Easy Hash Brown Potato Soup (With Frozen Hash Browns)

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Hash Brown Potato Soup is a quick & easy potato soup with frozen hash browns! No peeling or chopping needed. This easy potato soup cooks in one pot on the stove top and is best served with shredded cheese and bacon bits.

For another creative and easy potato soup try this Leftover Mashed Potato Soup recipe. It’s the best way to use up those potato leftovers to create a hearty meal.

a bowl of chunky potato soup inside a bowl with toppings.

Potato Soup Recipe With Hash Browns – Easy Soup Recipe!

Soup season is year-long for me especially when it comes to recipes like this loaded potato soup with a creamy broth base and loaded with all the good stuff – bacon, cheese, sour cream, and green onions. 

Using frozen hashbowns for potato soup is one of my favorite kitchen hacks. No need to peel each potato and then chop it up. Simply dump a bag of frozen hash brown potato cubes into a pot, along with some other ingredients, and that’s it. Just minutes of prep time and minimal effort is all it requires. 

​For a crock pot version of potato soup, that also uses frozen potatoes, be sure and try this Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup recipe. 

A spoon inside the soup bowl

Ingredients Needed For Creamy Potato Soup

  • Frozen Hash Brown Potatoes : This recipe calls for the cubes of frozen hash brown potatoes. You will see a version at the store called ‘o Brien’ potatoes that include diced bell peppers and onions along with the hash browns. You can use that if wanted but I think the regular & classic potatoes are best in this recipe. You can also use shredded hash browns as well for a different texture to the soup. 
  • Small Onion : The onion needs to be very finely diced and you can use a white onion or a yellow onion. If you don’t like onion chunks in soup then try using onion powder instead. You will need 1 teaspoon of onion powder. 
  • Chicken Broth : The recipe has been tested using low-sodium chicken broth (33% reduced sodium). If you use regular salted chicken broth you may want to reduce the salt slightly or leave it as is, depending on your salt preference. 
  • Cream of Chicken Soup : Just trust me on this one! It provides a creaminess to the soup and a flavor that you just can’t get with anything else. Cream of celery or cream of mushroom are great substitutes if wanted. You could also use the cream of chicken with herbs condensed soup. 
  • Salted Butter
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese : For the best creamy melt be sure and shred the cheese, using a box grater, from a block of cheese. 
  • Sour Cream
  • Kosher Salt & Black Pepper
Labeled ingredients

How to Make Potato Soup Using Frozen Cubed Hash Brown Potatoes

  1. In a large pot, over medium heat, add the frozen hash brown potato cubes (not thawed), diced onion, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, and butter. Let it heat until the butter is melted.
  2. Let the potato soup simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are softened and easily pierce with a fork. If wanted, you can take a spoon to break up some of the chunks of potato. I don’t recommend using an immersion blender as that will release too much gluten and starch, and make the soup slimy and create an odd thickness. 
  3. Reduce the heat to low and add in the shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined and melted smooth. 
  4. Serve with all your favorite toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and green onions. 
Process photos for how to make this potato soup.
Process photos for how to make this recipe.
Process photos for how to make this recipe.

Changes & Substitution Ideas For Hearty Potato Soup With Frozen Hash Browns

  • Frozen Potatoes : There are a few different options of frozen hash browns that you can use in this recipe. Use the classic cubed hash browns, shredded hash browns, or you can try using the O’Brien (with bell pepper + onions) frozen shredded hash browns for a different flavor profile. 
  • Cheese : Use a different cheese, or 2-3 difference cheeses, for a different flavor profile. I love the classic cheddar in potato soup but any cheese will work. Use Pepper Jack cheese for a kick. Use white cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, or a mild or sharp cheddar cheese. 
  • Make It Healthier : Swap out the sour cream and use plain Greek yogurt instead. You could also use a lite sour cream instead of full-fat sour cream. Top the potato soup with turkey bacon. Use reduced-fat cheddar cheese in the soup and as a topping. 
  • Chicken Broth : Water + bouillon is a great substitute. You can also use chicken stock or a vegetable broth or stock works well too. 
  • Onion : A yellow onion or white onion is preferred in this recipe. If you don’t want onion chunks in your soup then try using 1 teaspoon of onion powder in place of the fresh diced onion. You could also use 1/4 cup dried onion flakes instead of the fresh onion. 
Process photos for how to make this recipe.

Favorite Toppings For This Easy Potato Soup Recipe

Potato soup is a thick soup that is so creamy and delicious. It pairs perfectly with an assortment of toppings. Here are some of the best topping ideas for this soup. 

  • Shredded Cheese : Use cheddar cheese (same as what’s in the soup) or change it up and use a different variety. Extra cheese on top is never a bad idea. 
  • Diced Green Onions
  • Bacon Bits : Cook up some bacon strips and chop them. Make microwave bacon. Or make it really easy and use packaged bacon bits. The bacon adds this delicious smokey flavor to the potato soup and its a must-have!
  • Sour Cream : A dollop of sour cream is always a good idea!

Serving Suggestions

This delicious meal is so good when served inside a bread bowl or alongside some crusty bread. The bread soaks up all that creamy and cheesy soup and is the perfect addition to this meal. You can find lots of crusty bread options in the bakery area or in the frozen bread section of the store. 

You can also try making my One Hour Rolls. They are so buttery and yummy, and it’s basically a fail-proof recipe so anyone can make them. This potato soup is also really good eaten as is with some amazing toppings. Either way you’re gonna love it!

Oyster crackers or saltine crackers are another great serving option, or topping, for creamy potato soup. 

A bowl of chunky soup with toppings.

​Recipe Tips

  • Heat Level : Check the soup while it’s cooking to make sure it’s not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. If needed, turn the heat to medium-low or low. 
  • Cover Pot With Lid : To really infuse all that flavor and speed up the cooking time, cover the pot with a lid. Make sure to turn the heat down if doing this because the lid traps most of the heat. 
  • Thinner Soup? : If you prefer your potato soup thinner (not as thick and creamy) then add additional broth to the soup. 
  • Crock Pot Potato Soup : To make this in the crockpot, simply add all the ingredients (minus the sour cream and cheese) and cook it on low heat for 4-5 hours. Stir in the sour cream and shredded cheese, let it cook until everything is melted and smooth. You can also make it on the stove top and then place it inside the crockpot, on the warm setting, to keep it warm for serving.
A bowl of soup ready to eat with toppings.

More Potato Recipes

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A bowl of soup ready to eat with toppings.
Together As Family Logo

Hash Brown Potato Soup


Author Jessica – Together as Family
Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 8
Hash Brown Potato Soup is a quick & easy potato soup with frozen hash browns! No peeling or chopping needed. This easy potato soup cooks in one pot on the stove top and is best served with shredded cheese and bacon bits. 

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bag (32 oz) frozen hash brown potato cubes
  • 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
  • 1 small yellow onion (finely diced)
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Potato Soup Toppings

  • shredded cheese
  • green onions
  • bacon bits
  • sour cream

Instructions

  • In a large pot, over medium heat, add the frozen hash brown potatoes, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, diced onion, and salted butter.
    1 bag (32 oz) frozen hash brown potato cubes, 2 cans (14.5 oz each) reduced-sodium chicken broth, 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup, 1 small yellow onion, 6 tablespoons salted butter
  • Once the butter has melted allow the soup to cook for 20 minutes or until the hash browns are soft and easily pierce with a fork.
    * Stir the soup frequently during the cook time to make sure it's not burning or sticking to the bottom of the pot. You can also cover the pot with a lid to help it cook faster. Turn down the heat if needed.
  • Stir in the shredded cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper until combined well and the cheese is melted.
    1½ cups shredded medium cheddar cheese, 1 cup sour cream, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • Serve immediately with all your favorite potato soup toppings.
    shredded cheese, green onions, bacon bits, sour cream

Video

Notes

Soup Pot : I have linked to the Caraway brand dutch oven pot (affiliate link above) that I LOVE! With that said, it is pricey, and I just love to share the things that I use in my own kitchen. Any larger soup pot or pan will work just fine. 
Cheese : Grate the cheese, using a box cheese grater, from a block of cheese. Shredding your own cheese makes a world of difference. Promise! I like using medium cheddar cheese but you can use mild or sharp cheddar, or even a white cheddar cheese. 

Nutrition

Calories: 353kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 1067mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 722IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 204mg | Iron: 2mg

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4.93 from 54 votes (18 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




41 Comments

  1. Making this soon!! Did you have to shred a block of cheese? I can’t seem to find a bag of medium cheddar just mild or sharp.

    Thanks!

    1. Together as Family says:

      I love using freshly shredded cheese and would suggest using it for this recipe.

    2. 5 stars
      I made this for the first time! We loved it! Thanks for sharing!!

  2. Genar Beard says:

    5 stars
    The first words out of my granddaughters mouth was “I love it.”

    1. Together as Family says:

      😊 That is the sweetest review!

  3. Julie Moore says:

    5 stars
    The only thing I would do differently is sauté the onions in the broth. But it was delicious. Will definitely make it again.

    1. Together As Family says:

      I love that idea with the onions. Thanks for trying the recipe and letting me know 🙂

    2. 5 stars
      Great soup!!! The recipe was very easy and went together quickly. I had some leftover chopped celery and shredded carrots that I added for extra flavor. I used O’Brien Hash Brown Potatoes (with the red and green peppers) and it was wonderful. I did add 1/2 cup of whole milk to add a little cream like flavor. Perfect little soup! Thank you for a great recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    Easy to make on a busy night and tastes like home. A great comfort food!

  5. MissMissy says:

    4 stars
    This was delicious and easy-my two favorite things. I did have to add 3/4 cup of whole milk as it was more soupy than creamy for my taste.. It might be that I make my own chicken stock and it can be quite different than the canned stuff. I served it with more shredded cheese and bacon bits on top. I sent it to a friend recovering from surgery and a widower. They both said it was the best potato soup they’ve ever had.

    1. Together As Family says:

      How sweet of you to send it to a friend. I love that. Thanks for letting know you loved the soup.

  6. 5 stars
    I have made this soup ten or more times since finding the recipe on Pinterest in Nov. It’s in the ‘go to’ recipe file. Family loves it and it’s quick to make. This last time I added diced ham, carrots and celery. OMG GOOD!

  7. Christie Fox says:

    5 stars
    I made this and it delicious. making again next week

  8. 5 stars
    Loved it! Added some diced ham as well! Delish!

  9. 5 stars
    This was so tasty. I did sauté the onions in some of the butter and I didn’t use all of the butter the recipe calls for just because we don’t eat a lot of butter. I also used Velveeta cheese because I forgot the shredded cheddar. Will definitely make this again.

  10. 4 stars
    Great, easy and satisfying. But the potatoes turned to mush. The leftovers were like liquid mashed potatoes.

  11. 5 stars
    I made the soup this morning. it’s fantastic! I only had potatoes O’Brian and it made the soup colorful and added another layer of flavor. This is comfort food for these cold winter days.

  12. 5 stars
    I just finished my bowl, and it was wonderful! This is my weeknight dinner super easy came together super quick and I really liked it. The only thing I would change is I didn’t really dice the onions very well, so I would either leave them out completely and use the onion powder or do better next time but it was really tasty and delicious, highly recommend!

  13. Kimberly Stark says:

    5 stars
    We love this soup! I added a couple dashes of hot sauce, and a little garlic powder. Goes great with some toasted sour dough bread.

  14. 4 stars
    soooooo easy and yummy. I used cream cheese instead of sour cream. this recipe is a keeper.

  15. Patti Wright says:

    5 stars
    I have an old family recipe for Cheesy potato soup. This is easy and tastes good 👍👍👍

  16. 5 stars
    I love this soup so much and so do my friends that I have made it for! The only thing I change is that I saute the onions in a bit of olive oil spray until they soften and then add the rest of the ingredients!

  17. 5 stars
    This is my new potato soup recipe! It is so simple and comes together really quickly. I added some diced celery with the diced onion and sautéed them in the butter before adding other ingredients. At the very end, I added a bit of milk just because our family likes our soup a bit thinner. So delicious! The shredded cheeese and sour cream were suprise ingredients to me that just take it over the top! Thanks Together As Family.

  18. 5 stars
    Delicious!! We will be making this again! My picky daughter even ❤️ it!

  19. Cyndee King says:

    5 stars
    This soup hit the spot on a cold rainy day. The recipe was so easy. I deviated slightly by adding cream cheese instead of sour cream. It became more creamy. I will definitely make this again soon!

  20. Nicole Wade says:

    5 stars
    Leaving now to get to the store so I can make this! Thank you!

  21. 5 stars
    Love this soup. So simple. I used frozen shredded hash browns. After I cooked it I used an immersion blender to make it smoother. I highly recommend doing this if you have one. Everyone loved it!

  22. 5 stars
    Best potato soup!! Served this at our family’s Christmas Eve get together. It was an easy recipe to put together, which I appreciated on such a busy occasion! I used O’Brien potatoes which added to the wonderful flavor. Bonus..it was an easy recipe to convert to Gluten Free for my daughter’s dietary needs by using Gluten Free cream of chicken soup!

  23. Patti Sellars says:

    5 stars
    This was a potatoes soup like my mom used to make. I did have to add a slurry of flour and some of the soup liquid to thicken it up. I really like the ease of this recipe. It taste like I had to slave over the stove all day but I didn’t. Keep sending easy recipes!!!

  24. 5 stars
    This is a really great and easy recipe. I cook for my sisters sometimes and I’m 70 and don’t really like to cook but both my older sisters love this! Who says you can’t please everyone?!

  25. 5 stars
    we made this tonight and it was delicious! added chopped ham and chopped bell pepper.

  26. 5 stars
    delicious and easy! great for a cold night!

  27. 5 stars
    5 stars!!! and i swapped the sour cream for plain greek yogurt (because it was what i had in the house. This comes together so quickly.

  28. 5 stars
    Much easier than having to peel a bunch of tomatoes. Great flavor. Will make again!!

  29. Margie Stafford says:

    5 stars
    it’s GREAT!!!

  30. Abby smith says:

    4 stars
    Good! I added 1/2 block of cream cheese and it was delicious. Next time I think I’ll do 1/2 cup sour cream & 1/2 block of cream cheese.

  31. 5 stars
    I love this recipe!!! It’s easy, filling, & delicious. I’ve made it 2 times & it was a hit. With this cold weather it’s comforting. Thank you

  32. 5 stars
    i doubled the recipe and added cream cheese! So yummy! I can always tell when something I make is great because my hubby will go back for more and he went back for thirds on this one!

  33. 5 stars
    love it! quick and EASY to make!

  34. Amy Pletcher says:

    5 stars
    This quick potato soup was delicious!! I would not add a stick of butter plus, 1 tablespoon in it the next time. it was too buttery. but it tasted fantastic. Did not add milk which I thought was weird it didn’t call for it but then I realized u but a cup of sour cream in it. The rest of my family have not eaten yet but I did and it was scrumptious!!

  35. 5 stars
    Made this tonight. Husband does not like onions and I didn’t have bacon or ham, but it was so good anyway. Thank you for this.