Loaded baked potato soup is a comforting homemade soup that’s packed full of your favorite baked potato toppings like cheese, bacon, sour cream, and green onions.
Serve this loaded baked potato soup recipe next to some Irish soda bread or cheddar bay biscuits for the most comforting meal you’ll enjoy all year!
Don’t forget the cornbread made with a quick cornbread mix!
The Perfect Comfort Food
Baked potatoes (and twice baked potatoes) are already so good, but in soup form? This oh-so-easy comfort meal is as simple as whipping up some mashed potatoes and adding them to a quick and easy soup base.
Add all of your favorite toppings to this soup, and you have the ultimate meal. Don’t forget some bread to sop up anything left in the bowl!
All About The Potatoes
The best potatoes to use baked potato soup are russet, and yukon gold potatoes. These potatoes aren’t waxy, and will break down while cooking which is exactly what we are aiming for.
In dishes where the potatoes should stay intact even while being simmered, aim for a waxy, potato with less starch like red skin potatoes.
Baked Potato Soup Ingredients
Loaded baked potato soup has a few main components:
- The mashed potatoes – mashing the potatoes before adding them makes this loaded baked potato soup easy. You don’t need to use an immersion blender to achieve a smooth consistency.
- The base – a chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream base with some spices, onions, and garlic.
- The toppings – the best part of the soup – dress it up just like a loaded baked potato.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Toppings
Try topping the soup with these delicious toppings:
- A dollop of sour cream
- Bacon – or candied bacon
- Chives or green onions
- Cheddar cheese
- Steamed broccoli
How To Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
To make loaded baked potato soup:
- For the mashed potatoes – chop the potatoes into 1″ chunks and boil them until tender, about 10 minutes. Strain, and mash quickly to break the potatoes down a little bit.
- For the base – cook bacon until crisp, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Save 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the bottom of the pan. Add onions and garlic, and cook for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Add flour, then whisk in chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Mix it all together – add the mashed potatoes into the soup, breaking them down until they are combined. They will help thicken the soup even more. Stir in the cheddar cheese to give the soup a little more flavor and color. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the toppings – top the soup with baked potato toppings like sour cream, reserved bacon, green onions, and cheese.
Tips and Substitutions For A Perfect Soup
- Chop the potatoes into even pieces to ensure even cooking.
- We love leaving the skins on the potatoes, for even more baked potato flavor. If you prefer, remove the skins before mashing the potatoes.
- For a completely smooth soup, peel the potatoes and mash until completely smooth.
- If the bacon makes more than 2 tablespoons of fat, only reserve 2 tablespoons to ensure the flour thickens the soup correctly.
- For vegetarian loaded baked potato soup, omit the bacon. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the onions and garlic while sauteeing.
- Whisk in the chicken broth slowly but constantly so no lumps form.
- Make sure the soup cooks at a simmer, not a boil. Milk has a knack for burning if the heat is too high.
- Stir in the cheese right before serving. It just needs to melt, not cook.
Delicious Additions To Potato Soup
- Meat: ham, extra bacon (added to the soup), shredded chicken
- Veggies: broccoli florets, celery, jalapeno slices
- Cheese: mozzarella, parmesan, or gruyere
- Other: chili powder or cayenne pepper, cilantro (for topping), green chiles
Leftover Loaded Baked Potato Soup?
This soup reheats beautifully for a comforting warm bowl whenever you’d like. Don’t add toppings to the soup if you plan to have leftovers.
Allow the soup to completely cool before placing it into air tight containers. It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To reheat, place it on the stove over medium heat until warm. Alternatively, place it in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the toppings!
Loaded baked potato soup doesn’t freeze well. Potatoes and milk both change texture when frozen, and potatoes tend to dry out soups when frozen – like a sponge. It’s best to enjoy this soup within 5 days after making it.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Roasted Root Vegetable Soup
- Slow Cooker Beef Bourguignon
- Creamy Carrot Soup
- Guinness Irish Stew
- Leftover Turkey Noodle Soup
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes cut into 1" chunks, about 4 ½ cups
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 1 yellow onion small, diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 ¾ cups milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each to taste
For Serving:
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 green onions chopped
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Wash and cut potatoes into 1" chunks. Boil in a pot of salted water for 10 minutes, or until fork tender. Drain, and mash until almost smooth.
- Meanwhile, cook bacon in a medium pot or dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
- Add onions and garlic, cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Add flour, and whisk to coat onions. Whisking constantly, add chicken broth, milk, and cream. Add bay leaf, increase heat to medium high. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf. Add mashed potatoes, stirring to incorporate fully. Stir in cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Top soup with sour cream, cheddar cheese, reserved bacon, and green onions.
Notes
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8 thoughts on “Loaded Baked Potato Soup”
This is the ONLY potato soup I make!! Hands down best recipe EVER!!
So glad you love it Rachel!
I made this soup because my granddaughter had her wisdom teeth extracted and needed to eat soft foods. For that reason, I didn’t add the bacon. Instead I served it as a topping. I left the skins on like you suggested. I doubled the recipe because I wanted a large pot of it. Everyone loved it!
So happy you loved it Patti!
I was driving home from work this evening when I realized I really wanted potato soup for dinner but didn’t think I had time between kids’ homework and taxiing my daughter to dance class. I found your recipe on Pinterest and was delighted I had all the ingredients on hand. So super quick and simple to put together and it turned out AMAZING. I didn’t change a thing! The whole family gives it 5 stars! This is going to be a regular here.
So glad you loved it Liz!
This soup had great flavor, however I found it to be very thick, almost paste like. Next time I make it I will only use 2 TBSP of flour. I followed the recipe exactly.
Hi Dione, I am sorry to hear it was super thick for you! Depending on the amount of time you simmer it, the potatoes will continue to add starch which will continue to thicken the soup. Hope this helps!