Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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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.

Loaded baked potato soup in a white bowl.


 

If Loaded Baked Potatoes are on the menu, that’s a side I’m eating. The humble potato is the perfect vessel for bacon, cheese, sliced green onions, and sour cream. It’s so much flavor! Loaded Mashed Potatoes too, same thing. It’s a little bit like having a Twice-Baked Potato without the twice-baking part.

But while having a baked potato might not seem like dinner, once you turn it into a soup, you’re good to go. Take all those flavors and simmer them in milk and sour cream, and you’ve got yourself a hearty meal.

Everyone can build their own bowl of soup, too. Not everybody wants ALL the toppings, so they don’t have to use them. The best potato soup is the one you can customize yourself.

Recipe ingredients

Labeled ingredients for twice baked potatoes.

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

Ingredient 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 gold potatoes.
  • Sour cream: Baked potato soup tastes just as good with heavy cream or an equal amount of cream cheese.

Step-by-step instructions

  1. 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.
Bacon cooking in a saucepan.
  1. 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.
Cream being poured into a silver pot.
  1. 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.
Potatoes and green onion being added to loaded bake potato soup cooking in a silver pot.
  1. Stir in cheese, sour cream, and salt and pepper to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
Shredded cheese being added to loaded baked potato soup cooking in a silver pot.
  1. 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.
Loaded baked potato soup in two white bowls.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup with shredded cheese, scallions, and crumbled bacon.

Recipe tips and variations

  • 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.
  • Freezer: 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.
  • 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is loaded potato soup made of?

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.

How do you thicken loaded baked potato soup?

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).

What goes well with loaded potato soup?

Grilled cheese sandwiches, chunks of crusty bread, or crisp, fresh salads are all delicious sides for potato soup.

More cozy soups

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Loaded baked potato soup in a white bowl.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

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.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 servings (1 ½ cups each)
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Calories 438
5 from 25 votes

Ingredients 

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

  1. 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.
  2. Sour cream: Baked potato soup tastes just as good with heavy cream or an equal amount of cream cheese.
  3. Yield: This recipe makes at least 9 cups of soup, enough for 6 servings, 1 ½ cups each.
  4. Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 cupsCalories: 438kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 16gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 51mgSodium: 391mgPotassium: 890mgFiber: 2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 950IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 365mgIron: 2mg
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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.

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Comments

    1. 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

  1. Made this tonight and the whole crew loved it. It’s definitely a good one to warm you up on a cold winter night! 5 stars