La Madeleine Country Potato Soup

La Madeleine Country Potato Soup is wonderfully rich and creamy. This old-fashioned soup is comforting and full of flavor. Serve this wonderful soup topped with crumbled bacon and cheese for a tasty lunch or dinner.

Overhead view of copycat La Madeline country potato soup in two bowls.


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What Makes La Madeleine Country Potato Soup So Good

Most people immediately think of chicken noodle when they need a comforting bowl of soup, but perhaps they should enjoy this potato soup instead. La Madeleine Country Potato Soup is a warm version of the classic French Vichyssoise recipes and contains heavy cream, leeks, onions, chicken stock, and herbs.

The ingredients give this soup the ideal texture and a fresh, earthy flavor that matches so well with potatoes. Top the soup with cheddar cheese and bacon bits; you have something special. 

Why You Should Try This Country Potato Soup Recipe

Potato soup may not often appear on your dinner table, but it is a good time to change that. This potato soup recipe is quick and easy to prepare, affordable, and since there are endless ways to top it, you can make it as fancy as you want or keep it plain and allow your guests to customize it themselves!

Check out the “Optional Toppings” section below for more ideas. 

Country Potato Soup Ingredients

For this La Madeleine potato soup recipe, you’ll need:

  • Leeks
  • Yellow onion
  • Unsalted butter
  • Salt
  • Chicken broth
  • Russet potatoes
  • Fresh thyme
  • Heavy cream
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Bacon, cooked

Try making the bacon in the oven for great, hands-free results. 

Copycat La Madeline country potato soup ingredients on a marble surface.

How to Make La Madeleine Country Potato Soup

To prepare this French-style potato soup:

  1. Wash the leeks and slice them thinly on the bias. Peel and dice the onion into small pieces. Peel and cut the potatoes into quarter-inch slices. Set all the veggies aside for later. 
  2. Heat a large saucepan, soup pot, or Dutch oven over medium heat.
  3. Put the butter in the pot, and when it melts, add the sliced leeks and diced onion to the heated butter. 
  4. Cook the leek and onion while stirring from time to time until they start to sweat, and the leeks darken in color. Be careful not to brown the vegetables.
  5. Add the chicken broth, sliced potatoes, thyme, and salt. Simmer for 40 minutes while stirring frequently. 
  6. Puree the broth mixture with a regular or immersion blender.
  7. Add cream and stir it in.
  8. Serve garnished with bacon and shredded cheese.
Collage of making copycat La Madeleine country potato soup.

Optional Toppings

Bacon and cheddar cheese go well with this soup, but you have other options to garnish the soup:

  • Other types of cheese
  • Sour cream, creme fraiche, or Greek yogurt
  • Sliced chives or green onions
  • Fresh herbs such as parsley or thyme
  • Croutons
  • Crispy onions or jalapeno peppers
  • Hot sauce or salsa
Copycat La Madeleine country potato soup topped with bacon and cheese.

What to Serve With the Soup

Potato soup works as both an appetizer and a main course. If you serve this recipe as a starter, it pairs exceptionally well with grilled chicken or beef. You can turn this soup into a satisfying entree by adding one or two of the following sides:

  • Salad. A garden side with a tangy salad dressing like Russian or Blue Cheese helps balance out the creaminess of the soup.
  • Bread. Whether you choose garlic bread, crusty French bread, or sourdough rolls, bread is filling and allows you to clean your bowl. 
  • Sauteed greens. Bitter greens such as kale or Swiss chard sauteed in olive oil with a touch of minced garlic and red pepper flakes would make a great side. Sauteed spinach is also another great option.

How to Store Country Potato Soup

The best way to keep extra soup is in the fridge:

  1. Let the soup cool. You cut the time in half by placing the hot soup in a metal mixing bowl and then putting the mixing bowl in an ice bath. 
  2. Pour the cooled soup into an airtight container and keep it in the back of the fridge for up to three days. 

How to Freeze It 

Potato soup doesn’t freeze very well because the dairy will separate, and the potatoes will dry out. However, if you find yourself with a huge batch of soup with no other options than freezing or throwing it away, you can freeze it in an airtight container for about a month. The soup will still be safe to eat, but the consistency won’t be the same. 

What’s the Best Way to Reheat With the Soup Getting Gluey

With so much starch, you can easily wind up with gummy soup after warming it up. But here’s the secret to a perfectly smooth and creamy texture:

  1. Pour the soup into a cold, heavy-bottomed saucepan and place it over low heat. 
  2. Continuously stir with a flexible silicone spatula. Use the flat edge of the spatula to scrape down the sides of the saucepan and get into the corners where the sides meet the bottom.
  3. Stir in some heavy cream or chicken stock to help thin out the soup.
  4. Heat while stirring until the soup is warm enough to serve. 
Copycat La Madeline country potato soup in white bowls.

Love La Madeleine? Try these copycat recipes!

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Overhead view of copycat La Madeline country potato soup in two bowls.

La Madeleine Country Potato Soup

Make a hearty bowl of la Madeleine’s Country Potato Soup today. 
5 from 18 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Copycat recipe, La Madeleine Recipes, Potato Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 398kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/8 cup unsalted butter
  • 3 cups thinly sliced leeks
  • 1 cup sliced yellow onion
  • salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup bacon cooked and diced

Instructions

  • Place the butter, leeks, and onions in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions become translucent and the leeks change color.
  • Add the broth, potatoes, fresh thyme, and salt to taste. Cook for 40 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching.
  • Puree the soup with an immersion blender or in a standard blender.
  • Add cream and bring to a boil.
  • Serve hot, garnished with cheddar cheese and diced bacon.

Video

Notes

This recipe is from Executive Chef Remy Schaal of la Madeleine French Bakery and Cafe. Founded in Dallas in 1983, la Madeleine has many neighborhood cafes and bakeries in five states and Washington, D.C. Excellent potato soup!
You may want to make modifications to this soup like:
  • If you like thick potato soup you can add an additional potato or two to this recipe.
  • You can add about 1/2 cup cheese to the soup to turn it into a cheesy potato soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 503mg | Potassium: 1025mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1355IU | Vitamin C: 25.6mg | Calcium: 234mg | Iron: 6.6mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samantha

    5 stars
    I made this and it was delish! I used chicken bouillon cubes because I did not have chicken stock and it worked out great!

  2. Leslie Baer

    5 stars
    Absolutely wonderful and so easy to make. My husband said it’s better than la Madeleine’s. I’ve made it several times this winter. Thanks for the copy Kay recipe.
    !

  3. pauly

    5 stars
    this is very close to my mother’s recipe. no cheese though. try garnishing with either a quartered hard-boiled egg.

  4. Msbolle

    This was fabulous. The only changes I made was to make a roux with the cream and added sliced/chopped carrots along with the potatoes. Just melted a few TBs of butter, added a little flour and once thickened, added the cream. Once thickened it was added to the soup mixture. So tasty!

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