This creamy loaded potato soup is a hearty and delicious, budget-friendly, comforting soup recipe that is perfect on a cold night or a busy weeknight. All the flavors we love in loaded baked potatoes are in this soup: tender chunks of potatoes, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and topped with sliced green onions. It’s an easy-to-make potato soup the whole family will enjoy.
When fall and winter roll around I make an absolute ton of soups, stews, and chilis. While I have many recipes that I enjoy making, this potato soup is one of my favorites. It’s a classic potato soup that I absolutely stuff with classic potato pairings to create a rich, creamy potato soup that explodes with flavor in every bite. I make this soup all the time because it is so hearty and has so much flavor. The leftovers are great. It’s such a tasty winter treat, and it reheats so well.
Loaded Potato Soup
This delicious potato soup starts with perfectly cooked potatoes. I mash about half of them for a thicker soup consistency, and then I pair them with chicken broth, seasonings, milk, and flour to create a lovely, thick potato soup. I add crispy bacon and cheese for the ultimate potato flavor, and after it’s finished cooking, I serve it topped with more bacon, cheese, and some sliced green onions! The entire process only takes about 45 minutes from start to finish, and when I’m all done, I have a potato soup that satisfies even the biggest eaters and explodes with amazing potato and topping flavors in every single bite.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
- The combination of tender potatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon makes a delicious and comforting soup.
- It’s flavorful and filling. Loaded with all our favorites in classic loaded baked potatoes made into a soup.
- It’s so easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and has straightforward instructions even novice cooks can make with ease.
- It is perfect to serve on a cold night, and a big bowl of this hearty soup will certainly warm you up.
Loaded Potato Soup Ingredients
You’ll only need a few basic ingredients to make this delicious potato soup, and chances are you have them in your kitchen right now. If you don’t happen to have something, you’ll find it easily at your local grocery store. There is absolutely nothing fancy in this one.
- Russet potatoes are the perfect potato to use in soup recipes because they result in a creamy and smooth soup.
- Bacon adds a rich and savory flavor to the soup and provides a nice texture with the soft potatoes.
- Onion adds flavor and helps to balance out the richness of the bacon and the cheese.
- All purpose flour is used to create a roux, which thickens and helps give the soup its body and structure.
- Milk is used to thin out the soup and make it creamy.
- Chicken broth provides a savory base and helps to enhance the flavor.
- Slap ya mama seasoning adds a spicy kick and helps enhance the other flavors.
- Black pepper adds a bit of heat and helps to balance out the richness of the other ingredients.
- Garlic powder adds flavor to the soup
- Sharp cheddar cheese makes the soup creamy and melts beautifully, creating a rich sauce.
- Green onions add a fresh, herbaceous flavor and a bit of crunch to the soup.
- Salt, to taste is essential for seasoning the soup and bringing out the flavors of the other ingredients, and is adjusted based on your personal preference.
How to Make Loaded Potato Soup
This is an easy recipe that even beginners should have no problems with. Every step is an easy one, so dive in!
Step 1: Cook the Bacon
Cook the bacon, over medium heat, until crispy in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Onions
Cook the onions in the bacon grease for 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
Step 3: Make the Soup
Add in the flour to create a roux and let cook for an additional minute or two. Slowly whisk in milk until combined. Next, add the chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, and seasonings to the large pot and stir. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
Step 4: Finish the Soup
Using a masher, mash some of the potatoes in the pot to create a thicker soup. Then, add 1 cup of cheese and â…” of the cooked bacon and stir.
Step 5: Top and Serve
Serve topped with more cheese, bacon, and some sliced green onions.
Recipe Tips
- Dice your potatoes relatively small so they break down nicely.
- You can adjust the thickness of your soup based on how much of the potatoes you mash.
- Stir the bacon constantly while cooking it so all parts get nice and crispy.
- Keep the heat on medium when cooking the onions so they soften rather than brown.
Variations
- For a spicy kick of flavor, try adding red pepper flakes or diced jalapenos.
- Cheddar, cheddar jack, and colby jack all work well in this recipe.
- You can serve this soup with a dollop of sour cream on top.
- Ground beef or sausage makes a great replacement for bacon.
- For an extra-rich soup, use heavy cream in place of milk.
What to Serve with Loaded Potato Soup
This is a super-hearty soup that is an entire meal all on its own. I recommend keeping things simple with a side salad and/or some crusty bread with butter, garlic bread, or Texas toast. Serve the soup in smaller portions with grilled cheese sandwiches for a hearty meal that will warm you up.
Recipe FAQ
Loaded potato soup is made with potatoes, chicken broth, milk or cream, zesty seasonings, bacon, cheese, and green onions.
Russets, Yukon gold, or other such baking potatoes are best for potato soup. They’re high in starch and low in moisture, which makes them soak up liquid and partially disintegrate, adding thickness to the soup.
The easiest, most effective way to thicken potato soup is simply to mash part of the potatoes right in the soup! It will naturally thicken it.
Potato soup pairs well with:
Crusty bread and butter
Texas toast
Garlic bread
Foccacia
Artisan bread
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Yes, you can. This potato soup freezes well and will last for up to 3 months when stored properly.
How to Store and Reheat Loaded Potato Soup Leftovers
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze the soup in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
To reheat the soup, cook it over medium-low heat in a pot until heated through.
Try This Easy Loaded Potato Soup Today
This loaded potato soup is rich, delicious, hearty, and perhaps most importantly, easy! It’s a delicious potato soup that satisfies even the hungriest eaters and always has everyone coming back for more. Serve this soup just once, and I know you’ll be hooked. It’s simply one of the best soups of any kind that you’ll ever make. I guarantee it!
More Delicious Soup Recipes You’ll Enjoy
This Pumpkin Sausage Soup is loaded with flavor and is the perfect soup for the fall season. It’s super easy-to-make, it’s rich and creamy, and is great on a cold fall or winter day.
Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bacon, chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
- â…“ cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- 32 ounce chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama seasoning
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese
- Green onions
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy. Remove and place on a paper plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Set aside.
- Place onions in bacon grease and cook for 4-5 minutes or until onions are tender.
- Add in flour to create a roux and let cook for an additional minute or two.
- Slowly whisk in milk until combined.
- Next, add in chicken broth, garlic, potatoes, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Let cook until mixture comes to a boil.
- Once at a boil, reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Using a masher, mash some of the potatoes in the pot to create a thicker consistency.
- Add in 1 cup of cheddar cheese and â…” of the cooked bacon.
- Serve hot and top with remaining cheese, bacon, and sliced green onions, if desired.
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