Traditional Irish Potato Soup is as simple to make as it is delicious and nutritious! This creamy soup is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day meal or any meal for that matter.
Even though potatoes are synonymous with Ireland, potatoes didn’t originate there. They made their way to Europe in the 1500s after Spanish conquistadors discovered them in the Andes Mountains. But potatoes, which are the world’s fourth-largest food crop, were an important staple for Irish working-class families and still are today.
Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, a good source of potassium and vitamin B6, fat, sodium, and are cholesterol free. Best of all, they are only 110 calories per serving. But when combined with celery, onions, and milk, Traditional Irish Potato Soup reigns supreme and is a powerhouse meal.
I’ve been making this potato soup for as long as I can remember and it has always been one of my “go-to” meals. It’s comfort food at its finest! My mother made it often and would sometimes add sausage or other ingredients, but this simple recipe is my favorite way to prepare it. Now don’t get me wrong, I also love adding bacon, sour cream, cheese and chives to this basic recipe and making Twice Baked Potato Soup, but today is all about this simple family favorite – Traditional Irish Potato Soup.
Looking for more Irish inspired food for St. Patrick’s Day, check out my Ten Irish Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day Roundup, or 18 Incredible Dishes for St. Patrick’s Day from the Pudge Factor Blog.
How to make Traditional Irish Potato Soup!
The ingredients are potatoes, butter, onion, celery, chicken stock, milk, half and half (which is optional), garlic powder, kosher salt, ground black pepper and optional, chopped fresh parsley for garnish.
To make Traditional Irish Potato Soup, melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and sauté for about 5-6 minutes until they are tender.
Add the potatoes, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper and chicken stock. If your chicken stock is reduced salt you may need a little more salt; if it is regular chicken stock, you might not need any salt. Season to your family’s taste. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are completely done. They should break apart easily when you pierce them with a fork and you should be able to easily mash them against the side of the pan.
Use an immersion blender and blend until the potato mixture is smooth and creamy. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend them in a food processor or blender, but you will have to do this in batches. Be extremely careful with the hot mixture. If all else fails, use a potato masher.
When the mixture is smooth and creamy add two cups of whole milk or 1-1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of half and half. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Serve immediately.
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 minutes |
| Servings | 4 servings |
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 ribs of celery chopped
- 4 large potatoes peeled and chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk or 1/1-2 cups whole milk and 1/2 cup half and half.
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley for garnish optional
Ingredients
|
- Melt the butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the celery and onions and sauté for about 5-6 minutes until they are tender.
- Add the potatoes, garlic powder, kosher salt and pepper and chicken stock. If your chicken stock is reduced salt you may need a little more salt; if it is regular chicken stock, you might not need any salt. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are completely done. They should break apart easily when you pierce them with a fork and you should be able to easily mash them against the side of the pan.
- Use an immersion blender and blend until the potato mixture is smooth and creamy. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can blend them in a food processor or blender, but you will have to do this in batches. Be extremely careful with the hot mixture.
- When the mixture is smooth and creamy add two cups of whole milk or 1-1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of half and half. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.
My sweet friend brought me a batch of this tasty soup after I had jaw surgery. I ate it all by myself and it was fantastic. I highly recommend it if you want a savory, “stick to your ribs” kind of soup. It really hit the spot when I wasn’t feeling very well.
Hey Kerri,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup!
Can I leave potatoes in chopped form not blended. I like mine chunky
Hi Tracy, sure if that’s the way like it. You might want to mash just a few so that it will have a creamy consistency. I hope you enjoy the soup, it’s one of our favorites.
All my best, Sharon
I love this recipe. It’s a year-round favorite. I made a couple of alternations to my own version that came out quite well. Rather than blending it down with a food processor, I cut a good portion of the potatoes smaller and then also cooked this for about 4 hours in the crockpot. The result was having the vegetables cook down into a potage more naturally. I mashed a few of the potatoes against the side of the crockpot with a wooden spoon at the end to get a thicker soup. But the cooking method did most of the work. The result is more of a rustic, thick soup. Also, at the end, rather than 2 cups of whole milk, I used one cup of half & half. The calories on the dairy were equivalent to the original recipe. But the higher concentration of milk fat gave it more flavor.
Hi Robyn,
Thanks so much for sharing your changes and I am so glad you liked the soup. It’s a year-round of favorite of my family’s too! I’ve never cooked it in the crockpot, but that sounds like a great idea!
Thanks again for sharing!
All my best,
Sharon