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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Valley
Omg this soup is good! I used chicken bone broth and green onions then when I reheated the next day for dinner, I broiled some of the white cheddar on top and put green onions on top of that. Amazing!!
Beth Pierce
I bet that was delicious! Nothing like a hot bowl of soup in the winter!
Kristyn
This is on the monthly rotation! It’s loaded with flavor, creamy, & hit s the spot on a cold evening!
Matt Taylor
I love a good potato soup! I can’t wait to try this, looks so amazing and super easy to make. 🙂
Toni
This is so good!! Always a hit at my house!
Cindy
I can’t find white cheddar. Only sharp or extra sharp white cheddar?
Beth Pierce
You can make it with sharp or extra sharp cheddar.
wilhelmina
This soup turned out so creamy and hearty, it was the perfect thing for dinner after a long day! So delicious!
Lisalia
LOVE baked potatoes. This soup is the next best thing!! LOVE IT.
Pam
Would using heavy cream instead of milk make it better or too thick?
Beth Pierce
Yeah it would make it a little thicker and it a little richer so it is really a personal call.
Megan
I dont have a Dutch oven could I do this in a crock pot?
Beth Pierce
Do you have a large pot?
veenaazmanov
Soup is my all time Dinner favorite and this one looks super delicious and creamy. Love that it is so cheesy and yum. New soup recipes like these go into my collection of awesome recipes.
Emily Liao
This one was definitely loaded with the most delicious savory flavors! Everyone loved how creamy it was as well.
Jeannette
Love comfort food, especially when it’s LOADED! Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe that makes the best of all ingredients!
Julia
Mmm this potatoe soup is calling my name! All the bacon and creamy texture, must make it soon!
Trang
Thanks for your tip about chopping bacon. I learned something totally new! This is such a warm comfort soup that is perfect right now since it’s so cold!
Toni
We’ve been enjoying these soup!! A delicious and comforting meal for fall nights!
Shelley
What wonderful, hearty comfort food for cold days! My family would totally love this delicious soup!