Incredible potato soup

This is by far the best recipe for potato soup I've ever made, and I'll even venture to say it might just be the best potato soup I've ever had- Seriously. It's very easy to make, has a wonderful flavor, and is creamy but not too rich. The new potatoes give a great texture and taste, and it has just the right amount of cheese but not so much that it tastes like a cheese based soup, as many potato soup recipes can tend to end up flavor-wise. Savory herbs are the perfect addition to this wonderful recipe from my friend Kelly. Kelly makes this in the crockpot, and I would love to try that next time. This time, however, I didn't give myself enough time, so I made it on the stove and it was still a very simple, quick soup to throw together. This is definitely going to be the go-to potato soup recipe from now on in my kitchen! I thought we would have plenty of leftovers, but it was so tasty that we kept going back for more and I only managed to scrape enough for a small bowl to savor for lunch tomorrow.

Because I made this on the stovetop, I adapted the instructions, as well as some of the ingredients since I went mainly with what I already had on hand.  Her original recipe and crockpot instructions, as well as some great time saving tips, maybe be found here, and my variation is below.

Easy loaded baked potato soup
Adapted from Kelly's recipe at Carrot Top Mom

I N G R E D I E N T S :

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

2 chicken bouillon cubes

15-20 small red potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (no need to peel!)

2 tablespoons dry ranch mix , or the following ingredients for a make-your-own substitute:

     2 tsp. dried parsley

     1 tsp. black pepper (adjust according to your taste)

     1 tsp. salt (adjust according to your taste)

     1 tsp. garlic powder

     1/2 tsp. onion powder

     1/4 tsp. dried thyme

     

2 cups half & half cream

1/2 pound Velveeta Cheese, chopped in 1 inch squares

Cheddar cheese shredded and green onions or chives as an optional garnish

D I R E C T I O N S :

Saute onion and garlic in soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat until tender.

Add chicken broth, bouillon cubes, and scrubbed, cubed new potatoes to pot. Bring to boil over medium heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.

With an immersion blender or potato masher, mash potatoes, leaving about half the chunks (or more, depending on your preference). 

Add ranch seasoning or homemade mixture, half & half, and Velveeta, and let simmer on low for 15 more minutes, stirring cheese to melt. Do not bring to a boil.

Optional: Garnish with cheddar cheese and green onions or chives.