This simply made low sodium potato soup recipe comes out ultra-creamy when pureed and is great comfort food! With only a few ingredients this soup comes together easily on the stovetop in a Dutch oven or soup pot. For a large group gathering, this soup can easily be scaled up.
You’ll love this creamy Low Sodium Potato Soup in the coming cold winter months. It is so low in sodium you can even indulge in a few extra toppings if you wish. I like to heat up a mug of this soup to make a perfect afternoon snack. Pair with a simple side salad and have a great filling evening meal.
The low down on low sodium potato soup
Typical sodium amount per serving | 640-1600mg |
Sodium per serving for this recipe | 68mg |
Calories per serving | 275 |
1 serving = 1 cup |
Most potato soup recipes average anywhere from 640-825mg of sodium for one cup. I even saw one recipe at 1600mg of sodium for just one cup, Yikes! The famous name-brand canned soup is 790mg of sodium for just one cup of soup.
One cup of soup is hardly filling, so eating an average of two cups of canned soup would shoot the sodium levels way over many of our daily limits.
This Low Sodium Potato Soup is a very low 68mg per cup or just 136mg for two cups which makes for a filling meal. My recipe makes 12 cups of soup so that you can get 6 servings of 2 cups each.
The two things that make this potato soup low-sodium
1.) Using no salt added chicken broth. This is the easiest thing to do. Just using “no salt added” chicken broth saves massive amounts of sodium. The chicken broth labeled low or reduced sodium is not all that low in sodium. So be sure you get the unsalted version. It is imperative to use the “no salt added” chicken broth to reach the sodium level goals of this recipe.
Chicken Broth | NSA Chicken Broth | Chicken Stock | NSA Chicken Stock |
860mg / 1 cup | 35mg / 1 cup | 510mg / 1 cup | 100mg / 1 cup |
I also like punching up the flavor a bit more with two teaspoons of the Herb-ox no sodium chicken bouillon (paid link) but it is not required.
2.) Using pork belly for your soup. I used pork belly, which is bacon that has not been cured yet with high levels of sodium. Even low-sodium bacon has a ton of sodium in it if you are watching your sodium levels. Using pork belly adds just 12mg of sodium per serving.
It still gives a “bacony” taste to the overall soup, which I think defines a potato soup. Pork bacon may not render as much fat as regular bacon which will be used when sautéing the onions and making your Roux. If not, just add a tablespoon or two of no salt added butter.
It is best if you can get the butcher to slice it, but if not, freezing until the meat is just firm makes slicing much easier. Generally, it will firm up in about half an hour in the freezer.
My tips for making this soup recipe
You can use any potato for your soup Yukon, red, or russet potatoes. But I think the Yukon gold potatoes work the best. They seem to hold together better than a russet potato they don’t get as mushy after cooking, whereas, a starchy russet absorbs a lot of broth. Yukon potatoes also being a bit less starchy, blend up to a nice creamy smooth consistency.
1.) Do potatoes need to be peeled for this soup? No, they don’t. You can leave the skin on or peel completely. It is up to your preference. I give them a quick peel and take 50 to 75% of the skin off. I personally like leaving the skin on all my potato dishes so I don’t work too hard to get the skin off.
Cut the potatoes into bite-size pieces no larger than 3/4″ and try to keep them around the same size. Most importantly, they will cook more evenly and you don’t have to cut a potato in the soup bowl to take a bite.
2.) Use sliced pork belly instead of packaged bacon. So many people worry about pork belly being some weird cut of pork. Don’t! Pork belly is just bacon that has not been cured with massive amounts of salt, is un-smoked, and is generally not pre-sliced. Have the butcher slice it or you can freeze it to be a bit firmer for easy slicing. It is generally not in the meat section of the local grocery store. So you may need to go to a butcher shop to get some though, my local Whole Foods carry it at their meat counter.
- Cook the chopped pork belly (bacon) in the pot first, then remove and set aside, leaving the grease to cook the onion, celery, and garlic. It will add so much more flavor and then you can create your Roux with the flour which will add even more flavor and help thicken the soup. Go ahead and put the bacon back in after pureeing because otherwise, it would be tiny little bacon bits.
3.) One of the things that makes this potato soup extra smooth and creamy is to partially puree the potatoes. This is where the Yukon potatoes, especially shine as they seem to puree into a smooth mixture and not as grainy as a russet potato seems to.
- The easiest way to puree is to use a hand immersion blender as you can quickly puree the soup right in the pot. Start on the side of the pot and just lift up and down while it is turned on at about half to three-quarters speed. Don’t get too carried away, though, as it can be almost fun and you’ll end up with no potato chunks left!
- The second option is to ladle roughly half the soup into a blender or food processor. After pureeing stir it back into the soup. This is fine, but it can create more of a mess between ladling and then having the bigger appliance to clean out.
4.) Don’t miss out on adding the chipotle chili powder and ground pepper when making your low-sodium potato soup! When I first made this soup I was rather disappointed that it had a rather bland taste. This was even after being on a low-sodium diet for quite a while, so it definitely needed sprucing up.
I think chili powder and pepper give it a subtle taste on the tongue to make up for the usual salty taste of this soup. I am pleased with the amounts used in the recipe along with the other spices and is a good starting point. If you still find it lacking, try adding these two by half a teaspoon at a time. I found it didn’t raise the heat that much and satisfies the taste of your tongue.
5.) You could even add a cup and a half of no salt added peas or carrots or even both to add a vegetable to the soup. I have added peas before and that was also delicious.
6.) Be sure to mix in the bacon, sour cream, and shredded cheese at the end just before serving. You don’t want tiny bacon bits and cheese “globbing” up your blender.
FAQ’s about Low Sodium Potato Soup
Store soup in an airtight container of appropriate serving size in the fridge, for up to a week. I don’t recommend freezing it though, see why below.
Potato soup generally will not freeze very well for two reasons. The moisture in the potato freezes and expands and when thawed and reheated the potato chunks will turn out mushy and soft.
Secondly, the dairy fat in soups will tend to separate and the soup will lose its creamy consistency. You can of course stir it up, but it just won’t quite be the same.
If you do have to freeze it, freeze it separately into serving-size meals. You do not want to thaw and refreeze more than once.
I usually just reheat, covered in the microwave for about 2 minutes when it is thawed. Then give it a quick stir and heat for another half minute to a minute, depending on how hot it was when you licked the spoon. Who can resist?
You can also reheat in a small pot over medium-low for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally.
You might think about having a little piece of toasted bread to sop up the soup, but, that would be adding even more carbohydrates. And being potato soup, it is already pretty high in that regard. A much better accompaniment would be just a simple side salad with one of my low-sodium salad dressings.
A few of my other great soups to enjoy!
Please let me know how this Low Sodium Potato Soup turns out for you and leave a rating! I’m always eager for your feedback and hope my recipes turn out amazing for you. You may also follow me on Facebook and Pinterest to see new recipes when they come out.
Low Sodium Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Yukon potatoes peeled and diced into pieces 1/2” (choose how much to peel)
- 6 strips sliced pork belly (8oz. cut into small pieces)
- 1 Tbsp butter unsalted
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped about 1.5 cup
- 1 cup celery (2-3 stalks / sliced)
- 2 Tbsp garlic pre-minced (a little more if you like garlic)
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth no salt added (Swanson recommended @ 35mg sodium)
- 2 tsp Herb Ox chicken bouillon no sodium
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 2/3 cup half & half cream
- 2 tsp ground pepper
- 2-3 tsp Italian seasoning no salt
- 1-2 tsp chipotle chili powder (add more if desired after tasting)
- 2/3 cup sour cream reduced fat
Preparation
- Place chopped pork belly pieces in a large pre-heated Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat and cook until bacon is crisp.
- Remove bacon pieces and set aside, leaving bacon fat in the pot.
- Add butter and chopped onion and cook over medium heat until onions are tender (3-5 minutes). Stir 2 or 3 times.
- Add garlic and celery and sauté about 1 minute.
- Sprinkle flour over the ingredients in pot and stir until blended to make a roux.
- Add diced potatoes, chicken broth, milk, heavy cream, pepper, and chipotle chili powder to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil and stir occasionally. Cook until potatoes are tender when pricked with a fork (about 10 minutes).
- When getting puree reduce heat to simmer. Choose either to use an immersion blender or stand blender and puree about half the soup. (about 6 cups) I personally recommend the hand immersion blender.
- Return the pureed soup to the pot if using a blender. Add reduced fat sour cream and reserved bacon pieces, stir well.
- Allow soup to simmer for at least 15 minutes before serving. I like to let it low simmer for a good half hour.
Notes ______________________________________________
- Recipe makes 12 cups
- Optional – When serving sprinkle with additional sour cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, or chives on top.
Utensils & special ingredients used
I use, own and recommend these products and ingredients used in this recipe and I may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please understand that not everyone’s sodium and dietary requirements are the same, therefore some recipes may be higher than you’re allowed.
https://tastyhealthyheartrecipes.com/a-la-cart/soups/low-sodium-potato-soup/© 2024 Tasty Healthy Heart Recipes
My dad wants to know how much potassium is in this.
Hi Kelly, the potassium is 574mg.
I just made this today. It was absolutely Delicious and So Low Sodium. I am thoroughly impressed. I added 1 1/2 c of Mascarpone Cheese and No sour Creme but that was an ingredient I forgot. 2 extra mashed potatoes (for thickness), half n half for “milk” and the regular Creme. The Chipotle Powder absolutely does make the difference in this chowder! I am thrilled I found this recipe. SO Filling and tasty
Glad you enjoyed. Thanks for your comment and your variation on the soup!
In the article you say to use marscapone cheese, however, I do not see it (or cream cheese) in the recipe. Just wondering how much to use?
Hi Rashelle, Use 8oz Mascarpone – Add at step 10 and stir in till melted while simmering. I will update recipe.
Thanks, Bill.
Ty,Bill for wonderful recipes tried a few and I’m beyond satisfied! You made this Italian woman happy to be able to cook healthier and share my dishes and knowledge you’ve shared to me and everyone who wants needs to lower their sodium Tyty! Bless and yours as well
Thank you Arlene!