This hearty and delicious loaded potato soup recipe is perfect for a cozy night in. With simple ingredients and easy instructions, anyone can make this comforting dish in no time.
This soup is full of tender chunks of potatoes, sweet onions, crisp bacon, and chopped chives, all in a creamy, cheesy broth with a little sour cream. I love to serve this creamy soup with ham and cheese sliders or pigs in a blanket.
Warm up on a chilly night with this delicious one-pot-loaded potato soup recipe. It’s easy to make and packed with comforting flavors like bacon, cheese, and herbs. This soup is a favorite in our house and a frequent request from my son. This is comfort food at its best.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- Bacon: preferably smoked
- Butter: salted or unsalted
- Onion: sweet yellow is best
- Garlic: fresh is always best
- Seasonings: ground cayenne pepper, fresh chives, salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- Chicken broth: low sodium or chicken stock
- Milk: whole or 2%
- Cheese: sharp cheddar, white cheddar, or smoked cheddar
- Sour cream: full-fat
How to Make Loaded Potato Soup
This is just the summary version of the recipe. See the recipe card below for ingredients and full directions.
- Brown the chopped bacon in a heavy pot. Transfer the bacon to a plate.
- Add the potatoes and onions to the pot and cook until the onions are tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and cayenne pepper, cooking for 1 minute. Transfer the vegetables to a plate.
- Melt butter in the pot. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
- Whisk in the milk and chicken broth in several increments. Add the cooked vegetables back to the pot and simmer until fork tender.
- Stir in both shredded cheeses until melted. Stir in the bacon, sour cream, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation Tips
- Bacon is much easier to chop when partially frozen, so toss it in the freezer about an hour before preparing the soup.
- Don’t add the bacon and sour cream until the end, as you want the bacon to stay crispy and the sour Cream not to curdle.
- Top with chopped crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped chives.
Serving Suggestions
We love to serve it with a garden salad or marinated cucumbers with red onion to balance out all those carbs. If we are in the mood for pure comfort, we go for beer bread or homemade cornbread.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best potatoes for this soup are Russets. I always say don’t use Russet Potatoes in soup because they will start to break down. Well, there is an exception to every rule, and in this particular case, you want the potatoes to break down slightly into the soup, creating an ultra-creamy texture.
The heat causes the protein and the water in the sour cream to separate. It is best to warm the sour cream first. To warm the sour cream, take the soup off the heat and temper the sour cream by mixing small amounts of hot soup with it before adding it to the pot.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 1/4 cup butter unsalted
- 4 large Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 2 ½ cups whole milk or 2% milk
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup chopped chives
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium heat, brown the bacon. Using a slotted spoon remove the bacon from the pan reserving the grease. Add enough butter to make 2 tablespoons of fat. Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the potatoes and onions to the pan cooking for 5 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and the cayenne pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Using a slotted spoon remove the potatoes, onions, and garlic to a bowl or plate, reserving any fat in the pan.
- Melt enough butter to make 4 tablespoons of fat. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup flour and whisk to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the chicken broth and milk in several intervals alternating between the two.
- Add the potatoes, onions, and garlic back to the pot and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
- Whisk in both shredded cheeses until melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the bacon, sour cream, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.
Video
Notes
- Bacon is much easier to chop when partially frozen, so toss it in the freezer about an hour before preparing the soup.
- Don’t add the bacon and sour cream until the end, as you want the bacon to stay crispy and the sour Cream not to curdle.
- Top with chopped crispy bacon, sour cream, green onions, finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese, and chopped chives.
Nutrition
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LINDA LEAHEY
Are the potatoes put in raw or slightly cooked? And if they are cooked , are they boiled?
Beth Pierce
They are cut in small cubes and added raw,
Courtney
I can’t wait to make this later this week. Tomorrow its tacos, but I will probably make this on Wednesday. It looks heavenly!!!!!!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Courtney! Enjoy!!
Holly Murphy
Instead of flour, is there a substitute with corn flour or rice flour for gluten free?
Beth Pierce
I am not sure. Maybe one of the readers will have a good suggestion.
Wendi
Whenever I don’t want flour in a recipe, I use heavy cream instead of milk. Obviously not any healthier, but gluten free atleast.
Chris Braun
I’d recommend potato starch. It’s an excellent thickener and gives the soup an extra-silky texture. And, since it’s made with potatoes, it’s gluten-free.
Jenni
I made this to eat later in the week. I was only gonna taste it for seasonings. Well, I ended up eating 2 bowls! It’s very good.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Jenni! So glad that you liked it! I love soup!
Sara
Gave this a try for dinner last night and it did not disappoint! Easily, a new favorite dinner recipe! Delicious!
Genevieve
I love potato soup recipes! This one is perfect for a chilli cozy fall evening in. Looks delicious!
Nathan
This soup looks like the absolute DEFINITION of comfort food, wow. Definitely going to need to try this now that the weather is getting colder!
Tara
Such a wonderful soup to kick off fall! It is packed with so many incredible flavors, especially all that crisp bacon.
Anita
The weather has started to get so much colder this past week, so I made this soup for my family. It was well received, and everyone loves the bacon in it. 🙂
Jacqueline
That looks so comforting. Perfect for this time of year.
Julie
A favorite comfort food at my house! It is so good!
Beti
YUM! Such a creamy, hearty and delicious soup!! My family would love it!
katerina
This loaded potato soup sounds incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to try it!
Erin
This Loaded Potato Soup is seriously making me hungry!
Kim
This recipe looks creamier than mine! Printing now to try it! Thank you!
Jen
This is pure comfort food for the soul! When the weather is cold and gloomy, I crave this soup! I usually make a toppings bar for everyone to load up their bowl at dinner. The kids love it!