BEST Gluten-Free Potato Soup (Ultra Creamy)

Dive into a bowl of thick and creamy comfort with this easy recipe for gluten-free potato soup! Dollop with loaded baked potato toppings or enjoy with a simple sprinkling of bacon and watch your family devour!

Enjoy Potato soup, gluten-free!

You may be wondering, aren’t all potato soup recipes gluten-free? Unfortunately, no.

Typically potato soup recipes use a roux, which is a mixture of butter and flour to achieve a thick and creamy consistency. However, no flour is necessary when utilizing some simple tricks learned developing my gluten-free cookbook and gluten-free soups for the site.

To thicken potato soup without flour, the right type of potatoes must be used. While some baked potato soups use Yukon gold or red potatoes, these do not break down as much as russets or Idaho, naturally thickening the soup.

Also, a cornstarch slurry gives an extra boost of thickening, which is similarly used in Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Gluten-free Corn Chowder. Stir in the cornstarch / water mixture after the veggies and potatoes have cooked in the broth.

These suggestions, along with a secret ingredient for ultra creaminess, makes the best gluten-free potato soup recipe ever!

Ingredient Notes / substitutions

• Bacon – Used to sprinkle on for serving and the drippings flavor the soup. For vegetarian potato soup, omit the bacon and use 1 tablespoon additional butter.
• Potatoes – While many baked potato soup recipes use a variety of potatoes, I strongly recommend only using russet potatoes. They soak up the liquid, breaking down slightly to thicken the soup, which is a technique used in gluten-free au gratin potatoes as well.
• Vegetables – Combination of yellow onion, carrots, celery, and garlic give an extra flavor dimension.
• Broth – Use either vegetable broth or chicken broth, depending on preference.
• Evaporated Milk – Another secret weapon for making creamy soups! Since water content has been removed, evaporated milk really adds a velvety taste. (Same trick used in creamy Chicken Dumpling Soup and gluten-free chicken soup) Substitute with whole milk, half and half, heavy cream, or preferred dairy-free milk.
• Optional toppings – Cheddar cheese, green onions, chives, sour cream

how to make gluten-free potato soup

(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)

1. First, fry the bacon pieces in a large pot over medium heat. Once the bacon is crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Leave one tablespoon bacon fat in the pot.
2. Add butter to the bacon drippings and sauté the onions, celery, and carrots until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds longer.
3. Stir in the broth, potatoes, onion powder, salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil. Partially remove the lid, lower to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to blend about half the soup. Alternatively, transfer about 2 cups to a blender to process. Add back to the pot.
5. Mix together the cornstarch and water and stir into the soup, cooking for about 1-2 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in evaporated milk. Serve with reserved bacon and optional cheddar cheese, sour cream, or chives for gluten-free loaded baked potato soup.

best potatoes to use

When researching this recipe, I found many versions use Yukon gold potatoes or red bliss. While this works for traditional potato soup because they are thickened with wheat flour, it doesn’t work for a gluten-free recipe.

Russets have a high starch, lower moisture, meaning they absorb a lot of liquid as they cook. This causes them to break down and naturally thicken the soup.

If you would like to use other potatoes, I suggest using a combination with the russet potatoes. You may have to add slightly more cornstarch, depending on how thick you like your soup.

dairy-free modifications

To make gluten-free dairy-free potato soup, the butter and milk will have to be replaced with non-dairy substitutes. Use a vegan, plant based butter or olive oil in place of the butter.

For the evaporated milk, replace with a dairy-free milk of choice, such as almond milk. You may also use coconut milk for a creamier flavor, but it will add a slight coconut taste.

Topping ideas

Have the hankering for gluten-free baked potato soup or want to serve this as part of a loaded soup bar? Offer some of the suggestions below, many which can be used for Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup.

If you are looking for what to serve with potato soup, try some of the suggested listed in gluten-free tomato soup recipe.

• Bacon
• Chives or green onions
• Sour cream
• Nutritional yeast
• Steamed broccoli florets
• Cheese – cheddar, parmesan, colby jack, or pepper jack
• Crushed gluten-free crackers (I love Simple Mill Almond Four Crackers)

storing, freezing, and rewarming

Store leftover soup, refrigerated, in an airtight container up to 5 days. To reheat, transfer to a saucepan and rewarm over gentle heat. If the soup is too thick upon reheating, add a splash of milk.

Freezing potato soup isn’t recommended because the potatoes will break down, become grainy, and lose its creamy consistency. However, if you are looking for an easy freezer meal, gluten-free beef stew makes an excellent option!

If you do wish to freeze the soup, the taste will be fine after thawing, but the texture will be off. To “save” the soup from an unappealing texture, use an immersion blender to puree back to smooth creaminess.

more gluten-free soup recipes

• Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Buffalo Chicken Chili
• Gluten-Free Cream of Chicken Soup

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