Hash Brown Potato Soup

By Becky Hardin

Updated May 26, 2025

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Hash Brown Potato Soup is an absolute must-make for winter! This creamy, cheesy soup comes together in minutes by using frozen hash browns. It’s the best comfort food soup for busy weeknights. Rich, hearty, and delicious, top the soup with sautéed carrots and bacon for extra flavor and texture.

Easy Hash Brown Potato Cheese Soup

Making potato soup with hash browns is so easy, you’ll never go back to using fresh potatoes. This recipe can be made in less than an hour, with minimal prep work. Just be sure to thaw the hash brown before you make the soup.

Whether you want to serve this cheesy hash brown soup simply as is or load it up with toppings (what’s better than loaded potato soup?) there are plenty of delicious ingredients to add. Top each bowl of soup with more bacon crumbles, sour cream, sliced jalapeños, caramelized onions, or crumbled crackers.

Recipe Card

Hash Brown Potato Soup (Potato Cheese Soup)

4.60 from 133 votes

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Total: 45 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Author: Becky Hardin

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This cheesy potato soup is made with hash browns for the easiest, coziest recipe.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 6-8 slices bacon slices cut into 1/8 inch slices
• ▢ 4 carrots peeled and shredded
• ▢ 1 yellow onion diced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ▢ 30 ounce frozen shredded bash browns thawed
• ▢ 6 cups unsalted chicken broth
• ▢ 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt start with 1 teaspoon and add more if needed after adding the cheese
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fines herbes a mixture of chervil, parsley, tarragon & chives or parsley.
• ▢ 1 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 cup milk
• ▢ 2 cups grated cheese a mixture of cheddar and Gruyere tastes great.

Optional Garnishes

• ▢ chopped chives
• ▢ crispy bacon
• ▢ sautéed shredded carrots

Instructions 

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Set bacon aside and add immediately before serving.
  6-8 slices bacon slices
• Remove all but 2 tablespoons bacon grease from pan.
• Return pan to heat and sauté shredded carrots and diced onions until onions are translucent and carrots soften and begin to caramelize. (If desired, set aside 3 tablespoons of the sautéed vegetables to use as garnish.)
  4 carrots, 1 yellow onion
• Sprinkle flour over sautéed onions and carrots, mix well and cook 30 seconds.
  3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Add chicken stock and seasonings.*
  6 cups unsalted chicken broth, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fines herbes, 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt
• Add hash browns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.**
  30 ounce frozen shredded bash browns
• Add cream and milk and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Watch closely so soup doesn’t scald.
  1 cup heavy cream, 1 cup milk
• Add cheese and stir until cheese melts.
  2 cups grated cheese
• Taste the soup, and if needed, add more salt and other seasonings.
• Garnishes: chopped fresh parsley, chives, sautéed carrot/onion mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Becky’s Tips

*This soup is the perfect base for adding steamed, frozen or roasted cauliflower or broccoli. Just add the vegetables when adding the chicken stock.

**If you want a smoother soup: use a hand blender (or stick blender) to puree the soup, before adding the cream and milk. Then add the cream and milk.

Calories: 442kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 19gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 76mgSodium: 905mgPotassium: 699mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 5815IUVitamin C: 11.7mgCalcium: 362mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this? Leave a comment!

How to Make Hash Brown Potato Soup Step by Step

Cook the bacon: In a Dutch oven, cook 6-8 slices of bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add just before serving.

Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pan.

Cook the carrots and onions: Return pan to heat and sauté 4 shredded carrots and 1 diced onion until onion is translucent and carrots soften and begin to caramelize. If desired, set aside 3 tablespoons of the sautéed vegetables to use as garnish.

Add flour: Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of flour over sautéed onions and carrots, mix well, and cook 30 seconds.

Add broth and seasoning: Add 6 cups of chicken stock, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fines herbes, and 1-2 teaspoons kosher salt.

Add hash browns: Add 30 ounces of frozen shredded hash browns and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.

Puree and add cream and milk: If you want a smooth soup, puree the soup with an immersion blender and then add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk and cook 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Watch closely so the soup doesn’t scald.

Mix in the cheese: Add 2 cups of grated cheese and stir until the cheese melts.

Taste, garnish, and serve: Taste the soup, and if needed, add more salt and other seasonings. Garnishes with chopped fresh parsley, chives, bacon, or sautéed carrot/onion mixture. Serve immediately.

How to Store

Store leftover hash brown potato soup in an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop for best results, gently heating and stirring until warmed through.

To freeze this soup, pour it into freezer-safe bags (if you’d like to freeze it flat) or containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge then reheat on the stove.

Because this soup contains potatoes, cheese, and heavy cream, the texture might change when it’s frozen and reheated, so keep that in mind.

Serving Suggestions

A bowl of this cheesy hash brown potato soup doesn’t need much, but it pairs well with homemade cornbread and our favorite Parker House rolls for dipping and soaking up the cheesy potato goodness. Or make these roasted mushrooms to serve on the side, or on top. To add some greens, try a chopped salad.

more potato soups to try!

Cheesy Potato Soup

Instant Pot Potato Soup

Crockpot Potato Soup

Ham and Potato Soup