Garlic Potato Soup

This delicious Garlic Potato Soup is fantastically quick to make with instant potato flakes. It takes less than 10 minutes, and there’s no need to peel or blend potatoes!

We had a great brothy garlic soup at a restaurant recently, and I wanted to recreate it at home. Being without a real kitchen due to our home remodel led me to use these potato buds instant potatoes, which are a great time saver!

And, this Chickpea Garlic Soup is another super easy to make recipe that I created during this remodel without a real kitchen.

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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

What are instant potato buds?

Instant mashed potato flakes are potatoes that have been cooked, mashed, and dehydrated. It’s a packaged convenience food that can be reconstituted by adding hot water or milk.

They’re a great thing to keep around for emergency purposes and can be great if you don’t have a kitchen due to a home remodel. Many bread recipes and meatloaf recipes call for potato flakes to add flavor, tenderness, moistness, and binding. This pantry shelf stable items is great in a pinch.

Yes, instant potato buds have their place, but no, I wouldn’t use them all the time. Mashed potatoes made with fresh potatoes can’t be beat, and are so worth the effort. And Loaded Potatoes made with fresh spuds are awesome!

Are potato buds the same as potato flakes?

“Potato Buds” was the name of the Betty Crocker brand product that many people grew up with, and have continued to call it. Betty Crocker has actually stopped using that name, I think to avoid confusion with the little growth off the potatoes that is also called potato buds.

Potato buds, instant potatoes, and potato flakes are all the same thing.

How to make

Instant garlic potato soup recipe using Potato Buds Potato Flakes is so easy to make, and really delicious. You may even find yourself craving it, but the great thing about this recipe is that you can make it up anytime that craving hits!

The full printable recipe ingredients and instructions are available in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. You can find important tips and tricks with pictures in the post.

Microwave instructions:

Place the broth in a large microwave safe container and microwave on high for 5 minutes, or until boiling. These Pyrex glass measuring cups work perfectly for this purpose.

You don’t have to cover the bowl, but if you want to cover it, my favorite way is to use a large plate as the cover.

Add remaining ingredients except the cream. Stir well to avoid lumps. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Stir in cream and taste for salt and pepper. Serve Cream of Potato soup in bowls garnished with additional parsley.

Stove top instructions:

Add the broth to a medium saucepan, bring to a low simmer, and add the potato flakes, onion flakes, garlic powder, parsley, and olive oil. Stir vigorously to ensure no lumps are formed.

Cook, heating through, and when the soup is smooth with the consistency of a loose batter, stir in the cream and remove from heat. Taste for seasonings.

Variations

Use your favorite broth. I love {affiliate link} Better Than Bouillon vegetable base. Feel free to use chicken broth if preferred. If you’re out of broth, you can use water instead.

I don’t think the soup needs salt because of the broth, but feel free to add it if you want.

Use your choice of cream or milk: fat free, 2%, whole milk, half and half, even cream cheese, or sour cream. It’s a great way to use leftover cream.

Add your own toppings if you want a loaded potato soup. Try shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan, bacon crumbles, green onions, blue cheese crumbles, pesto, or meatballs.

Add in some different spices like paprika, smoked paprika, nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, allspice, celery seed, thyme, seasoned salt, dry white wine, or cayenne pepper.

Oh and you guys already know that I’m a big fan of soups! Be sure you check out this Ashe Mast soup!

Can I make this ahead of time?

I suggest that it’s better when made fresh, and it’s so quick to make I don’t feel like you need to make it ahead of time and reheat it.

Now, you could mix the potato flakes and all the spices together and keep them ready and handy in a ziplock bag. This would be a great way to help kids get comfortable cooking in the kitchen.

How do I store leftovers?

If you have leftover soup, let it cool, then place it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When you’re ready to eat, pop it in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl. If the soup has thickened while sitting, you can thin it with a little more broth or water if you want.

Serving suggestions

This soup is a lovely light meal, and when served with some Parmesan Garlic Biscuits or a slice of Garlic Herb Bread Machine Bread, and a green veggie like Air Fryer Green Beans or Cranberry Pecan Broccoli Salad you’ll get a delicious full meal.

It’s also delicious when served with a classic Toaster Oven Grilled Cheese!

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If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

Let’s keep in touch

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

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