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Every bowl of hearty Loaded Baked Potato Soup has all the delicious toppings you’d put on an actual baked potato. It’s creamy, satisfying, and ready to devour in under an hour.
When Loaded Baked Potato Soup is done right, it tastes as good as a Twice Baked Potato in a bowl. But it’s easy for this classic soup to go awry if the soup is too thick, too thin, or even too bland.
As a classically-trained chef, I take all the guesswork out of the process so you can enjoy every bowl and serve your friends and family with confidence. The secret to this soup recipe is to make your rue with rendered bacon fat – that way every bite is rich, hearty, and seasoned from the ground up.
For the best possible soup texture, skip the heavy cream in favor of milk and then add a touch of sour cream for tang and authenticity – just like Twice Baked Potatoes. Add cheese, bacon, and scallions to round out your bowl. This easy recipe has all my best tips and tricks, and I hope you love the soup as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Loaded Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
- Russet potatoes: Plain old “baking potatoes” are the best for this soup because they have more starch. Some cooks make the soup with frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, too, or substitute Yukon gold potatoes.
- Sour cream: Baked potato soup tastes just as good with heavy cream or an equal amount of cream cheese.
How to make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- In a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then crumble (use this to garnish the soup). Reserve the bacon grease in the pot.
- To the Dutch oven, add butter and stir until melted. Whisk in flour until smooth and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add potatoes, scallions, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Stir in cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Adjust the consistency of the soup with additional milk if desired. Serve hot garnished with crumbled bacon, more cheese, and more scallions or chives if desired.
Baked Potato Soup Recipe Variations
- Yield: This recipe makes at least 9 cups of soup, enough for 6 servings, 1 ½ cups each.
- Keep warm: Get the soup ready on the stove, then keep it warm for company in the crockpot. Turn it to LOW heat while the party happens.
- Ham: To substitute 4 ounces of cooked diced ham for the bacon, skip Step 1 (frying the bacon) and add the ham with the potatoes in Step 3.
- Velveeta: Substitute 4 ounces (or more) of Velveeta for the shredded cheese.
- Smooth: For a soup as smooth as silk, puree in batches in a blender or with an immersion blender.
Storing Baked Potato Soup
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing Loaded Potato Soup
Soups with dairy may have a grainy texture and separate when you thaw them out. So, if you want to freeze potato soup, don’t add the dairy. Store it in a freezer-safe container, label, date, and freeze. When you reheat the soup, go ahead and add the milk, cheese, and sour cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Loaded potato soup is made with bacon, butter, flour, milk, and potatoes. Add more flavor with scallions, sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper.
In this recipe, the soup is thickened with a roux, a mixture of fat and flour (in this case, the bacon grease is the fat).
Grilled cheese sandwiches, chunks of crusty bread, or crisp, fresh salads are all delicious sides for potato soup.
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Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1/4 cup butter (½ stick)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups milk plus more as needed
- 4 medium russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 pounds, see note 1)
- 2 scallions thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup sour cream (see note 2)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or large stock pot over medium heat, add bacon and cook until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then crumble (use this to garnish the soup). Do not drain bacon fat.
- To the Dutch oven, add butter and stir until melted. Whisk in flour until smooth and lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk and cook until thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add potatoes, scallions, and ½ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
- Adjust the consistency of the soup with additional milk if desired. Serve hot garnished with crumbled bacon, more cheese, and more scallions if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Russet potatoes: Plain old “baking potatoes” are the best for this soup because they have more starch. Some cooks make the soup with frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, too, or substitute Yukon golds.
- Sour cream: Baked potato soup tastes just as good with heavy cream or an equal amount of cream cheese.
- Yield: This recipe makes at least 9 cups of soup, enough for 6 servings, 1 ½ cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Meghan,
This looks tasty, especially during the cold spell in Michigan. Will this work in a crockpot?
The best potato soup recipe! A huge hit around our house.
Thanks Sara! – Meggan
How many servings does this recipe make? Planning to make it, today. Looks out of this world!
Hi Bonnie, this makes 6 servings! If you need more or less you can adjust the recipe by sliding the serving amount in the recipe card. Hope you enjoy! – Meggan
This soup was absolutely delicious! Definitely will make this again!
Thanks Alyssa, so glad you liked it! – Meggan
Made this tonight and the whole crew loved it. It’s definitely a good one to warm you up on a cold winter night!
Wow!! Used cream cheese instead of sour cream. Absolutely delicious!!
Low sodium, flavor-able and easy to put together. My daughter said print this one. Perfect for a cool summer night.
This is by far the best I’ve ever had. I’ll make over and over!