Grandma Irene's Potato Soup Recipe (2024)

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Delighted to share a delicious Potato Soup Recipe (dated Feb 26, 1955) I recently found in my Grandmother's old tin recipe box, while looking for the elusive Crazy Chocolate Cake recipe (more about that later). Unbelievably, it was the only recipe for soup in the entire box. Living in Idaho all those years I guess she (grandma) figured there was no need to make any other kind of soup! Not really, I am sure she made other kinds of soup, but nothing in the recipe box but this one for Cream of Potato Soup! A warm comforting soup with just a hint of onion, creamy texture of sliced potatoes, healthy dose of milk, salt, pepper, butter, and love!

You won't find extra toppings on Grandma's original potato soup recipe however, if you like you will find some below that when used as soup toppers add vivid contrasting flavors with every bite! The rich creamy soup is one of the most delicious potato soups you have ever tasted!

Grandma Irene's potato soup recipe is all about the onion, how the potatoes are sliced, handling of ingredients after the potatoes are boiled, and the amount of water versus the amount of potatoes used in the recipe. Using "fresh ingredients only", this is not a watery soup, contains no chicken broth, flour to thicken like some recipes, no frozen hash browns ... only fresh ingredients are used and if directions are followed exactly it will be nice and creamy and taste just like Grandma Irene's and Grandma Jackie's (my mom) Potato Soup.

Photo - Grandma Irene's Original Potato Soup Recipe Dated 1955 and her Recipe Box which includes a card inside stating the recipe box is from 1930s, my Mom's estimated date of the recipe box. See the original recipe up close at the very bottom of the lens in oversize photo.

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 35 min

Yields: 2 to 4

• 2 ½ cups diced Potato (my mom actually sliced them on the thick side)
• 1 ½ cups boiling water
• 1 slice Onion or salt
• 2 ½ cups Milk (always use fresh milk)
• 2 Tbsp Butter (not margarine) real butter
• 1 tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Pepper

1. Prep: Scrub, peel, and slice the potatoes. (Grandma does not mention this on the recipe because I am sure she just figured you would know to do that but if you have not made it before you might not) Now you can dice the potatoes, or what my mom did was cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters, then slice so that you ended up with slices about a 1/4 inch thick and the size of a quarter.
2. Cook potatoes and (onion) in boiling water until tender. You should be able to pierce easily with a fork. Do not overcook until mushy, you are not making mashed potatoes. Drain and Reserve the boiled water in a bowl and put to the side, do not throw out water or pour down the sink. Note: Onion is optional, but if left out a lot of flavor will be missing. If you do not use the onion, use a dash of salt when boiling the potatoes.
3. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, stir, and heat until creamy. If soup becomes a bit too thick add just a little of the reserved potato water to the mixture.
4. For your convenience you can print this recipe and look at the bottom of the lens for the printable recipe for 6 to 8 people too!

2.8 stars from 30 ratings of Grandma Irene's Cream of Potato Soup Recipe

Optional Toppings are not on Grandma's recipe but if you add toppings like fresh crispy bacon crumbled, diced green onion and finely shredded cheddar cheese you create an explosion of flavors in your mouth that is hard to describe!

We know it takes a few minutes to dice green onion, grate fresh cheese, and cook a few slices of bacon till crispy and then get it crumbled up before your family tries to eat it all! However, using packaged shredded cheese and bacon bits change the flavors and are okay in a pinch but always use fresh ingredients when you can to achieve the very best flavor!

Get this Print at all posters would look cute in kitchen, bistro or cafe.

Types of Potatoes

Now about those potatoes. What type should you get! Well, you would think ... Idaho Potatoes of course! But not the Russets for this soup!

Whatever you do ... "do not" use baking potatoes (Russets) they are too low in moisture, heavy in starch, and get real mushy if boiled, making them great for mashed potatoes but not soup.

You want Boiling Potatoes also called waxy potatoes. The shape can be round or long, have thin skin, smooth feel, and have a waxy type flesh. Because they are low in starch, high in sugar and moisture they make the perfect boiling potato for soups. Ask your grocer for these known Boiling Potato types: Round White, Yellow Potato, and you can also try the all around Yukon Gold.

Serve with warm Crusty French Bread or Grilled Sandwiches

To accompany your delicious potato soup nothing is quite like "fresh out of the oven" Crusty French bread to delight your family and guests and fill your home with sweet aromas! For a more hearty meal include a heated chicken, cheese, and veggie gyro or try toasted or grilled sandwiches using smoked turkey, ham, provolone cheese, fresh tomatoes, and homemade Dijonnaise sauce.

Photo - Grandma Irene's Original Potato Soup Recipe Dated 1955 and her Recipe Box, which includes a card inside stating the recipe box is from 1930s, my Mom's estimated date of the tin recipe box, which you can see has had a lot of wear!

Besides all the great recipes found inside the box there was even a recipe card titled "Our Orchard" dated April 15, 1946 with the layout of an orchard planted at the Farm. Trees include yellow transparent apples, Bartlett pears, sweet Bing Cherries, and two others I am still trying to decipher. She made the best-canned pears and sweet Bing cherries I have ever tasted and in fact, we used to have family scrimmages over who got the cherries. Hoping to find her canning recipes for Bing cherries and Bartlett pears as well as do more research, and pop up more of her delicious recipes, so stay tuned.

BTW ... I am still searching for the Crazy Chocolate Cake Recipe if anyone has it let me know.

Hope you enjoyed reading about Grandma Irene's Potato Soup recipe as much as I enjoyed sharing a bit of family cooking history with all of you!

Do you like Potato Soup, The Lens, Cool Recipe Box, Printable Recipe idea?

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 35 min

Yields: 6 to 8

• 8 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes | diced Potato (see my mom's slicing method below)
• 4 ½ to 5 cups boiling water
• 2 slices of Onion or salt
• 8 cups Milk
• 6 Tbsp Butter (not margarine) real butter
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 to 1 tsp Coarse Ground Pepper
• 6 to 8 thick sliced bacon
• 1 bunch green onions
• 8 oz Colby cheese

1. Prep: Scrub, peel, and slice the potatoes. (Grandma does not mention this on the recipe because I am sure she just figured you would know to do that but if you have not made it before you might not). Now you can dice the potatoes, or what my mom did was cut the potatoes lengthwise into quarters, then slice so that you ended up with slices about a 1/4 inch thick and the size of a quarter, when you slice them a bit thicker it makes a better soup because the potatoes reduce in size a bit when boiling.
2. Cook potatoes and (onion) in boiling water until tender. You should be able to pierce easily with a fork. Do not overcook until mushy, you are not making mashed potatoes. Drain and Reserve the boiled water in a bowl and put to the side, do not throw out water or pour down the sink. Note: Onion is optional, but if left out a lot of flavor will be missing. If you do not use the onion, use a dash of salt when boiling the potatoes.
3. Add butter, milk, salt and pepper, stir, and heat until creamy, do not turn the heat up too high or you will scald the milk and ruin the soup. It needs to be stirred several times and watched closely until it gets creamy and nice and warm, but not boiling. If soup becomes a bit too thick add just a little of the reserved potato water to the mixture.
4. Toppings Prep: Bacon ... While the potatoes are boiling fry bacon until crispy and drain on paper towels. Once cooled a bit place the cooked bacon inside of a baggie, zip it shut and crush on the counter with your hand or a plate. You will get the perfect size freshly cooked bacon bits to use to top off your soup.
5. Green Onions ... Rinse well and remove any bad sections of the green onions, slice the white part of the onion up on the thin side, then chop the green stems up nice and thin too and put into a sealed container until time to serve the soup.
6. Cheese ... Grate the cheese on the finest section of your grater, it tastes better if is finely shredded, then place in a closed container and keep in the fridge until time to serve soup.
7. Fresh Baked Bread ... If you did not make your own french bread (which I usually try to do ahead of time) then warm your bread to serve with the soup as soon as it done.
8. If you follow the directions above you will have a hearty meal of potato soup, you can top with the fresh warm bacon bits, green onion, fresh grated cheese and warm bread.
9. Dessert What's for dessert who about some nice crispy fresh apples, sliced, and served with the rest of the Colby cheese just slice it up nice and thin and cut into bit size pieces. Enjoy
10. Servings for 12 to 16 - just double the recipe above!