Swedish Potato Soup (Potatissoppa)

About This Recipe

Potatissoppa is the ultimate Scandinavian comfort dish — simple ingredients transformed by long, patient simmering into something deeply warming. In Swedish farmhouse cooking, the smoked pork (rökt fläsk) was often the only meat available in winter, and it flavoured the whole pot. The result is a thick, slightly creamy soup where potato starch and leek sweetness carry the smoky depth. Served with a thick slice of knäckebröd (crispbread) or rye bread, it is Tuesday's school lunch across Sweden and Sunday supper at a midsummer cabin.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 800 gfloury potatoes(peeled and diced 2cm)
• 2leeks(sliced into rings, white and light green parts)
• 200 gsmoked pork or smoked bacon(diced)
• 1onion(diced)
• 1.2 litreschicken or pork stock
• 100 mlsingle cream
• 2 tbspbutter
• 1 tspwhite pepper
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1 bunchfresh chives(snipped, to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the pork

   In a large pot, cook smoked pork in butter over medium heat until lightly golden, 4 min. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. 2

   Soften aromatics

   Add onion and leek to the pot. Cook in the pork fat 6 min, stirring, until soft but not coloured.

3. 3

   Add potatoes and stock

   Add potatoes, thyme, white pepper and stock. Bring to a boil then simmer 25 min until potatoes are very tender.

4. 4

   Partially blend

   Use a potato masher or stick blender to break down about half the soup — you want a thick, chunky texture, not a smooth purée. Stir in cream.

   Do not fully blend — the texture of whole potato pieces is part of the dish.

5. 5

   Finish and serve

   Return smoked pork to the pot. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top generously with snipped chives. Serve with rye bread or crispbread.

Variations

• •

  Vegetarian: omit pork, use vegetable stock and add smoked paprika for depth

• •

  Add diced carrot and celeriac for a more complex flavour base

• •

  Stir in a spoonful of crème fraîche instead of cream for a tangier finish

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Keeps 4 days refrigerated. The soup thickens further when cold — add a splash of stock or water when reheating.

Frequently Asked Questions