This creamy Sopa de Papa is a rustic potato soup made without heavy cream. Warm, hearty, and ready in 20 minutes. Pure comfort in every spoonful.
There's nothing quite like a creamy Sopa de Papa. It's hearty, rustic, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. No heavy cream is needed here, the potatoes naturally create a smooth, creamy texture all on their own. And the best part? It comes together in about 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy nights but still want something warm, filling, and homemade. Smooth, comforting and perfect with crusty bread on the side.
If you love cozy, creamy soups, you’ll also want to try some of our other favorites like crema de hongos, sancocho de res, sopa de plátano, asopao de gandules, and asopao de camarones.
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Ingredients
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the bacon
Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the diced bacon. Cook until crispy, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
Step 2: Reserve the bacon grease
Carefully drain most of the grease, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pot. Discard the rest.
Step 3: Cook the onions
Add the chopped onions to the reserved bacon grease and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent (Image 1).
Step 4: Add garlic and flour
Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the flour and stir well, cooking for another 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste (Image 2) .
Step 5: Add liquids and potatoes
Pour in the chicken stock and milk, stirring to combine. Add the diced potatoes and bring the soup to a gentle simmer (Image 3).
Step 6: Simmer
Lower the heat, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking or burning.
Step 7: Finish the soup
Once the potatoes are fully cooked, stir in the sour cream, crispy bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese (Image 4). Mix until everything is melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste (Image 5).
Step 8: Serve
Serve warm and top with your favorite toppings. For a little heat, sprinkle with cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper.
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Use starchy potatoes. I like using russet potatoes because they break down slightly and help thicken the soup naturally.
- Use the bacon grease. Cooking the onions in a little of the reserved bacon grease adds a lot of depth and flavor to this sopa de papa. So don’t skip if you can help it!
- Make sure to cook the flour briefly. After adding the flour, cook it for at least a minute to remove the raw taste. Stir constantly so it doesn't burn.
- Simmer the soup gently, don't boil hard. A rapid boil can will cause the soup to quickly evaporate and burns the bottom of the pot. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the potatoes are added.
- Stir occasionally. Make sure to stir the soup every few minutes to prevent it from burning and scorching the bottom.
- Adjust thickness to your liking. If the soup feels too thick, add a splash of warm milk or broth. Too thin? Let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes. It reheats very well. Warm it gently on the stovetop and add some milk or broth if it thickens too much in the fridge.
Yes you can, just keep in mind the integrity of the soup and potatoes will change some.
Absolutely. You can blend all or part of it for a smoother consistency. Many people like to blend half and leave some chunks for texture.
Extra cheddar cheese, extra crispy bacon, chopped scallions, chives, sour cream, or even a sprinkle of cayenne or crushed red pepper for heat.
Yes. You can skip the bacon and use butter or olive oil instead. It will still be creamy and delicious, just slightly less smoky.
Yes, skip the bacon and use 2-3 tablespoons of butter or olive oil instead. Skip the chicken broth and use a good quality vegetarian broth instead.
They should be fork-tender and break apart easily when pressed.
Yes, you can use either cornstarch or a gluten free flour blend.
Like to try making your own homemade saltine crackers? Try this recipe by The Mountain Kitchen.
Other Soups You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Sopa de Papa Cremosa
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds russet potatoes diced
- 5 pieces on bacon
- 3 tablespoons bacon grease or butter
- 4 cloves garlic or 4 teaspoons garlic puree peeled and minced
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock if making it vegetarian
- ¼ cup all purpose flour or ½ cup for an even thicker soup
- 1 cup white onion chopped
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- salt to taste
Toppings
- chopped scallions
- chopped chives
- crumbled plain crackers
- extra bacon bits
- extra shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
Instructions
- Cook the baconHeat a large pot over medium heat and add the diced bacon. Cook until crispy, stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn. Once cooked, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Reserve the bacon greaseCarefully drain most of the grease, leaving about 3 tablespoons in the pot. Discard the rest.
- Cook the onionsAdd the chopped onions to the reserved bacon grease and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Add garlic and flourStir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the flour and stir well, cooking for another 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids and potatoesPour in the chicken stock and milk, stirring to combine. Add the diced potatoes and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- SimmerLower the heat, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and tender. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking or burning.
- Finish the soupOnce the potatoes are fully cooked, stir in the sour cream, crispy bacon, and shredded cheddar cheese. Mix until everything is melted and combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- ServeServe warm and top with your favorite toppings. For a little heat, sprinkle with cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper. Crusty bread on the side is delish too!
Theresa Pendley says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! I did add sautéed celery, Kielbasa and a spoonful for chicken bouillon.