Skip to Content

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup – no cooking potatoes ahead of time, just a flavorful, hearty soup that everyone loves!!

This is one of those recipes that was created during the “not quite fall, not quite the end of summer” time of year. The weather is just getting a little cooler (or a little less hot) yet there is still an abundance of summer vegetables to be found everywhere. Even in my own garden, hurray!

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup

Fresh summer corn isn’t something I grow myself but it is something that I buy at least several times a week at my Farmer’s Markets. I serve it in a gazillion different ways, but one of my favorites is adding it to a simmering soup, just before serving. The fresh corn retains it’s crunch and adds such a wonderful texture.

The flavor of sweet corn in this Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup also gives the perfect sweet balance to the smoky, spicy chipotle. I use both adobo sauce from a can of chipotle as well as a hefty amount of Chipotle Pepper Sauce; I’ve found that the combination makes for one heck of a tasty soup!

Why You’ll Love Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup With Fresh Summer Corn

Smoky and Spicy Flavor – The smoky, spicy chipotle peppers add depth and complexity to the creamy soup.

Fresh Summer Corn – Need I say more?! Fresh summer corn adds a burst of sweetness and texture to each delicious spoonful.

Indulgent Toppings – Toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, and bacon enhance the flavor and provide added indulgence making it an ideal comfort food.

Customizable – The soup is versatile and can be easily customized to suit individual preferences by adjusting the level of spiciness or adding extra toppings.

Utilizes Seasonal Ingredients – It’s a great way to use up seasonal ingredients and create a delicious and nutritious meal for the whole family to enjoy.

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup Ingredients Notes

  • Red Potatoes: I use red potatoes for this recipe, but you can also use gold, baby gold, or baby red potatoes. Both are great in soup with skin on, but you can peel them if you prefer.
  • Bacon: The recipe calls for 1/2 pound bacon, but bacon lovers won’t balk if you add a little extra.
  • Sweet Onion: I use sweet onion for this, but any yellow or white onion will work fine.
  • Chicken Broth: One 32-ounce container low-sodium chicken broth should do it.
  • Milk: I use whole milk, but you can use lower fat versions as well. Almond milk works, too but will impart a sweeter flavor.
  • Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheddar cheese is stirred right into the soup to help thicken and add that ooey, gooey goodness to the creamy broth.
  • Adobo Sauce: You can use the sauce right out of a can of chipotle peppers
  • Chipotle Pepper Sauce: I used TABASCO Chipotle Pepper Sauce, but any chipotle pepper based hot sauce will do. Adjust the amount for your desired level of heat.
  • Fresh Corn: Use fresh corn, with clean silks that aren’t black or slimy. Remove the kernels and discard the cobs. Not in season? Use canned or frozen instead.

Find the complete Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup ingredients list with measurements in the recipe card below.

Best Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup

How To Make Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup

  1. Crisp the bacon – In a stockpot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving bacon grease in the pot.
  2. Soften the onions – Cook onions until soft and translucent. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute.
  3. Add potatoes – Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking until smooth. Add potatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are soft.
  4. Thicken the soup – Crush potatoes with a potato masher to thicken soup, leaving some chunks. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth.
  5. Finish the base and add the flavors! – Add milk, adobo sauce (to taste), Chipotle Pepper Sauce, and corn. Bring back to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes until hot.
  6. Serve! – Season well with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and add desired toppings. Enjoy!

Variations, Substitutions, and Cooking Tips

Add heat – Add diced jalapenos or crushed red pepper for an extra kick of heat. You can even try topping it with candied jalapenos!

Make it meaty – Incorporate cooked and crumbled sausage or ground beef for added protein.

Add to your garnish game – Top with sliced avocado or a dollop of guacamole.

Cheese swap – Experiment with different types of cheese such as pepper jack or smoked gouda for unique flavor profiles.

Bacon subs – Use turkey bacon or vegetarian bacon for a lighter option.

Broth alternatives – Use vegetable broth or even mushroom broth for a vegetarian version (eliminate the bacon to make it vegetarian).

Potato Substitute – Swap regular potatoes for sweet potatoes for a twist on flavor and color.

Go dairy-free – Replace whole milk with coconut milk or cashew milk for a dairy-free alternative, and use dairy-free cheese and nutritional yeast to thicken.

Use an immersion blender – For a thicker consistency, puree some of the potatoes with an immersion blender.

Adjust the spiciness – Change the amount of adobo sauce and Chipotle Pepper Sauce according to personal preference.

Blend safely – Allow the soup to cool slightly before blending to avoid splashing hot liquid.

Create creaminess – For a creamier texture, stir in a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt just before serving.

Storage & Reheating

Store leftover Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Leftovers can be reheated in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium heat. To reheat in the microwave, add portion to a microwave safe dish and cover lightly with a paper towel. Cook in 60 second intervals until heated through, stirring between each zap.

This recipe is a riff on one of my most popular recipes, my Loaded Potato Soup that you all have gone bonkers for. I realized that if you love that one so much, you would probably love this one since it has just enough twists to make it a different flavor yet it’s just as simple as the original.

Best Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup (with fresh summer corn)

Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup - no cooking potatoes ahead of time, just a flavorful, hearty soup that everyone loves!!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound bacon, sliced into large pieces
  • 1/2 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 32- ounce container low-sodium chicken broth, 4 cups
  • 3 pounds red potatoes, quartered or halved depending on size
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups whole milk, almond milk works, too
  • 2-4 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle peppers
  • 2 teaspoons Chipotle Pepper Sauce, or more!!
  • 2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed and cobs discarded
  • kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion, crumbled bacon, fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. Heat a stockpot over med-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels, leaving bacon grease in stockpot.
  2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, about another minute (this will remove the "raw" flour taste).
  3. Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking constantly until smooth. Add potatoes, bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are soft (15-30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes).
  4. Using a potato masher or something similar, crush potatoes to thicken soup, leaving some chunks but allowing some to "melt" into the soup. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth.
  5. Add milk, adobo sauce (to taste), Chipotle Pepper Sauce and fresh corn; bring back to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes until very hot.
  6. Season well with salt and pepper (this is IMPORTANT). Ladle into bowls and top each as desired.

Notes

Nutritional information does not account for toppings.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 490Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 893mgCarbohydrates: 48gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 25g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

More delicious soup recipes!

Kristy Bernardo
Latest posts by Kristy Bernardo (see all)

2pots2cook

Saturday 22nd of July 2017

It looks wonderful. Thank you ! Pinning !

Loaded Potato Soup - Creamy Cheese, Bacon and Jalapeno • The Wicked Noodle

Wednesday 21st of September 2016

[…] {NOTE: If you like this soup, you might want to check out this version with a few twists: Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup!} […]

Skip to Recipe