Loaded Baked Potato Soup: A Creamy, Comforting Delight
This loaded baked potato soup is the epitome of comfort food. Imagine a creamy, rich potato base topped with crispy bacon, shredded cheese, tangy sour cream, and fresh green onions. It’s like enjoying a fully loaded baked potato, but in a warm, satisfying soup form!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- The Importance of Toppings in Potato Soup
- Step-by-Step Guide to Making Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Expert Tips and Tricks for the Best Potato Soup
- How to Store and Reheat Your Soup
- Serving Suggestions: What to Serve with Potato Soup
- More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try
- Full Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Soup season is here, and there’s no better way to embrace the cozy vibes than with a hearty bowl of loaded baked potato soup. It captures all the beloved flavors of a classic baked potato – crispy bacon, melted cheddar, and a dollop of sour cream – without the need to heat up your oven or wait for a potato to bake.
This delightful potato soup recipe draws inspiration from a similar version my mom used to prepare during the chilly San Diego winters. Back then, fueled by youthful metabolism and demanding lacrosse practices, I would generously overload my bowl with toppings, creating a veritable island of pork fat and cheddar cheese, barely surrounded by a shallow pond of soup. It was glorious!
Today, I’ve come to truly appreciate the velvety potato puree that forms the base – the undeniable star of this dish. With the help of a simple blender, you can customize the texture to achieve your perfect consistency: ultra-creamy, slightly chunky, or somewhere beautifully in between. A splash of heavy cream adds richness, and a generous heap of toppings completes the transformation into pure comfort in a bowl.
In short, if a recipe could offer you a warm embrace, this would be it.
Ingredients for Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Gathering the right ingredients is the first step towards creating a truly exceptional loaded baked potato soup. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need:
- Bacon: Crispy bacon is a must-have! Cook it until perfectly crisp, then reserve the flavorful drippings to sauté the onions and celery. This simple step infuses the entire soup with a delightful smoky essence. The crispy bacon crumbles are then saved for topping each bowl, adding a satisfying crunch.
- Potatoes: For the ultimate homemade potato soup experience, Russet potatoes are the ideal choice, just as they are for classic baked potatoes. Their ability to break down beautifully creates that wonderfully smooth and silky texture we crave. Peel and cube the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure even cooking.
- Chicken Stock: Always opt for low-sodium chicken stock to have greater control over the final salt level of your soup. This allows you to season it perfectly to your taste.
- Celery, Onion, and Garlic: This aromatic trio forms the foundational flavor base of the soup. Sautéing them in the bacon drippings creates a depth of flavor that is truly irresistible.
- Butter and Flour: Cooking the flour in melted butter for just a minute or two eliminates any raw flour taste and creates a roux. This roux acts as a thickening agent, giving the soup its perfect creamy consistency.
- Heavy Cream and Whole Milk: Using a combination of both heavy cream and whole milk provides a luxuriously creamy texture without making the soup overly heavy. This balance is key to achieving the perfect consistency.
Refer to the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and their precise quantities.
The Importance of Toppings in Potato Soup
A loaded baked potato isn’t complete without its signature toppings – bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions. The same principle applies to this soup! Don’t skimp on the toppings. They truly elevate the dish to new heights.
Want to get creative? Feel free to switch things up! Try swapping cheddar for pepper jack for a bit of a kick, adding a dash of hot sauce for some heat, or tossing on some homemade croutons for an extra layer of satisfying crunch.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Step-by-Step Guide
Making this creamy, comforting soup is surprisingly easy. Follow these simple steps to create a delicious meal that everyone will love:
- Cook the Bacon: In a Dutch oven or large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy and golden brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease. Reserve about ¼ cup of the rendered bacon grease in the pot.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Add the diced onions and celery to the pot with the reserved bacon grease. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are softened and the onions become translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add Potatoes and Chicken Stock: Add the cubed Russet potatoes to the pot and pour in the low-sodium chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. This usually takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Make the Roux: In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture turns a pale golden color. This is your roux, which will thicken the soup.
- Thicken with Milk: Gradually whisk in the whole milk into the roux, making sure to stir constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook until it thickens to the consistency of gravy. This may take several minutes.
- Combine and Simmer: Slowly whisk the thickened milk mixture (roux) into the potato mixture in the Dutch oven. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook the soup over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together beautifully.
- Blend the Soup: Remove the soup from the heat. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup directly in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency. For a completely smooth soup, blend until velvety. If you prefer a chunkier texture, blend only partially, leaving some potato pieces intact. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular blender, being cautious of hot liquids.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the heavy cream to add richness and a luxurious texture. Season the soup generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Ladle the loaded baked potato soup into bowls and garnish with crispy bacon crumbles, shredded cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and sliced green onions. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips and Tricks for the Best Potato Soup
Here are some additional tips to ensure your loaded baked potato soup turns out perfectly every time:
- Seasoning is Key: I prefer to season my soups towards the end of cooking to prevent over-salting. However, potatoes do require a generous amount of salt to bring out their flavor. Start with a teaspoon of salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper, then adjust to your personal preference.
- Customize the Texture: Make this potato soup exactly to your liking! If you prefer a silky-smooth soup, puree the entire batch until it’s velvety. For a chunkier texture, simply blend a portion of the soup or use a potato masher, leaving some tender potato chunks for contrast.
- Vegetarian Option: To make this soup vegetarian, simply skip the bacon and sauté the onions and celery in 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil instead. Substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Blending Without an Immersion Blender: No immersion blender? No problem! Carefully transfer about ⅓ of the soup to a regular blender and puree until smooth. Then, stir it back into the pot with the remaining chunky potatoes. Important tip: When using a stand blender, work in batches and vent the lid to prevent steam buildup (and potential soup explosions!).
Storage Instructions
To store leftovers, allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It’s best to store the soup without the toppings, adding them fresh when you reheat it. Dairy-based soups like this one are generally not recommended for freezing, as the dairy tends to separate upon thawing, resulting in a grainy texture.
To reheat, gently warm the soup in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. If the soup has thickened too much in the fridge, simply stir in a splash of milk or broth to bring it back to the perfect creamy consistency.
Serving Suggestions
This thick and comforting homemade potato soup practically begs for warm, buttery bread to soak up every last delicious bite! Try serving it with fluffy dinner rolls, cheddar biscuits, or homemade soda bread. A side of roasted asparagus or a refreshing kale salad with bacon vinaigrette would also complement this hearty soup beautifully.
And don’t forget about dessert! My family can never resist a sweet ending to a meal, so we often follow up with kitchen sink cookies or some fun and satisfying Funfetti popcorn bars.
More Delicious Soup Recipes You’ll Love
If you enjoyed this loaded baked potato soup recipe, here are a few more easy and delicious soup recipes to explore:
Creamy Homemade Tomato Soup
Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup
Easy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Quick Cauliflower Soup
Butternut Squash Apple Soup
Turkey Taco Soup
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Full Recipe: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Kelly Senyei
30
mins
35
mins
1
hr
5
mins
10
servings
Print Recipe
Equipment
- hand blender or blender
Ingredients
-
8
slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces -
3/4
cup
diced celery -
1 1/2
cups
diced onion -
3
cloves garlic, minced -
6
small Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces -
6
cups
low-sodium chicken stock -
2
Tablespoons
unsalted butter -
2
Tablespoons
all-purpose flour -
1
cup
whole milk -
1/2
cup
heavy cream - Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large soup pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until all the fat has rendered. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and drain off all but ¼ cup of the drippings.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the celery and onions to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Increase the heat to medium and then add the cubed potatoes, stirring to combine. Cook the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the chicken stock. (The chicken stock should just cover the potatoes, so depending on your pot, you may have to add more stock.) Bring the soup to a simmer then cover the pot and cook the soup for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- In