Copycat Outback Potato Soup
There’s nothing like a hearty, warming bowl of soup on a chilly day – and nothing quite so filling as potato soup after a day of adventure. That’s probably why Outback Steakhouse potato soup is one of the most popular items on their menu – and inspires people to try and reproduce the recipe at home, making their own version of copycat Outback potato soup.
While it is great to just head to your local Outback to order a bowl without having to lift a finger in the kitchen, it can also be nice to stay home in your comfy clothes and have an entire pot of potato soup if you want it!
To help, I’ve come up with my own copycat Outback potato soup. This recipe attempts to replicate the flavors, textures, and good feelings their original recipe gives – but in a relatively easy way that most people can follow even if you’re not a saucier in the kitchen.
Making Copycat Outback Potato Soup
Depending on your experience in the kitchen, replicating a copycat Outback Potato Soup recipe might seem one of two ways: weirdly complicated (how do they make the flavors so complex??) or absurdly simple (it’s just potatoes, right??).
Actually, it’s a little bit of both: at its core, any potato soup has a simple base (both in ingredients, and flavor) and it’s all about the ingredients you add to bring out different flavors and nuances you want. Outback Steakhouse uses one special spice – basil – in their potato soup recipe that gives it that unique flavor compared with other potato soups people love (like Rafferty’s!).
Let me walk through the steps for making copycat Outback potato soup in detail; you can always jump ahead to the recipe card if you want a shorter version with exact ingredients and portions.
To begin, you need to cook your 4-6 medium potatoes before adding them to the soup. This can be done one of two ways: bake or boil. I personally prefer baking as I can pop the potatoes in for 40-45 minutes at 400°F. When there’s about 10 minutes, I start working on the rest of the recipe, to help cut down on the total cook time.
Once the potatoes are cooked, cube them into ½”-¾” pieces and set them aside. (Note: you can’t really go wrong with “too much” potato in this recipe, so don’t worry about the size or number of potatoes.)
Next, take out your favorite large soup pot. Add butter and melt over medium-low heat. Be sure not to brown or burn the butter; to help avoid this, try cubing your butter rather than melting the sticks whole.
Once the butter is melted and starting to sizzle, add your diced onion and cook until tender and aromatic. This is personally my favorite part of any soup recipe that has onion because I love how onion changes aroma and texture.
Continue stirring, and add the ¾ cup of All-Purpose flour to create a creamy base. Then add the chicken broth, water, salt, and pepper, stirring them together into a nice broth. Now it’s time for the (not-so-)secret ingredient: basil. Add that to your soup too, and turn up the heat. Switch from a wooden spoon to a whisk and keep whisking while the soup comes up to a boil.
Once your soup reaches a boil, slowly add the heavy cream and continue stirring to fully integrate it. Then reduce the heat back down to medium.
Add your cubed potatoes, stirring them in. Let the soup sit on a gentle simmer for 5-10 minutes. All you need to do now is cook them long enough to reheat them – but you can leave it on longer to soften the potatoes even more.
Once you’re ready to serve, top your delicious copycat Outback Potato Soup with bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and chives. Get ready to enjoy the savory flavors of a favorite restaurant right at home!
Copycat Outback Potato Soup Recipe
Copycat Outback Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4-6 medium Potatoes, cooked and cubed
- 2 sticks Butter
- 1 Onion, diced
- ¾ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 6 cups Chicken broth
- 2 cups Water
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Dried Basil
- 1½ cups Heavy Cream
- Bacon bits
- Cheddar cheese
- Chives, chopped
Instructions
- To begin, ook the potatoes by baking or boiling. Once the potatoes are cooked, cube the potatoes and set them aside.
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Do not brown or burn the butter.
- Add the onion and cook until tender and aromatic.
- While stirring, add the flour to the pot and stir to create a creamy base.
- Add the chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, and basil. Bring the soup to a boil while whisking.
- Add the heavy cream until you reach the right consistency and reduce the heat.
- Add the cubed potatoes, stirring them in. Cook for a few minutes 5-10 minutes until the potatoes are hot, then take the soup off the heat and serve. (The potatoes are already cooked, so the longer they are in the soup, the softer they’ll become.)
- When serving, top with bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and chives.
As I said, making this copycat Outback Steakhouse Potato Soup strikes that perfect balance between difficulty and ease no matter your skills in the kitchen. I’m confident you can handle it and be enjoying this hearty, warming soup in no time!
Have other questions about this copycat Outback potato soup recipe? Let me know in the comments!
Looking for other copycat soup recipes? Here are some suggestions:
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