Chili’s Potato Soup Recipe

A young entrepreneur was inspired while attending a cookoff in Dallas, Texas.

As a result, he would go on to form an extremely popular chain of casual Texan-influenced dining restaurants with locations all over the world from Taiwan to Egypt.

Chili’s is well-known for its mixture of classic American foods along with Tex-Mex dishes and classic Mexican cuisine such as their famed shrimp tacos.

One dish that’s a favorite amongst diners is their famed baked potato soup, which is made with freshly baked potatoes served in a rich and creamy sauce that’s topped with delicious cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

Today we’ll show you how to make this recipe from the comfort of your home. Join us!

How to make Chili’s potato soup

We’ll be using a mixture of both freshly baked potatoes and instant mashed potatoes to get the best of both worlds, the creamy and soft mashed potatoes with the larger baked potato chunks giving it that filling and satisfying quality.

It’s all nice and simple to cook and can be ready to serve in just 30 minutes, making it a perfect dish to prepare no matter the occasion.

It’s a really adaptable dish too, and can be served alongside almost anything!

Ingredients:

(6 servings)

• 2 medium potatoes (baked)
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 cup of finely diced Vidalia onion
• 2 tbsp of flour
• 4 cups of chicken stock (roughly equates to 2 cans)
• 2 cups of cold water
• 5 tbsp of cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups of instant mashed potatoes (any brand works)
• 1 tsp of salt
• 3/4 tsp of pepper
• 1/2 tsp of basil
• 1/8 tsp of thyme
• 1 1/2 cups of half-and-half
• 1/3 cup of cheddar cheese

For additional garnish:

• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup of crumbled, cooked bacon
• 2 green onions (finely sliced)

Instructions:

We’ll be preparing the majority of the ingredients in a pan, but in addition to that, the larger potatoes will need to bake in the oven.

Depending on the region, Chili’s doesn’t always add the extra cheese to the soup’s base.

We’ve included it in this recipe, but you can simply skip that step and instead just use the cheese at the end as the final garnish.

But we very much prefer cheese to be part of the soup’s base!

Step 1:

Using a large saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 2:

Once the butter is melted and the pan is nice and hot, we can add 1 cup finely diced Vidalia onion and fry them for a few minutes until translucent.

We are just going to sauté them so don’t cook them to the point of caramelization.

Step 3:

Add 2 tablespoons of flour and gently stir it into the onion and butter mixture.

This should only take about a minute to incorporate.

Also, add the 4 cups of chicken stock here too, and start to let that heat.

Step 4:

While the mixture is coming up to temperature we can take a small bowl and dissolve 5 tablespoons of cornstarch into 2 cups of cold water (it’s very important that it’s cold).

Step 5:

We can now add the instant mashed potatoes, the dissolved cornstarch, and the additional seasonings which include 1 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of basil, and 1/8 teaspoon of thyme.

Step 6:

Bring all these ingredients up to a full boil while whisking everything together.

Once it’s all been completely incorporated turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Step 7:

Now we can take the baked potatoes and cut them in half lengthways.

Then, make a series of slits to essentially cube the potato inside the skin (without cutting the skin, very much like you would prepare an avocado).

The potato contents can then be removed with a spoon.

Step 8:

Heading back to our simmering soup base, we now add the cooked potato pieces we just cut, 1 and 1/2 cups of half and half, and if you want to add the cheddar cheese to your base you can add 1/3 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese now.

Bring it back up to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for a further 12-15 minutes.

Make sure to stir it every so often.

Step 9:

Once the soup base is finished, just before serving it, you can transfer it into your desired bowls and garnish it with additional shredded cheddar cheese, the finely diced green onion, and crumbled bacon bits.

Enjoy your perfectly cooked creamy potato soup!

Ingredients substitutions

This soup recipe uses mostly standard ingredients and seasonings which means there are plenty of options available to us when it comes to substituting things for dietary or preference reasons.

1. Cauliflower

You might be wondering if it’s still considered a potato soup if you substitute the potato for Cauliflower.

The answer is yes! You can prepare the soup base in exactly the same way as the recipe indicates, including the instant mashed potato.

But replacing the baked potatoes with cooked cauliflower will yield a similar texture, but it is much lower in carbohydrates and sodium and has almost no calories.

A great option for the health-conscious!

2. Potato starch

Whether you’ve found yourself without flour or just need to avoid it for dietary reasons, potato starch is one of the better options for thickening your soup.

It’s already ground for you and helps retain that authentic potato flavor by not introducing anything ‘new’ into the mix.

3. Soy milk and olive oil

While this yields a slightly runnier consistency than the half and half and butter, soy milk is a much healthier and greater option for those looking to avoid lactose.

We can also add some olive oil to re-introduce those healthy fats and a little thickness back that we originally lost by removing the heavy cream.

For every cup of half and half substitute with 2/3 cups of soy milk and 1/3 cup of olive oil.

What to serve with Chili’s potato soup

As one of Chili’s most popular starters on their menu, it pairs well with just about anything!

Here are some of our top choices for mains to accompany your soup for a truly sumptuous dining experience.

Classic ribeye steak

A marbled and thick-cut steak topped with freshly made garlic butter.

Coupled with some steamed broccoli and grilled asparagus will leave you feeling truly full and satisfied.

Crispy chicken sandwich

Hand-breaded crispy chicken tenders paired with lettuce, tomato, and Chili’s own sauce served inside a toasted brioche bun and a side of fries are the perfect way to follow up your potato soup.

Bacon ranch chicken quesadillas

Chili’s has tons of Tex-Mex style dishes on their menu and a freshly made quesadilla stuffed with chicken, shredded cheese, spices, bacon, and Chili’s special ranch sauce will give you that true Chili’s dining experience from home.

How to reheat Chili’s potato soup

As potatoes inherently contain a lot of moisture, it’s fairly common for them to thicken up a bit during the storage/reheating process.

If this happens you can add a little more chicken stock or half and half to thin it out a little more.

Also be gentle with the reheating, just bring it to temperature slowly or the ingredients will start to separate.

How to reheat Chili’s potato soup in a pot

One of the simplest ways to reheat potato soup.

Simply pour the soup into a cold pan and heat it on a medium-low temperature. Keep stirring it gently and as soon as it starts to bubble you’re done.

How to reheat Chili’s potato soup in a microwave

We need to reheat the soup using 30-second intervals in order to prevent hotspots.

Set your microwave to 50% power and transfer your potato soup to a microwave-safe dish and cover with plastic wrap.

Keep heating using 30-second bursts until you’re happy with the temperature.

How to reheat Chilis potato soup in the oven

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Transfer the soup into an oven-safe pot.

Cover the pot with aluminum foil to retain additional moisture.

Let it heat for about 15 minutes then remove it and stir.

If it’s not quite warm enough yet let it cook for another 5-10 minutes.

How to reheat Chilis potato soup in an air fryer

Preheat the air fryer to 400°F and transfer the potato soup to the frying basket, heat for about 10 minutes.

Give the soup a stir at the 5-minute mark to ensure even reheating.

How to store Chili’s potato soup

While potato soup can easily lose moisture and thicken when stored, it does keep very well making it ideal if you need to reheat it later.

Store in the fridge

Transfer into a suitable container such as a plastic air-tight Tupperware or a bowl that’s covered with plastic wrap.

Once refrigerated the potato soup will keep for 3-4 days.

Store in the freezer

Transfer the potato soup to a freezer bag and press all of the air out.

If you are making it in large quantities you can transfer it to multiple smaller bags and just take out what you need.

Once frozen potato soup will keep for 2-3 months.