So I made this cajun potato soup last week and my husband literally asked if we could have it again the next night. That’s never happened before. Ever.
Look, I’m gonna be honest—I wasn’t planning on sharing this recipe because my first attempt was… well, let’s just say the smoke alarm got involved. The sausage situation got a little too enthusiastic on the heat setting, and I had to open every window in the house in November. Not my finest moment.
But after figuring out where I went wrong (spoiler: medium-high heat is NOT the same as high heat, no matter how impatient you are), this soup turned into something I’ve made five times in the past month. My neighbor Julie even knocked on my door asking what smelled so good. Handed her a bowl. She’s asked for the recipe twice since then.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Cajun Potato Soup Different
Here’s the thing about cajun potato soup—it’s basically regular potato soup that decided to go to Mardi Gras and came back with an attitude. The combination of andouille sausage, the holy trinity of vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper), and actual Cajun seasoning makes this taste like you ordered it from a restaurant in New Orleans instead of making it in your kitchen on a random Tuesday.
Most potato soups are good. This one’s got personality.
The secret is browning the sausage first to get all those crispy, caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, then using that flavor base for everything else. My mom always said “brown food tastes good,” and I hate admitting she was right, but… she was right.
Ingredients for the Best Cajun Potato Soup
Shopping for this is pretty easy. The only potentially tricky ingredient is andouille sausage, but I’ve found it at literally every grocery store I’ve been to. It’s usually near the kielbasa. If you absolutely can’t find it, smoked sausage works too—just add extra Cajun seasoning to make up for the missing spice.
The Basics:
- 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced into rounds (about ¼-inch thick)
- 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (roughly 2 pounds)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 red or green bell pepper, diced (I’ve used both, doesn’t matter)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (or more, I won’t judge)
- 4 cups chicken broth (store-bought is fine, I use the Costco kind)
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere’s is my go-to)
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional, but pretty)
A note about the potatoes: use russets. I tried this with red potatoes once because that’s what I had, and while it was edible, the texture was all wrong. Russets break down just enough to thicken the soup naturally without turning into complete mush.
And about that Cajun seasoning—start with what the recipe says, then taste and adjust. Different brands have wildly different heat levels. The first time I made this, I used a random bottle from the back of my spice cabinet that turned out to be basically cayenne pepper mixed with salt. My family needed milk. Lots of milk.
How to Make Creamy Cajun Potato Soup
Step 1: Brown That Sausage
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (NOT medium-high, learn from my mistakes). Add the sliced andouille sausage and cook until it’s browned and slightly crispy on the edges, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate, but leave all that beautiful rendered fat and brown bits in the pot. That’s flavor gold.
Step 2: Cook the Holy Trinity
In the same pot with the sausage drippings, add the butter. Once it’s melted, toss in the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften and the onion becomes translucent. Your kitchen will start smelling amazing around this point.
Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute. Don’t walk away during this step—garlic goes from perfect to burned in like 30 seconds, and burned garlic tastes bitter and ruins everything (yes, I’ve done this too).
Step 3: Make the Roux
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir it around until everything’s coated. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This gets rid of that raw flour taste and helps thicken the soup later. It’ll look like a weird paste. That’s normal.
Step 4: Add Liquids and Potatoes
Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring. This prevents lumps from forming. Trust me on this one—I once dumped all the broth in at once and spent ten minutes trying to break up flour clumps with a whisk. Not fun.
Add the cubed potatoes and Cajun seasoning. Stir everything together, then bring it to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir it every now and then so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Step 5: Make It Creamy
This is where the magic happens. Take an immersion blender (if you have one) and blend about half the soup right in the pot. This makes it thick and creamy while still leaving some potato chunks for texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, scoop out about 2 cups of the soup, blend it in a regular blender, then pour it back in. Just be careful—hot soup in a blender can explode if you don’t vent it properly. (Learned that one from my sister, who redecorated her kitchen ceiling with butternut squash soup.)
If you skip this step, the soup is still good but more… brothy. The blending makes it luxurious.
Step 6: Add Cream and Cheese
Stir in the heavy cream and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add the cooked sausage back in, along with the shredded cheddar cheese. Stir until the cheese melts completely. Taste it and adjust the seasoning—add more Cajun seasoning if you want more heat, or salt and pepper if it needs it.
Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. The soup thickens as it sits, which is honestly perfect because by the time you set the table and yell at everyone to come eat, it’s the ideal consistency.
Tips I’ve Learned the Hard Way
Don’t skip browning the sausage. I got lazy one night and just threw everything in the pot at once. The soup was fine, but it didn’t have that deep, smoky flavor that makes this recipe special. Those caramelized bits matter.
Room temperature cream is your friend. If you add ice-cold cream straight from the fridge, the soup temperature drops and it takes forever to heat back up. I leave mine on the counter while I’m prepping everything else.
This soup thickens A LOT as it sits. When reheating leftovers, you’ll probably need to add extra chicken broth or cream to thin it out. I usually add about ½ cup of broth per serving when I reheat it. Otherwise, it’s more like mashed potatoes than soup.
Spice level is adjustable. My kids (7 and 9) eat this, but I make a “kid version” by using only 1 tablespoon of Cajun seasoning and mild smoked sausage instead of andouille. Then I have extra hot sauce on the table for the adults.
Make it ahead. Actually, this soup tastes better the next day after all the flavors have time to hang out together. I’ve started making it the night before we want to eat it. Just reheat and add the cheese right before serving.
What to Serve with Cajun Potato Soup
We usually just eat this with crusty bread for dipping. Sometimes I’ll throw together a quick salad to feel like a responsible adult who eats vegetables (even though there are vegetables IN the soup, but whatever).
Cornbread is also amazing with this. The sweetness of cornbread balances out the spicy kick from the Cajun seasoning. My husband crumbles cornbread into his bowl like some kind of soup-bread hybrid situation, and honestly? It’s weird but it works.
Oh, and beer. This soup is excellent with beer. Just saying.
Storage and Freezing
This soup keeps in the fridge for about 4-5 days in an airtight container. Like I mentioned before, it gets thicker as it sits, so add extra liquid when reheating.
For freezing, I’d recommend freezing it BEFORE adding the cream and cheese. Dairy can get weird when frozen and thawed. Freeze the soup base for up to 3 months, then thaw, reheat, and add the cream and cheese fresh. Works perfectly.
Why This Recipe Works Every Time
I think the reason this cajun potato soup is so good is because it hits all the right notes—creamy, spicy, smoky, hearty, and comforting. It’s substantial enough to be a full meal but not so heavy that you feel like you need a nap afterward (although honestly, a nap sounds pretty good right now).
The andouille sausage does most of the flavor heavy lifting, the potatoes make it filling and satisfying, and the cream and cheese make it indulgent without being over-the-top. Plus, it’s a one-pot meal, which means fewer dishes, which means I’m more likely to actually make it on a weeknight.
My neighbor Julie (the one who keeps asking for this recipe) said it reminds her of the potato soup her grandma used to make, except “with a Louisiana vacation mixed in.” I’m taking that as a compliment.
Anyway, try this and let me know what you think! If you make it spicier, I want to hear about it because I’m always looking for an excuse to add more hot sauce to things.
Happy cooking! (And may your smoke alarms remain silent, unlike mine.)
