This Smoky Chipotle Potato Soup with Cheese is the perfect recipe to warm you up on chilly days! It’s thick & creamy with just a hint of spicy heat. It’s like queso you can eat with a spoon!
I’ve seen more cross country skiers going down our street than cars today. Portland got hit with about a foot of snow last night and it was totally unexpected. It’s amazingly beautiful, fluffy, white snow and so much more appreciated that the sheets of ice that we typically get for our “snow days.” But, unfortunately, we are scheduled to fly out to Napa tomorrow morning for an extended weekend. Right now, I’m not so sure that our plane will take off.
But, for now, I’m just going to make the most of this beautiful and unexpected snow day – Starting with cooking up a batch of soup.
The grocery store is only a couple blocks away, but the snow currently comes up to my shins, and since we’re hopefully headed out tomorrow, I figured why not scour the fridge and put together a yummy Potato Cheese Soup using what we already have on hand – Potatoes, red onion, a bit of milk, some of my bone broth (which I always keep on hand), and a couple chipotles.
Do you ever cook with chipotles? Chipotle peppers are sold in small cans, packaged in a bit of adobo sauce. They’re smoky, with almost a barbeque sauce like essence, and they pack a good amount of heat.
I use them in lots of recipes that typically call for only one or two of the peppers. The small cans usually come with at least a dozen chipotles packed inside. I’ve found that they freeze wonderfully. Just pack the rest of the peppers and the adobo sauce into a small ziploc baggie and place it in the freezer. When you need a chipotle or two for a recipe, just let the baggie thaw in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes.
It works perfectly and makes it easy to always have chipotles on hand. Try them in your stir frys, throw some of the adobo sauce into some scrambled eggs, or add some to your weekend Bloody Mary for a smoky twist. I love their flavor and I thought they would be perfect to give a kick to potato soup.
This potato soup turned out well seasoned, with the addition of some cumin, coriander and the smoky chipotles. But, it still needed a little something… Cheese.
I had some extra sharp cheddar cheese on hand, so I threw that it there. It made it extra creamy and added a bit of tang. This would also be wonderful with some smoked cheddar, or even pepper jack cheese. Use whatever cheese you have on hand and put your own creative twist on things.
As a garnish, and to give this Potato Cheese Soup a hint of extra fresh flavor, I made a salsa of sorts using bit of red and yellow bell pepper, some fresh cilantro and a good squeeze of lime juice.
Add a dollop of that to the top of your soup for a zesty, citrus kick that adds a nice bit of texture to the otherwise creamy soup. It was next level yummy.
What to Serve with It
- More → 25+ BEST Sides for Potato Soup
Wine Pairings
- This potato cheese soup pairs well with a rich, brightly acidic white like a Pinot Gris.
- A dry Riesling, with its hint of sweetness and rich acidity, is another great match for this creamy, slightly spicy soup.
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Did you try this creamy mexican potato soup?
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Full Recipe
Smoky Chipotle Potato Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes (peeled and quartered)
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 red onion (chopped (reserve 1 Tbsp for garnish))
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups bone broth (vegetable stock or low-sodium chicken stock)
- 1 cup milk
- 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (grated )
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
Garnish:
- 1/2 red bell pepper (seeded and diced)
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper (seeded and diced)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 1 Tablespoon chopped red onion
- 1 lime (juiced)
Instructions
- Add potatoes to a large pot and add enough water to cover. Add a pinch of salt to the pot and bring to a boil. Cook potatoes 20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork. Drain.
- While the potatoes are cooking, heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until the onions have softened, about 5 minutes. To the pot add the chicken stock, milk, chipotle peppers, cumin, coriander and the cooked potatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender), add the cheese, and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl mix together the bell peppers, cilantro and red onion. Add lime juice and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of the pepper mixture.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2017. It was updated in 2019 to add new photos and an instructional video. The original smoky potato soup recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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