Favourite Potato Cheddar Soup

Creamy potato cheddar soup built on a base of mirepoix (carrots, celery, and onion) sautéed in oil until the onions go translucent and sweet. Cubed potatoes join the pot for a quick five-minute sauté before the broth and canned cheese sauce go in.

The Worcestershire is the secret here. Two-thirds of a teaspoon doesn’t sound like much, but it deepens the cheddar’s flavor and adds the savory umami that separates a respectable potato soup from a forgettable one. White pepper, not black, keeps the soup looking clean and brings a sharper bite.

Stir constantly during the simmer. Cheese sauce loves to stick to the bottom of a hot pot and burn before you notice. Drop the heat the moment the soup hits a simmer, then keep a spoon moving for the full ten minutes.

Use Yukon Gold or a starchy potato like russet. Yukons hold their cube shape better while russets break down and thicken the broth on their own.

Chef Tips

• Cube the potatoes evenly (about ½ inch) so they cook through at the same rate. Oversized cubes leave you with crunchy centers in tender soup.
• Heat the chicken broth before adding so the soup doesn’t drop to a hard chill and slow the simmer.
• Taste before adding extra salt. Both the cheese sauce and broth carry sodium.
• For a thicker soup, mash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot near the end of cooking.

Variations

• Stir in cooked, crumbled bacon or chopped ham right before serving for a loaded baked-potato vibe.
• Swap canned cheese sauce for 1 ½ cups of freshly shredded sharp cheddar, added off heat in handfuls.
• Top with sliced green onions and a dollop of sour cream for a steakhouse finish.