One of my favorite parts about Thanksgiving dinner is all the leftovers! But you can only eat the same dinner so many days in a row. That’s where creativity comes in—turning those yummy turkey day leftovers into something completely new but just as delicious. Mashed potato soup checks all the boxes for me. It’s rich and creamy, but it’s also super simple and it only takes ten to fifteen minutes to make!
What can you make with mashed potatoes?
When you have a bunch of leftover mashed potatoes, there are a few things you can make with them, like potato bread or turkey and potato dumplings. Mashed potatoes are also perfect for topping a hearty Shepherd’s Pie, or turning into soup!
Can you make potato soup with mashed potatoes?
Yes! Traditional potato soups have diced potatoes that you mash part way through the cooking process. This mashed potato soup recipe skips those steps and fast-forwards directly to delicious, mashed potato goodness. That’s why this recipe is so quick and easy. You’ve already done most of the cooking work!
Does it matter what kind of mashed potatoes I have?
Nope! Any kind of mashed potatoes will work. Your potatoes can have the skin left on, or the skin removed. You can use red, white, purple, or yellow potatoes. You can even make this mashed potato recipe with leftover loaded potatoes! This recipe is as versatile as it gets, so whatever potato leftovers you have, you can feel confident knowing they’ll make a delicious leftover mashed potato soup.
What do I need to make this soup?
This soup’s versatility is one thing I love about it. You can keep it super simple and it’ll still be creamy and loaded with rich flavor. Or, you can add toppings at the end to take it up a notch. To make mashed potato soup you’ll need:
- Salt and pepper
- Chicken stock
- Whole milk
- Mashed potatoes
- Cheddar cheese
- Butter
- Flour
If you want to make mashed potato soup and you don’t have any leftover potatoes, don’t worry. It’s easy enough to whip up a quick batch of slow cooker mashed potatoes. The slow cooker does all the work for you, which means when it’s time to make the soup, it’ll still only take ten minutes!
Wholefully Protip
If you want to add even more flavor to your mashed potato soup, try topping the finished soup with sour cream, chives or green onions, more cheese, and a sprinkling of cooked bacon! Yum!
How to make mashed potato soup
Are you ready to make the simplest soup you’ve ever seen? Then follow along with these few steps.
- Make a roux by melting butter in a large pot over medium-high heat and whisking in the flour, salt, and pepper. Cook for one minute.
- Slowly add the chicken broth to the roux, whisking as you go to avoid clumps.
- Add the milk, potatoes, and cheese.
- Bring the soup to a boil and allow it to cook for five minutes, or until it’s reached your desired thickness.
- Ladle into bowls. Serve with toppings if desired.
Wholefully Protip
This recipe is already simple, but if you want to simplify it even more, you can skip the first step where you combine the butter and flour to make a roux. This step will thicken the soup, but it’s not necessary.
Help, my soup is too thick (or too thin)!
This is a very forgiving recipe. If your mashed potato soup is too thick, whisk in a bit more chicken broth. If it’s too thin and you prefer a thicker soup, you can always add more mashed potatoes to thicken it up.
What should I serve with my mashed potato soup?
We love this soup with a side of bread, salad, or both! This traditional pairing works perfectly for leftover mashed potato soup. While you can serve this soup with any bread or salad pairing you want, here are some ideas if you want to keep the entire meal homemade.
Mashed Potato Soup
Mashed potatoes are a delicious part of the Thanksgiving feast—but did you know you can turn the leftovers into a simple creamy soup? We'll show you how!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 cups prepared mashed potatoes
- 1/2 cup cheddar
- Cheddar cheese, bacon, green onion/chives, sour cream for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour, salt, and pepper.
- Use a whisk to mix everything together and cook for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour the chicken broth into the pan, whisking constantly.
- Add the milk, mashed potatoes, and cheddar cheese and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly so that the cheese doesn't burn, just until the soup reaches a simmer.
- Continue cooking until desired thickness is reached.
- Serve with optional toppings.
Notes
- This recipe is very forgiving! Make this soup thicker by adding extra mashed potatoes, or thinner by increasing the broth.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1104mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 8g
At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.
