Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Loaded Baked Potato Soup is one of the most comforting soups you can ever have! This potato soup recipe is loaded with crispy bacon, soft golden potatoes, cheese, and green onions.
When it’s cold outside, comfort foods and warm soups are just what we need to warm up. Loaded baked potato soup checks all of those boxes! It’s easy to make, has an amazing flavor, and it’s comforting for your tummy and soul.
This soup has the best of the baked potato flavors in all in one comforting bowl. There is the hearty based of potato soup and all finished with bacon, sharp cheddar cheese sour cream, and green onions.
This homemade potato soup, is so much better than the one you can get at Panera or any other restaurant. Plus, you will have the whole batch all to yourself. You can even make a double batch for a big family dinner!
How To Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Cook the bacon and onions. Sauté bacon in butter first until the bacon is half way done and then add onions and cook until they are soft starting to caramelize.
Add the potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot.
Stir in the broth. There should be enough liquid to just cover the potatoes, though that may depend on how wide your pot is. Add the garlic as well and bring to a boil.
Simmer: Stir in the seasonings, add a bay leaf, and cover with a lid. Once the potatoes are mostly tender, remove the lid and continue cooking until soft.
Add remaining ingredients. Mix until well combined and cook the loaded potato soup for a few more minutes.
Serve: Once the cheese is completely melted, spoon into bowls and serve garnished with more cheese, bacon, and green onions!
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Short on time? Peel, chop, and shred everything in advance and store in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator. (Note: potatoes will oxidize and turn brown on the outside if you peel them ahead of time. But, don’t worry, they are completely safe to eat. Just chop peeled potatoes and cook.) Don’t prep ingredients more than a day ahead or everything will start to wilt.
- Chop bacon cold. The meat is less likely to pull or tear when it’s cold from the refrigerator. Also, use a large, sharp chef’s knife rather than a utility knife.
- Want a smoother texture? Mash some of the potatoes in the pot before serving. Just don’t mash too much or overmix, since that can create a gluey texture from all the starch that’s released.
Storing and Reheating
Transfer any leftovers to a food storage container with an air-tight lid and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
You can easily reheat individual portions of soup in the microwave, in increments of about 45 seconds. Stir it between each increment of time so it reheats evenly. It’s best to reheat in increments to prevent soup from being singed or separated.
If the texture is too thick, add a splash of vegetable stock or milk until it reaches the right consistency.
How to Freeze Loaded Baked Potato Soup?
Usually, soups with dairy products don’t freeze well so you can freeze the soup without adding heavy cream and sour cream. (Add heavy cream and sour cream when reheating.)
You can use one large container, large freezer bag, or divide it into smaller zip-top freezer bags for individual servings. Be sure to leave some room at the top to allow for expansion as the soup freezes.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat it over medium-low heat on stovetop and stir in heavy cream and sour cream.
How To Serve Loaded Potato Soup?
While loaded baked potato soup is more than enough on its own, you could easily pair a smaller bowl with a delicious sandwich or some roasted chicken.
Dress it up with all your favorite toppings too!
- Shredded cheese
- Bacon pieces
- Chives
- Herbs: dill weed or parsley
- Sour cream
- Croutons
- Roasted corn kernels
More Comforting Soup Recipes
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Greatest Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/2 lb raw bacon diced
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 lbs cubed golden potatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock enough to cover the potatoes
- salt
- cracked black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 tbsp sour cream
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1 tsp fresh dill weed
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients first. Dice cold bacon and onion into small pieces. (Note that bacon is easier to cut when it's cold.) Peel and dice potatoes and measure remaining ingredients.You can dice and prepare green onion and dill when ready to add to the soup.
- Preheat a Dutch oven over medium heat and melt butter in it.
- Add diced bacon and cook it until about half way cooked. Add yellow onion and sauté until onion and bacon are fully cooked.
- Add pressed garlic and sauté until fragrant.
- Add the cubed potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in chicken stock (enough to just cover the potatoes) and stir well. Bring the soup to simmer on medium-high heat and then reduce heat to medium-low.
- Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and add bay leaf. Cover and cook until the potatoes are mostly tender. Take the lid off and cook until potatoes are completely tender. Make sure to stir often.
- Stir in dill weed, green onion, sour cream, cheese, and heavy cream. Mix well and cook for a few more minutes and serve!
Video
Notes
- Storing: Transfer any leftovers to a food storage container with an air-tight lid and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating: You can easily reheat individual portions of soup in the microwave, in increments of about 45 seconds. Stir it between each increment of time so it reheats evenly. It’s best to reheat in increments to prevent soup from being singed or separated.
- When reheating, if the texture is too thick, add a splash of vegetable stock or milk until it reaches the right consistency.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on May 27, 2011.
Categories:
Dinner Recipes, Fall Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Lunch Recipe Ideas, Most Popular Recipes, Soup Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
I’ve made this a few times and turned out great! Today, I must’ve put too much broth in bc I had to add 4 mashed potatoes to thicken it and now adding 4 more cut up bc it just doesn’t seem to have enough… still gonna be good though when it’s finally done! Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much for sharing, Carla! I’m so glad to hear you’ve made this soup a few times and enjoyed it. Sometimes adjustments happen, and it sounds like you’re making it work beautifully—extra potatoes never hurt in a loaded baked potato soup! 😊 I hope it turned out delicious in the end. Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas and a warm, cozy holiday season!”
This recipe is AMAZING! I’ve made this soup about 4 times now. Family loves it also.
I am so glad you like it!
I made this loaded potato soup on today it was the best my family love it. I will make it again.
I am so happy to hear that, Elzabeth!
This was an amazing recipe! It came out great! I did add more potatoes. The consistency was also good. My family love it! I made it just in time for this wind chill advisory.
I am so glad to hear everyone liked it!
Made this we loved it, just wish it was little thicker next time more potatoes. Will definitely make again.
Hi Debbie,
If you like it a bit thicker you can mash some of the potatoes in the pot before serving. Just don’t mash too much or overmix, since that can create a gluey texture from all the starch that’s released.
Where are the baked potatoes?
Loaded potato soup isn’t made with actual baked potatoes but the toppings that you would use on a baked potato soup.
Can this me made in a slow cooker. If so how long would you heat in low?
Yes, it can, I wouldn’t recommend just throwing everything in a slow cooker because it starts with cooking bacon and builds on that. If you throw raw bacon into the slow cooker, the fat will not render but you will have soft bacon and fat. It won’t be the same flavor experience in a slow cooker because you add the sauteed flavor to bacon and veggies.
If you do want a slow cooker soup you can always start in a pot on a stove and follow the recipe up to the step of adding the stock. Transfer sauteed bacon, veggies, and potatoes to the slow cooker, and add the stock and seasoning to it in the slow cooker. And then cook for about 4-6 hours on low until all tender. Add the cream and cheese and sour cream and herbs during the last 20 minutes.
Also, it won’t be as thick because the stock doesn’t get a chance to cook out so once the potatoes are soft stir and break them up you can even mash a few of them and stir to get the thickness from the potatoes.
Can this be made in a crockpot?