Creamy Potato Soup
Soup And South Side Heritage
Creamy Potato Soup starts with a flavorful base of celery, onion, and grated carrot sautéed in a whole lot of butter. Tender russet potatoes simmer low and slow with vegetable bouillon, black and white pepper, a tiny pinch of nutmeg, and my secret splash of dill pickle juice for the perfect balance of richness and brightness.
Blend the soup until smooth, but still with a few potato chunks for texture. A swirl of heavy cream at the end makes it extra decadent.
Growing Up By Midway Airport
I have mentioned before that I grew up on the Southwest side of Chicago near Midway airport in an area called Garfield Ridge or just Midway. We had a restaurant on Archer Avenue called Archway, not to be confused with Archview Restaurant, which is also great.
This was our regular spot and we often went here after work on Friday nights. I was a soccer referee at the time and would spend all night Friday running up a field in cold weather.
We always stopped at Archway for creamy soups and a side of french fries with creamy garlic dressing for dipping. I have such good memories of these soups.
Some of you may remember my recipe for my Nicky’s on Archer Avenue Chicken Sandwich. The southwest side is filled with so much food nostalgia for me.
This is not THE exact potato soup recipe from Archway, but it is pretty close from my memory. Archway still exists but was moved to the Chicago suburbs.
Nothing will ever replace the memories of the location on Archer near Narragansett. This soup brings back all of those great memories of hard work and a great meal.
I wish I had a picture of Archway, but I cannot find one.
A Weeknight Soup
This Creamy Potato Soup cooks up really fast, in about one hour. You just have to cook it long enough to make the potatoes tender enough to blend.
The flavors of the celery and onion are enhanced by the celery seed and the onion powder you add to this soup.
If you’re looking for the kind of quick potato soup that warms your belly and fills your kitchen with the best buttery aroma, this is it. It’s simple, comforting, and easy to make.
Just be warned: you’ll want to eat three bowls.
White Pepper
This recipe calls for white pepper. White pepper is very strong if you have never had it before.
If it is your first time using it, start with just a little bit. You can always add more if needed.
I like to add the white pepper because, to me, it has some horseradish-like flavor profiles which I think goes great with the potatoes and the creaminess of the soup.
Sweetness Of The Carrots
Add a lot of carrots to this soup, as the sweetness of the carrots rounds out all the other flavors. The carrots are added at the beginning to sauté with the celery and onions.
More carrots are added at the end because it is nice to have little bits of carrots in every spoonful.
Pickle Juice
The secret ingredient of this soup is the pickle juice. This may seem like a weird ingredient and I agree it is strange, but trust me on this.
The vinegar and dill brightens up the whole soup. I am Polish and we eat an actual Pickle Soup.
The pickle juice adds a little sass to a sometimes flat tasting soup. Use it and you will never go back to NOT adding pickle juice to your potato soup.
Creamy Potato Soup Recipe
This creamy potato soup is loaded with buttery sautéed onions and celery, sweet grated carrot, tender russet potatoes, and a surprise splash of dill pickle juice that brightens the whole pot. Blended until velvety and finished with heavy cream, it’s the coziest bowl of comfort for any chilly day.
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 medium to small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large, even pieces
- 4 to 6 stems celery, finely diced (or to taste)
- 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
- 2 cups very finely grated carrot, divided
- 8 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons celery seed
- 1 teaspoon celery salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon white pepper (use sparingly if not familiar, add to taste)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- Tiny pinch of nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 tablespoon dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream (optional but delicious)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon (Better Than Bouillon preferred; add to taste)
- 8 to 10 cups water (enough to cover potatoes with 3 to 4 inches extra above the vegetable line)
Instructions
- Sauté the base: In a large soup pot, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter. Add the finely diced celery, onion, and 1 cup of the grated carrot. Sauté for 7 to 10 minutes until soft.
- Season: Add celery seed, celery salt, white pepper, black pepper, nutmeg, and onion powder. Continue sautéing for another 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to turn golden.
- Add potatoes: Add the cut potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes. Cover the pot with a lid and let the potatoes cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add water & bouillon: Pour in 8 to 10 cups of water, enough to cover the vegetables with about 4 inches of extra liquid. Add the vegetable bouillon sparingly (you can always add more later). Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add flavor boosters: Halfway through the 45 minutes, stir in the dill pickle juice and the tablespoon of sugar.
- Blend: After 45 minutes, remove the lid. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired texture. You can also blend in batches in a blender or mash by hand. Leave a few potato chunks if you prefer texture.
- Finish with carrots: Add the remaining finely grated carrot and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning and add more bouillon, celery salt, or pepper as needed.
- Add cream: Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream, if using.
- Serve: Serve hot with a mountain of saltine crackers and lots of cracked black pepper.