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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Shawnae
This soup is the bomb dot com! Both my sister and I came back for seconds, and I served the soup with some biscuits! Thank you for sharing this amazing and delicious recipe, Ms. Beth! 😋
Beth Pierce
Hey Shawnae! The pleasure is all mine! I am so glad that you liked the potato soup.
Tonya Nickerson
Can I use whole milk vs 2%?
Beth Pierce
Yes you can
Sharon
This classic potato soup is so hearty and delicious! I love how creamy it is with addition of sour cream and two types of cheese.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Sharon! So glad that you like it!
MJ
oh my goodness. This soup is so rich and comforting. Going into our regular dinner rotation!
Beth Pierce
Thank you!
Natalie
Delicious soup. My family loved it. I will definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure Natalie!
Ieva
Filling, soul-warming and delicious! A perfect soup for the cold evenings! We love it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks! So happy that you like it!
Claudia
Wonderful flavors in this soup! and we loved it will make it often perfect for this chilly weather!
Matthew
This soup has become part of the regular rotation. It’s a family favorite. I like to hit it with an immersion blender a bit after the potatoes have softened. Thank you for yet another go-to recipe!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine Matthew!
Fransic Verso
This looks so good, we tried potato soup before, but not like this. I think we have everything to make it. Thank you for sharing!
Beth Pierce
My pleasure! I hope you enjoy it!!
kathy Engelson
I can’t print ANY of your recipes. WHY???
Beth Pierce
I am not sure. I have not heard this from anyone else. You can always copy and paste to a google doc and print from there.
Star
I don’t know if this is your situation but If you are trying to print from Facebook I can’t either. Tap on the three dots at top right and open in browser then print.
Nkem
Looks perfectly hearty and warm for a cold and cozy season!
Lacey
I make this soup often with this recipe and it always turns out great! Hubby and I love it with some crusty italian bread or sometimes i make my own loaf and i dip the bread in the soup, soo yummy!😋
Beth Pierce
Thanks Lacey! That does sound amazing with homemade bread! I can almost taste it now!
Thena Franssen
I love a good potato soup recipe! You can’t go wrong with cold weather and a bowl of homemade potato soup!
Rosey
Smart tip to add the bacon and sour cream last. Loaded Potato Soup is a perfect recipe for fall.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Rosey! I sure hope you like it!
Jona Shares
I have been craving for some pumpkin soup but I don’t have available pumpkin here so I guess I will try out the potato soup! Good thing I have stocks here. Thanks for your recipe! Hope it will turn out goodl.
Beth Pierce
I sure hope you enjoy it Jona!
Matilyn
This is how I was taught to make it too! When heating up some leftover for our lunch one time, my Dad put some cut fresh green beans in it. We have been making its that way ever since. I am in my 70’s now, and my guys still enjoy this soup
Beth Pierce
Thanks for the tip Matilyn!
Kristyn
We made this last week!! It brings the comfort & flavor. It’s one of those soups that I could eat weekly & not get sick of eating it. It’s delicious!