No one does baked potato soup quite like Houlihan’s. This restaurant chain has perfected the art of crafting rich, creamy potato soup, which has kept customers coming back for decades. The secret lies in their ingenious combination of perfectly baked potatoes with instant potato flakes, creating a texture that’s both hearty and silky smooth.
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Why This Easy Copycat Recipe Works
The genius of Houlihan’s potato soup lies in understanding that texture is just as important as flavor. By combining baked potatoes (which provide authentic potato flavor and satisfying chunks) with instant potato flakes (which create silky thickness), this recipe achieves the perfect balance that made the original so beloved.
The use of chicken base instead of regular broth provides the deep, rich foundation that elevates this soup from good to extraordinary. Every spoonful delivers restaurant-quality comfort that’s both familiar and sophisticated.
Ingredients
For the Potato Foundation:
- Baking potatoes – Provide authentic potato flavor and the hearty chunks that make this soup so satisfying
- Instant potato flakes – The secret ingredient that creates Houlihan’s signature silky texture
For the Flavorful Base:
- Butter – Creates richness and helps build the aromatic foundation
- Yellow onions – Add sweetness and depth that complements the potato flavors
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the soup and creates the proper consistency
- Low sodium chicken base – Provides the deep, rich flavor that makes this restaurant-quality
For the Creamy Texture:
- Heavy cream – Essential for the luxurious mouthfeel that defines this soup
- Milk – Balances the richness while maintaining creaminess
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and brings out the natural potato taste
- Ground white pepper – Adds subtle warmth without affecting the soup’s appearance
For Authentic Seasoning:
- Dried basil – Provides the herbal note that’s characteristic of Houlihan’s version
- Tabasco sauce – Adds just a hint of heat and complexity to balance the richness
What is Chicken Base?
This Houlihan’s potato soup recipe uses chicken base. Chicken base is a highly concentrated stock with a deep rich taste.
Most supermarkets sell the chicken base (sometimes labeled chicken soup base) in the form of cubes or powder. You can generally find it in the same location as chicken bouillon cubes.
A popular brand is Better Than Bouillon. You can even make your own and keep a supply in your freezer. Chicken base takes much longer to make than chicken stock, but the rich result is definitely worth your patience.
How to Make Houlihan’s Potato Soup
- Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until a fork pierces to the center easily.
- Remove potatoes from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Peel off the potato skins and cut the potatoes into cubes.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan.
- Add the onions and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes, or until they become translucent.
- Add flour and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
- In a bowl, combine chicken base, water, potato flakes, and seasonings. Stir or whisk to break up any lumps.
- Gradually add the potato flake mixture to the onions, stirring constantly as you add it to prevent lumps.
- Increase the heat to medium and cook until the soup begins to simmer gently.
- Add the cubed potatoes to the soup.
- Add milk and cream, gently stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Simmer for 15 minutes, without letting it boil.
Top each serving with grated Cheddar cheese, sliced scallions, and crispy bacon pieces.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Substitute chicken broth for some of the water for extra flavor.
- Use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream and regular milk to cut down the calories.
- Use flavored instant potato flakes for a flavor twist.
- Double the spice ingredients and hot sauce for a spicier soup.
- Add some ham for extra heartiness and flavor.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator Storage – Store in airtight containers for up to 4 days. The soup may thicken as it cools, which is a normal process.
- Reheating Method – Reheat gently over low heat, stirring frequently. Add milk or cream as needed to restore the original consistency. Never boil during reheating as this can cause separation.
- Freezing – Not recommended due to dairy content. The texture will change significantly when the food is frozen and then thawed.
Can’t Get Enough of Potato Soup? Try these recipes!
Some of my favorite potato soup recipes include:
- Country Potato Soup
- Hard Rock Cafe Potato Soup
- Houston’s Baked Potato Soup
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Old-Fashioned Potato Soup
- Panera Potato Soup
- Ultimate Potato Soup
Favorite Potato Recipes
- Cheesy Bacon Potatoes
- Homemade Potato Wedges
- How to Cook Red Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes with Onion Soup Mix
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe
Check out my easy soup recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes here on CopyKat!
Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
- 1/4 pound butter
- 2 cups diced yellow onion
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups water
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken base
- 1 cup instant potato flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- salt to taste
- ground white pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Prick washed potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until a fork pierces to the center easily.
- Remove potatoes from oven and allow to fully cool.
- Remove skin and cut potatoes into ½-inch cubes.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
- Add the onions and sauté over low heat for about 10 minutes or until onions become translucent. Don’t let the onions burn.
- Add flour and cook low for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously until the flour is thoroughly absorbed.
- In a bowl, combine chicken base, water, potato flakes, and seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to get rid of lumps.
- Gradually add potato flake mixture to onions, constantly stirring so no lumps form.
- Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until the soup begins to simmer gently.
- Add the cubed potatoes to the soup.
- Add milk and cream, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
- Simmer lightly for 15 minutes – DO NOT BOIL.
- Top each serving with grated Cheddar cheese, sliced scallions & bacon pieces.
I love this soup but found baking the potatoes, cooling them down, peeling and cubing them…a messy and tedious process! Wouldn’t they cook fine by peeling them raw and cubing them…… toss them in the soup while it’s in the simmering stage, before the addition of the milk and cream?
That could work, my guess is the restaurant uses their leftover baked potatoes this way. The flavor of the potatoes most likely are a bit different when you bake them. Should this work? Yes.
Made this for dinner last night, my family LOVED it. Fixed salad to go with it. Cooked a pack of maple bacon and then ran it through my Magic Bullet chopper for a garnish on top, sprinkle of cheese and voila a wonderful, pleasing, filling meal that my husband and kids gobbled up. Six hours and 2 bowls later my husband was still pleasantly full. I added parsley, chives, and garlic to the seasonings. Used 3 cups of water and the other 2 cups chicken broth for more flavor. Also used 2 cans of carnation milk instead of heavy cream and regular milk….did not have any heavy cream, plus did not need the extra calories from heavy cream.
Thank you for all of your great suggestions. Your additions were well thought out, I have never thought about using canned milk for heavy cream. I will have to give that a try sometime.
Oh my daughter is going to be thrilled that I found this. The Houllihans closed by us and that was her favorite
Oh my daughter is going to be thrilled that I found this. The Houllihans closed by us and that was her favorite
I used flavored instant potato flakes and it was delicious. It added a depth of flavor. I also cooked the onion in the bacon fat. Good stuff.
Was very easy to make. Too bland to be a stand-alone meal – would have been nice with a sandwich. Ended up adding some ham and doubling the spice contents.