On a cold, dreary day, there’s nothing quite like a warming bowl of soup. And among soups that everyone agrees are good, Rafferty’s Famous Potato Soup regularly ranks high on the list. So much that people search Google every day for copycat Rafferty’s potato soup recipes like this one!
For those not in the know, Rafferty’s has locations across Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Their menu features those homey, comfort foods of the Upland South – and their Potato Soup is so beloved that it has its own feature on their website homepage.
Whether you’ve enjoyed Rafferty’s potato soup many times or are eager to give it a try but don’t live in the region, this copycat Rafferty’s potato soup will let you make it at home. It might not be identical to what you’ll get in one of their restaurant locations, but it’s damn close – and damn delicious.
Potatoes: Skin Off or Skin On?
Let’s start with the potatoes. As Rafferty’s says on their own website, the potatoes are key to the insane deliciousness of this recipe (kinda like water is the most important ingredient in Guinness – which would pair super well with this soup!). For the record: Rafferty’s makes their potato soup with the skin on.
My recipe below says to wash and roughly skin your potatoes – as in, take off the rough, dirty spots, but leave as much (or more than) as you take away. I recommend this just to make sure you’ve cleaned off any grimy, crunchy, weird bits before you start trying to make this famous potato soup.
Making Copycat Rafferty’s Potato Soup
You can see the no-frills recipe below, but I always like to work through the recipe in a bit more detail too. Think of it like a food story you can read to understand what your own journey will be like when you make your own copycat Rafferty’s potato soup!
Once your taters are washed and roughly peeled (as mentioned above), cube them and cook them in a large saucepan with the onion until tender, with enough water to cover.
Once the potatoes are tender, strain the onions and potato, then add the milk and cream cheese. Remove the pan from heat and stir until the cream cheese has completely melted and mixed.
Add the saucepan back onto a low heat, and add the two cans of soup concentrate, butter, and garlic powder. Stir to mix the soup together; you may need to add 1-2 cans of water to get the right consistency. (Start with one can if you want a thicker soup and add water slowly to prevent runny soup!)
Once you’re ready to enjoy your copycat Rafferty’s potato soup, serve it into bowls (maybe consider a Sourdough Bread Bowl for some extra yumminess) and top with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and chives. For true Rafferty’s style soup, you have to use all three toppings – but you can obviously leave any off that you don’t like.
Copycat Rafferty's Potato Soup
On a cold, dreary day, there’s nothing quite like a warming bowl of soup. And among soups that everyone agrees are good, Rafferty’s Famous Potato Soup regularly ranks high on the list. So much that people search Google every day for copycat Rafferty’s potato soup recipes like this one!
Ingredients
- 10-12 Potatoes (medium), roughly peeled and cubed
- 1 large Onion, finely chopped
- 1½ cup Milk
- 8oz Cream Cheese, cubed
- ½ stick Butter
- 1 can of Cream of Mushroom soup
- 1 can of Celery Soup
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Shredded cheddar, bacon bits, and chives for topping
Instructions
Honestly, just writing up this recipe made me want to go dole up another bowl of soup again. This recipe is perfect for the colder months, but as Rafferty’s serves it every day, it’s definitely delicious all year long!
Have other questions about this copycat Rafferty’s potato soup recipe? Let me know in the comments!