup FAQ