This creamy, cheesy Spanish Potato Soup is pure cozy comfort in a bowl. The soup includes buttery potatoes and tender pork carnitas swimming in a rich broth flavored with onion, red pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and paprika.

"This soup is absolutely amazing!! My parents will spend all day crafting carnitas for a fine dinner on its own, and then beg me to make this soup with the leftovers. The soup gets all the glory and love. I feel like I'm practically cheating because they did all the hard work the day before. I just swoop in with potatoes, cheese, bacon, and broth." - Mike
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Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
- All-purpose flour. A bit of flour thickens the broth in this soup. See below for gluten-free substitutes.
- Fresh cilantro. For those of you who don't care for cilantro, leave it out altogether or use Italian flat-leaf parsley instead.
- Olive oil and butter. I love the flavor combination of olive oil and butter, but feel free to use vegetable, canola, avocado, or coconut oil in this soup instead of olive oil. You can also use all oil instead of both butter and oil.
- Garlic, onion, and red bell pepper form the aromatic flavor base for this soup. I prefer the flavor of yellow onion in this soup, but a red or white onion can be used instead.
- Cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. This combination of dried herbs adds a crazy amount of Spanish flavor to this soup. If you can find Spanish smoked paprika, use that. Otherwise, use any kind of paprika available to you.
- Yukon gold potatoes. I love the rich, buttery, almost creamy consistency of Yukon gold potatoes but any kind of potato can be used in this soup.
- Shredded cheddar cheese. Cheesy, creamy, spicy, potato soup ... do I need to say more about what's great about a handful of cheddar cheese in this soup?
- Sour cream. Sour cream gives this soup its creamy texture and adds a delicious subtle tang to the flavor of the broth.
- Chicken or vegetable broth, or Better than Bouillon soup base combined with water. in place of broth. Better than Bouillon is more convenient than broth because it keeps well in the refrigerator for
I almost always use Better than Bouillon in place of broth in this soup recipe and in pretty much every other recipe that calls for broth. Better Than Bouillon lasts for months in the refrigerator and allows you to just use what you need when you need it. I also think the flavor is about a thousand times better than almost any kind of broth you can buy in a can or carton.
Additions and substitutions
- To make this soup gluten free substitute cornstarch, arrowroot flour, or sweet rice flour for the all-purpose flour. Sweet rice flour can be used in the same amount as all-purpose flour. If using cornstarch or arrowroot flour use half as much as all-purpose flour in this recipe - 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot flour instead of 2 tablespoons of flour. You can also toss a handful of uncooked white rice into the pan right after adding the broth. As the rice breaks down the starch will help to thicken the broth.
- To make a lighter version of the soup, leave out the sour cream and cheese - or reduce their amounts.
- To make a vegetarian version of this soup replace the carnitas with a can of black beans (pictured below).
- To make a vegan version of this soup, replace the sour cream with vegan sour cream, replace the carnitas with black beans or vegan taco meat, use vegetable broth, vegan cheese, and additional oil or vegan butter instead of dairy-based butter.
- Instead of carnitas: Leave the meat out altogether, or purchase some pre-cooked pork roast at your local market and add that in place of the Carnitas. Cooked crispy bacon, chorizo sausage, rotisserie chicken or roast chicken also make great substitutes for carnitas in this soup.
- In addition to carnitas: Some crispy fried bacon is, as you can imagine, an incredibly delicious addition to this soup. Other great additions include a can or two of chopped green chilies, any kind of beans, and chorizo sausage (or any kind of sausage).
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Cook diced onion and red bell pepper with butter and oil in a large saucepan or stockpot until the vegetables are softened.
Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper to the vegetables and cook, stirring, for another minute.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir everything around to coat the vegetables with the flour. Continue to cook and stir for about another minute.
Pour the broth into the saucepan very slowly, stirring constantly as you add it bit by bit. Adding it slowly will prevent lumps from forming.
Add the potatoes to the broth, turn up the heat, and bring the broth to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low and let the potatoes simmer gently until they are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the sour cream to a small bowl and pour in about a cup of the hot soup broth, whisking as you add it.
Pour the sour cream and broth mixture back into the soup pot and stir to blend everything together.
Add the grated cheddar cheese to the soup and stir until it's melted.
Add the Carnitas to the soup and cook just until the meat is heated through. Taste the soup for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or cayenne if desired.
Serve bowls of soup sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro.
Pro tip! It's easy to make this soup as thick or as brothy as you like by simply adding more or less broth. Start by adding 4 cups of broth then add as much more as you like to achieve the consistency you desire. Add less broth for a thick soup or add more broth for a brothy soup.
As you can see in these photos, I usually like to use the minimum amount of broth to create a thick, almost stew-like texture for this soup.
What to serve with Spanish potato soup
My favorite thing to serve with warm bowls of this creamy, cheesy, potato soup are warm homemade flour tortillas. Homemade tortillas are much easier to make than you might think and incomparably better than anything you'll find in any supermarket.
Soft homemade dinner rolls are also a delicious choice for this soup as is buttermilk cheddar jalapeño cornbread and flaky buttermilk biscuits.
To add some crunch to this creamy soup, crumble some homemade tortilla chips over bowls of soup right before serving.
My two favorite salads to serve with this soup are jicama salad with apples and honey lime dressing and Israeli salad.
And for dessert, I usually opt for something that can match the comfort level of this soup. Giant oatmeal raisin cookies, gooey chocolate chip pecan cookies, or thick slices of chocolate loaf cake topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge are a few of my favorites.
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If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Spanish Potato Soup
This creamy, cheesy Spanish Potato Soup is pure cozy comfort in a bowl. The soup includes buttery potatoes and tender pork carnitas swimming in a rich broth flavored with onion, red pepper, garlic, cumin, oregano, and paprika.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or vegetable, canola, avocado, or coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, and diced
- 1 tablespoon diced garlic (3-4 cloves)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, more to taste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste (Or, 1 teaspoon table salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth, OR Better Than Bouillon vegetable or chicken base combined with water
- 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 to 1 & ½ inch chunks
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 2-3 cups Pork Carnitas (See note below for substitutions)
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Add the oil and butter to a large heavy bottomed saucepan or dutch oven and set over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the diced onion and red pepper. Cook until softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper to the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute longer.
- Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 - 2 minutes.
- Pour the broth in slowly, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Start by adding 4 cups of broth then add as much more as you like to achieve the consistency you desire. Add less broth for a thick soup or add more broth for a brothy soup. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes and turn down the heat to medium-low. Let the potatoes simmer gently until they are fork tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat. Ladle about 1 cup of liquid from the soup pot into a bowl. Slowly stir in the sour cream until completely incorporated. Stir back into the soup pot.
- Add the cheese, and stir until melted and completely incorporated into the soup. Stir in the Carnitas. Set back over low heat and cook, stirring, just until the carnitas are heated through.
- Sprinkle with the chopped cilantro and serve.
Notes
What can you use instead of carnitas?
Use any kind of shredded pork, pulled pork, or pre-cooked pork roast. Or use cooked sausage, bacon, or chorizo. Another great option is shredded cooked chicken.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 733Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 124mgSodium: 1534mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 6gSugar: 7gProtein: 32g
Jill says
Delicious and very flavorful! My husband said the recipe is “a keeper”!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you and your husband liked this recipe Jan! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it!
Nancy says
Excellent. I made carnitas and it was kind of dry. So I made this with the leftovers and everyone loved it!!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe Nancy! This is one of our favorite soups as well and I'm always happy to know that others love it as much as we do. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it!
Jason Jones says
I used some left over Carnitas from the freezer I made over the summer, followed your recipe exactly and wow!! What an amazing dish. Perfectly delicious and filling. Recommend this to anyone looking for something to do with left over carnitas that isn’t tacos, burritos or enchiladas. Super easy and full of flavor.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm so happy to hear that you liked this recipe Jason! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I truly appreciate it!
Betsy says
Hi this soup is amazing!! I wanted to confirm what the nutrition information is referring to. Is that break down per bowl (assuming you get 6 bowls out of it)? Thanks!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Betsy! I'm so glad to hear that you like this recipe! You are correct - the nutrition information is for one bowl of soup if you divide the entire pot into 6 bowls. I hope that helps but please let me know if you have any other questions!
Shonda says
This soup was so good! I had a lot of pork left over and wanted to find some other recipes to use it in. This was a great soup. My husband even said it was really good, and he usually doesn't like many recipes I find on Pinterest.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you and your husband liked this recipe Shonda! I hope you are able to find some other recipes on here that you both like. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. I truly appreciate it! xo
Sarah says
This recipe looks great! We eat a ton of soup during the winter but it tends to only be two types of soup and I have been meaning to expand on that. This looks like a great one to add to our soup rotation. I am sure it would fill us up and warm us up after a long day of shoveling snow. I bet this would taste even better if I used our home-grown potatoes.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so envious of your mention of home-grown potatoes, Sarah! Even though potatoes are plentiful in supermarkets, it seems like their quality is often dubious, as evidenced by how quickly they rot. Having home grown potatoes would be such a treat. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! When you make this soup, please let me know what you think! xo
Mike says
This soup is absolutely amazing!! My parents will spend all day crafting carnitas for a fine dinner on it's own, and then beg me to make this soup with the leftovers. The soup gets all the glory and love. I feel like I'm practically cheating because they did all the hard work the day before. I just swoop in with potatoes, cheese, bacon, and broth.
RebeccaBlackwell says
I'm so happy to hear that you like this recipe so much, Mike - especially since your parents put the time into making carnitas! I've made carnitas just so we can have this soup, so I get it. You can't go wrong when you've got carnitas, potatoes, cheese, and bacon. 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it! xo
Laura says
Bacon??? Did it miss this in the ingredients?
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Laura! No bacon in this recipe... I do list bacon as one of the options at the bottom of the recipe if you don't want to use Carnitas. And Mike, the gentleman who I was responding to, mentioned that he adds bacon when he makes it.
LoriAnne Ferullo says
Awesome soup at any type of day. My family loves it!
RebeccaBlackwell says
I am so happy to hear that you and your family like this recipe, LoriAnne! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment for me. I truly appreciate it! xo
Lucy says
Great recipe Rebecca, thank you! Had most of the ingredients on hand today so made it with some variation: used russet potatoes because I had some on hand; vegetarian so skipped carnitas and did use vegetable stock. And didn't have any fresh cilantro or sour cream so had to skip those two, too. Did include a pinch of cayenne and it gave a nice flavor.
It came out amazing! The russet potatoes are probably starchy so gave it a bit of thickness. I cut them a little bit bigger anticipating they may fall apart and they worked out fine and taste super. Will use Yukon gold's the next time and plan a bit better.
In general, I used all good ingredients and it tastes amazing.
Topped the bowls with good, shredded sharp cheddar and the reviews at home are great! :-). Will be trying your agro dolce recipe shortly.
Thank you!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Lucy! I am so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! Good call cutting the russet potatoes into larger chunks. They have a tendency to get a bit watered down and fall apart when they're in small chunks. And a bit of cayenne is always a good idea in my book. 🙂 Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I appreciate it so much and can't wait to hear what you think of the agrodolce! xo
P.S. Since you're vegetarian, I wanted to suggest this Vegetarian Chili. I'm not vegetarian, but would take a bowl of this over one with meat any day of the week. 🙂
Manu says
This is a wonderful recipe. We love this soup. Even our Friends love it. We live in Thailand and like strong flavour. A perfect taste. Thank you for the recipe.
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Manu! I am so glad you and your friends like this soup! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! I really appreciate it. xoxo
paul says
should the carnitas/ bacon or sausage be cooked first before adding to soup?
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Paul! Yes - add pre-cooked meat to the soup. You can make these Carnitas in the slow cooker the day before making the soup, then just shred some of the meat and add it to the soup at the end. Or, sauté some ground sausage in a skillet and add that. Please let me know if you have any more questions. I can't wait to hear what you think of this soup after you make it! xo
Crissy says
This is one of the best soups I have ever made or eaten ever! I loved it so much, I can't wait to have it for lunch again! I added a sprinkle of tortilla strips as a garnish. The flavor here is unbelievable, I love everything about it, I had leftover pork carnitas from tacos. Can't wait to make this again! So delicious!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed this soup, Crissy! Your comment means more to me than I can express. This is one of my favorite soups as well - and, I think it's even better after it sits in the refrigerator for a day or two. Since you liked the flavors in this one, I'm certain you'd like this Chicken Tortilla Soup as well. Have a wonderful day and thank you again for your kind words!
Carly Gonzalex says
I love that this soup contains carnitas...what part of Spain does this come from?
Wonderful soup....I added some chili poblano and a small amount of tomatillos to give it that authentic Spanish kick!
Thanks for sharing. Definitely one of my new faves and go to soups!
RebeccaBlackwell says
Hi Carly! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe! The recipe is more "Spanish-inspired" than authentic to any particular part of Spain. I just wanted a soup that incorporated Spanish flavors. 🙂 I love that you added poblano peppers and tomatillos! Those are two of my all-time favorite ingredients and I'm sure they were fantastic in this soup. I'm going to have to do the same thing the next time I make this! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! I truly appreciate it! xo