Potato Soup

Loaded Potato Soup — all the flavors you know and love from a baked potato are channeled into an ultra creamy, cheesy, and deliciously flavored soup!

Pair this comforting soup with homemade dinner rolls or a light garden salad like this roasted veggie salad or Olive Garden salad.

The Best Potato Soup

This soup tastes channels the flavors of a cheesy baked potato loaded up with all the good stuff! It’s incredibly filling and the perfect kind of comfort food — there really is nothing better on a chilly day! That is, unless we’re eating this soup and enjoying a pumpkin spice steamer!

Not to mention, it’s a well-rounded meal that keeps you full and satisfied for hours. It’s an ideal dish to serve when hosting, truly the best of the best.

Ingredients

• Potatoes: Mix red and Yukon gold potatoes for extra flavor. Keeping the peel on adds texture and nutrients.
• Onion, Celery, Carrots, Garlic: Dice finely so they cook evenly and blend into the soup.
• Bacon: Cook bacon until crispy and save some fat for cooking the veggies.
• Seasonings: Adjust the amount to suit your taste. You can also use fresh thyme and oregano instead of dried.
• Chicken Broth: Save any extra to add when reheating leftovers.
• Butter, Flour: Cook flour over medium-heat with butter for one minute to remove the raw flour taste.
• Milk: Warm the milk a bit before adding to avoid curdling. Be sure to use whole milk.
• Sour Cream: I love full-fat but you can use reduced-fat sour cream for a lighter option.
• Cheddar Cheese: Grate the cheese yourself for better melting.

How To Make Potato Soup

1. Chop & Prep: Cube potatoes, dice onion, celery, and carrot. Mince garlic. Slice bacon.
2. Cook Bacon: Fry bacon in a pot, set aside. Keep some bacon fat in the pot.
3. Sauté Veggies: In the same pot, cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in bacon fat. Add potatoes and seasonings.
4. Simmer with Stock: Add chicken stock and simmer until potatoes are tender.
5. Mash Some Potatoes: Lightly mash a few potatoes in the pot.
6. Make Cream Sauce: In another pot, melt butter, mix in flour, then gradually add milk until thick.
7. Combine: Add the cream sauce to the potato soup. Stir until thickened.
8. Add Final Ingredients: Lower heat. Stir in sour cream, cheese, some bacon, and chives/green onions if using.

More Delicious Soup Recipes:

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Creamy Vegetable Soup
• Crockpot Chili
• Crockpot White Chicken Chili
• Chicken and Rice Soup

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5 from 13 votes

Potato Soup

By Chelsea Lords

Loaded Potato Soup — all the flavors you know and love from a baked potato are channeled into an ultra creamy, cheesy, and deliciously flavored soup!

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 10 -12 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 pounds (6-1/2 cups) cubed potatoes (I love a mix of red and Yukon gold potatoes)
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
• ▢ 2 stalks celery, diced (3/4 cup)
• ▢ 1-2 large carrots, diced (1 cup)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic (3 cloves)
• ▢ 1 package (12 ounces) smoked bacon (12 slices of bacon)
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 3/4 teaspoon EACH: dried thyme, dried oregano
• ▢ Optional: 1/16 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• ▢ 6 cups chicken stock/broth
• ▢ 2/3 cup (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup white all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 cups whole milk, separated
• ▢ 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream (I use reduced fat/lite)
• ▢ 2 and 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, separated
• ▢ Chives or green onions, optional

Instructions 

• Wash the potatoes and peel if desired (leaving the peel on adds texture and flavor). Cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Dice the onion, celery, and carrot, and mince the garlic. Thinly slice the cold bacon with a sharp knife.
• In a large pot over medium heat, cook the bacon to your desired crispness, about 6-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
• Drain all the bacon fat except for 3 tablespoons. Pour the fat into a foil-lined bowl, then wipe the pot. Measure 3 tablespoons of fat from the bowl and return it to the pot. Discard or save the foil for later use.
• Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and sauté over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic in the last 30 seconds. Add the diced potatoes and toss to coat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, along with the thyme, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Toss to coat and cook for 1 minute.
• Cover with chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. See Note 1 for crockpot instructions.
• Mash some of the tender potatoes with a potato masher, leaving some chunks.
• In another pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Slowly whisk in the flour until smooth and cook for one minute. Gradually add 2 cups (463g) of milk, whisking until thickened. Add the remaining 2 cups (463g) of milk, whisking until thickened again. Season with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 teaspoon of each, but adjust to taste).
• Pour the cream mixture into the soup and stir until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in the sour cream, chives or green onions (about 1/4 cup), 2 cups (193g) of cheese, and half of the bacon. Stir until the cheese melts.
• Top each bowl with 1/2 cup of the remaining cheese, the remaining bacon, and additional chives or green onions if desired. Enjoy warm!

Recipe Notes

Note 1:To prepare this potato soup in the crockpot: Follow steps 1-5 and then put everything into the crockpot (except the cooked bacon). Cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Mash the potatoes in the crockpot and then continue with step 7. Add everything to the crockpot and cover for 15-20 more minutes on high to heat through, then serve. Use a 6-quart crockpot for this potato soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 29.9g | Protein: 16.1g | Fat: 24.1g | Cholesterol: 67.2mg | Sodium: 444.1mg | Fiber: 2.5g | Sugar: 7.8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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