Creamy without all of the cream, this chunky potato soup recipe gives a spicy bite with jalapeño peppers and sweet corn.
Supremely comforting with the sweet flavor of sautéed onions combined with a satisfying hint of jalapeño pepper heat, this potato soup recipe with corn is at the same time fresh and earthy tasting. It’s a creamy potato soup that won’t weigh you down since it doesn’t call for full-fat cream. Instead, this soup is thickened by blending a few ladles of the potato and corn mixture in the blender. Then for texture, that’s combined with the chunky base and a bit of half-and-half or whole milk. Depending on the heat of the jalapeño, you can give this soup a gentle heat or mix in more at the end for a fiery bite. It’s simple and fast to make, taking just about 30 minutes from start to finish.
What’s In This Potato Soup
- Butter
- Vegetable or canola oil
- Yellow onion
- Jalapeño peppers
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- Chicken stock or chicken broth
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Half-and-half or whole milk
- Cilantro
How to Make Potato Soup
Peel and chop the veggies. Chop the potatoes into bite-size pieces. I used a combination of fresh and frozen corn but you can use either or.
Sauté the onion and jalapeño until tender. I use both oil and butter in this step. The butter adds flavor and the oil raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t burn.
Add the potatoes, corn, chicken stock, and salt and pepper, bring to a boil then simmer. Cook just until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Cooking too long will make them mushy.
Blend 2-3 ladles of the soup mixture then add back to the base before adding half-and-half. If using a blender, avoid adding more than two ladles to the blender and cover with a towel instead of a lid. If filled too full, the hot mixture will expand and explode out of the blender. I speak from experience.
How to Thicken Potato Soup
There’s no cream in this creamy potato soup. Instead, take a few ladles of the potato mixture, blend, then add back to the chunky base. Next, add ½ cup of half-and-half or whole milk for an even smoother feel.
How to Freeze Potato Soup
To freeze potato soup, ladle it into gallon-size, freezer-safe storage bags. Squeeze out any excess air from the bag. Lay flat in the freezer until frozen then stack for maximum space saving. The soup can be frozen for 3-6 months.
Potato Soup Recipe with Corn and Jalapeño
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 onion diced
- 2 jalapeños diced (about ½ cup), plus 8-12 thin slices of jalapeno for garnish
- 6 yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into large dice
- 2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup half-and-half or whole milk
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and jalapeño and cook for about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, corn, chicken stock, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add a few ladles of the mixture to a blender so it does not go over half full. Cover the top of the jar with a towel. Pulse the mixture on low being really careful that the heat of the mix doesn’t cause the mixture to splatter out of the jar.
- Pour the blended mixture back into the Dutch oven. Add the half and half to the soup and warm through. Add more half-and-half for a thinner soup or blend more of the mixture for a thicker soup. Ladle into bowls and garnish with jalapeno slices and cilantro if desired.
