No one does Baked Potato Soup like Houlihans. They use instant mashed potato flakes for a special flare.
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Make Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup Today
Houlihan’s baked potato soup is rich and creamy and hands down one of the best around. The secret to Houlihan’s soup is combining baked potatoes with instant potato flakes to create a perfect texture.
About Houlihan’s
The original Houlihan’s opened up in Kansas City in 1972. It took over a site that was previously Tom Houlihan’s Men’s Wear. This is why the name Houlihan’s Old Place became the new restaurant’s name. In time the words Old Place were dropped and the restaurant became simply Houlihan’s.
Tom Houlihan, whose motto was there is no substitute for style, valued high quality above everything else. Houlihan’s has stayed true to those roots. The chain is known for its quality food and beverages, prepared on-site with fresh ingredients and served up with a style that’s uniquely Houlihan’s.
Houlihan’s Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Baking potatoes
- Butter
- Yellow onions
- All-purpose flour
- Low sodium chicken base
- Instant potato flakes
- Dried basil
- Tabasco sauce
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Salt
- Ground white pepper
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 Boullion. 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 Chicken Base
Start with combining the basics for making chicken stock (whole chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, water, salt, and pepper). Just let it all simmer away for several hours until the liquid is greatly reduced and the veggies have melted into the rich sauce. You can choose to strain it before use or placing it in your freezer.
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 oven and allow to cool completely.
- Peel off the potato skins and cut potatoes into cubes.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan.
- Add onions and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes or until onions 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 get rid of lumps.
- Gradually add potato flake mixture to the onions, constantly stirring while adding 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, do not let 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.
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 Purple Potatoes
- How to Cook Red Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes with Onion Soup Mix
- Scalloped Potatoes and Ham Recipe
Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes here on CopyKat!
Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup
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.
Karen
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?
Stephanie
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.
Nancy Manion
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.
Stephanie
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.
Jeannie Parisi
Oh my daughter is going to be thrilled that I found this. The Houllihans closed by us and that was her favorite
Jeannie Parisi
Oh my daughter is going to be thrilled that I found this. The Houllihans closed by us and that was her favorite
ediven
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.
Justin
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.