Loaded potato soup is a big hit with layers of flavors from starchy potatoes, fresh onion and garlic, cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon bits. Made with simple ingredients in under an hour, it’s the ultimate comfort food.
When I need a quick weeknight meal, an easy soup recipe is always a great option. Whether it’s my copycat Zuppa Toscana, a cozy split pea soup, or creamy chicken and wild rice soup, I know I can throw together some sourdough cheddar biscuits or Irish soda bread and have a well-rounded meal.
This comforting soup is the creamier, richer version of traditional potato soup. While classic potato soup is more focused on potato flavor, this loaded version really wants to know what your favorite toppings are and lean into that.
Typically topped with crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, sour cream, and green onion, this creamy soup is essentially a loaded baked potato in a bowl. It’s also a fun way to let the whole family customize with the toppings they enjoy most.
Depending on your family’s size, you could easily make a double or triple batch and have dinner and lunch throughout the week, which is a great time saver. It tastes great the next day – the added time in the fridge seems to contribute more flavor – and it also reheats well on the stovetop.
Serve it with same-day sourdough bread or sourdough breadsticks, a fresh salad, or a toasted grilled cheese sandwich for an easy and filling dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Flavorful – It’s creamy and salty, bursting with flavor from the cheese, bacon, and creamy potatoes.
Hearty – This cozy soup is filling and satisfying, easily serving as the main dish.
Quickly made – It’s ready in about an hour, start to finish, so it’s a great option for a quick dinner.
Ingredients
Russet potatoes – Red potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes would also work well. And they have much thinner skin, so peeling is optional.
Bacon – Bonus points if you source bacon from a local farmer.
Chicken broth – This is a great time to use homemade bone broth!
Heavy cream – Full-fat heavy cream thickens and adds richness. You can also use homemade sour cream or softened cream cheese to keep the smoother consistency and thicken the soup further.
Shredded cheese – Sharp cheddar is especially good for its robust flavor, but you can use whichever variety you like most.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Tools You May Need
Blender or immersion blender
How to Make Loaded Potato Soup
Step 1: Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Place over high heat on the stovetop and bring to a boil. Cook at a low boil for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain the water from the potatoes.
Step 2: While the potatoes are cooking, heat another large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the diced bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes or until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and place into a paper towel-lined bowl to drain, reserving two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan.
Step 3: Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and saute for 4-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and saute for another minute.
Step 4: Add the butter to the pan and stir until melted, then whisk in the flour until combined. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 5: Whisk in the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer, stirring often. The broth will thicken up slightly from the flour mixture.
Step 6: Add two cups of the cooked potatoes and two cups of broth into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour back into the pot along with the remaining cooked potatoes and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Step 7: Add the heavy cream, shredded cheddar, sour cream, salt, pepper, and ½ of the cooked bacon. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes before serving.
Step 8: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped green onions, the remaining cooked bacon, and more shredded cheddar if desired.
Tips
- Use homemade bone broth to boost the nutrition of this flavorful soup.
- Save your bacon drippings in a jar to flavor other dishes or fry your eggs.
- If you’d rather not use the blender, you can mash with a potato masher or give the cooked potatoes a few pulses with an immersion blender for a smooth soup. Don’t blend for too long or you won’t have any potato cubes for texture, and gumminess can also occur with overblending.
Recipe FAQs
Potato soup, once cooled, can be stored for 4-5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It does not freeze well, as potatoes and dairy tend to become grainy and separated upon freezing.
A cornstarch slurry stirred into the hot soup will thicken it significantly. You can also use sour cream or cream cheese in place of cream to thicken and add richness to the soup.
Homemade potato soup can be seasoned pretty openly, with some options including cayenne pepper, paprika, dill, thyme, a bit of nutmeg, dry mustard, or a splash of apple cider vinegar.
Shredded carrots, chopped celery, diced onion, and fresh herbs add great flavor to potato soup.
Yes, this is possible. Cooking for too long can result in crumbly potatoes and a gritty, unpleasant texture instead of a smooth consistency.
More Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- No Knead Sourdough Discard Bread
- Easy Kamut Bread Recipe
- Easy Sourdough Italian Bread
- Sourdough Bread Bowls
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Loaded Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes, about 3 pounds, peeled and cubed
- 10 ounces bacon, diced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more to top
- ½ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Sliced green onion, to garnish
Instructions
- Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes.
- Heat another large soup pot over medium heat. Once hot, add bacon and cook for 5-7 minutes or until crispy. Remove the cooked bacon, reserving two tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the diced onion to the bacon fat and sauté for 4-5 minutes, then add the minced garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Add the butter and stir until melted, then whisk in the flour. Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Whisk in the chicken broth and bring it to a simmer, stirring often as the broth thickens.
- Add two cups of the cooked potatoes and two cups of the broth into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour back into the pot along with the remaining cooked potatoes and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the heavy cream, shredded cheddar, sour cream, salt, pepper, and ½ of the cooked bacon. Stir and let simmer for 10 minutes before serving.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining cooked bacon, more shredded cheddar, and chopped green onions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
