Loaded Baked Potato Soup is the ultimate cozy winter soup! Creamy potato based soup filled with all the classic baked potato toppings - sour cream, cheese, bacon and green onions.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe
I think we can all agree that there is something special about a piping hot baked potato topped with sour cream, cheese, bacon, green onion and butter! The light and fluffy potato pairs so perfectly with the cool tangy sour cream and salty bacon bits.
Growing up I was a huge, I mean HUGE, fan of baked potatoes. They are extremely versatile with endless flavor combinations. The classic loaded baked potato will always have a special place in my heart. This soup version is one of my go to winter soups!
When I'm looking for a quick side dish for a summer BBQ or a family get together I love setting up a baked potato bar. Set out a platter of the baked potatoes and bowls with all the different toppings. But in the fall and winter I love a loaded baked potato soup!
This soup has all the same great flavors of loaded baked potatoes but in a different form and shape. Instead of a baked potato side dish, it is transformed into a hearty bowl of warm soup. Perfect for those cold fall and winter days! If you live in Canada like me, you know we reach for yummy warm soups all winter long!
Normally making baked potatoes takes an hour, or more, to get perfectly cooked potatoes. One of the best parts of this soup is that the whole recipe comes together in just 30 minutes! Instead of baking the potatoes, they are cut into small pieces and boiled. This cuts down the cooking time.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe - 30 Minute Meal
This soup is a warm and comforting meal that is quickly made in 30 minutes with staple ingredients found in your kitchen! Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner the whole family will love. When I need to use up the last of a bag of potatoes I love throwing this soup together.
I like to serve my soup with a leafy green salad, like my Kale Apple Salad with a homemade honey Dijon vinaigrette and Crazy Breadsticks to dip! Or serve with sliders, like my easy Roast Beef Sliders!
My family loves this soup as it has all of the comforting goodness of a fully loaded baked potato turned into a belly warming soup! This rich and creamy soup is loaded with cheddar cheese and topped with all the traditional baked potato toppings. Don’t be fooled by the soups creaminess… you don't even need to add cream! What’s not to love about that!
The soup gets it's rich and creamy texture from the potatoes, along with a roux. Cubed potatoes are boiled and then added into the soup. Depending on how thick and creamy you want your soup you can mash half or ¾'s of the potatoes. For texture, I like to leave my soup a bit chunkier and only mash about half of the potatoes so that it’s creamy but still has pieces of potato in it. I like having pieces of potato in my soup to mix with the toppings!
When I make this soup for my family, I like to serve it with cheese, sour cream, green onion, and bacon on the side. These are our favorite baked potato toppings. Everyone loves adding their own toppings, get creative with your favorite flavors! I've even included a few bonus unique topping ideas for you to try out (such as Buffalo Chicken and Pulled Pork).
What is in Loaded Baked Potato Soup?
- Potatoes - any potato variety works for this soup (russet, Idaho or Yukon gold).
- Chicken Broth - to keep the soup vegetarian, vegetable broth can be used (and omit the bacon!)
- Milk - instead of using cream or heavy cream, I use milk. I always have milk on hand and I don't usually have cream in the house so this keeps it an easy pantry staple meal.
- Cheddar Cheese - oh cheddar cheese... my absolute favorite! I love the combo of a baked potato with cheddar cheese but you can use any cheese variety. If I'm feeling a little spicy I'll use a jalapeno Monterrey jack or pimento cheese.
- Onion and Garlic - sautéed onions and garlic are cooked into the soup. Everything is better with garlic!
- Flour and Butter - to keep the soup rich and creamy without using cream, a roux is made. A combination of flour and butter that is cooked to a paste like consistency and then thinned out with milk and broth.
- Sour Cream - I know everyone is probably thinking the best part of a baked potato is the bacon... because who doesn't love bacon. But for me, the sour cream is my favorite part! Call me crazy but there is something so unique about the cool tangy flavor of sour cream combined with potato.
- Cooked Bacon - I don't think bacon needs an introduction, but I'll give you a fun swap - diced ham is amazing in this soup, including leftover ham from the holidays!
- Salt, Pepper - sour cream, cheese and bacon adds a combo of tang and salt. Season to taste after adding in these ingredients.
- Green Onion - I love the sharp fresh flavor that green onions bring to a baked potato. They can definitely be omitted if you are not a fan of raw onion but I love the flavor!
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Page
Prepare the Soup Base
1 Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot. Cover with enough water to come 1” above the potatoes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil on medium high heat and cook 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are fork. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
2 While the potatoes are boiling, in a large pot on medium heat add the butter and diced onions. Sauté until the onions are tender. Add in the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
3 Quickly whisk in the flour. Cook until the flour is lightly browned.
4 Slowly pour in the milk and broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a low boil and continue whisking until evenly combined.
Add the Baked Potato Mix-Ins
1 Add in the drained potatoes. Using an immersion blender, blender or potato masher, puree until desired consistency (you can puree the soup completely or leave some potato cubes for a chunkier texture).
2 Stir in ¾ cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar, and ½ cup cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil then remove from heat.
3 Serve topped with shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream and green onions and any other favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Potatoes - any variety of potato works great in this soup. You can use russet, Idaho or Yukon gold potatoes. I recommend peeling the potatoes for the best texture but you can also leave the peels on.
- Roux - a roux is simply a combination of flour and butter that is cooked until golden in color and a paste like consistency. It is a great way to make a rich creamy soup or sauce without having to add in heavy cream.
- Toppings - get creative with the toppings for this soup! I like the classic combo of cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onion but you can add any of your favorite toppings:
Toppings Flavor Variations
There are endless varieties of baked potatoes. These are some of my favorite unique toppings for this baked potato soup!
- Buffalo Chicken Flavor - add some shredded buffalo chicken, green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese or blue cheese crumbles
- Mexican Inspired - avocado, corn, black beans, Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, green onion
- Jalapeno Popper - diced jalapenos, cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream
- Chili Cheese - chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion
- Pulled Pork - left over BBQ pulled pork, cheddar cheese, sour cream green onion
Leftovers
Leftovers reheat well and the soup stores up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat leftovers stove top on medium heat for 5 - 10 minutes or until warmed through, or microwave. Potatoes often change texture when frozen so it is not recommended to freeze leftovers of this soup. However, leftovers can be frozen in individual servings for up to 3 months.
Looking for More Easy Soups?
Enjoy!
- Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
Soup
- 4 large potatoes (russet, Idaho or Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoon flour (all purpose)
- 2 ½ cups milk
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 cup cheddar (shredded, mild or sharp )
- ¾ cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings
- ½ cup bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- ½ cup sour cream
- 4 green onions (finely sliced)
Instructions
- Add the cubed potatoes to a large pot. Cover with enough water to come 1” above the potatoes. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil on medium high heat and cook 8-10 minutes or until potatoes are fork. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- While the potatoes are boiling, in a large pot on medium heat add the butter and diced onions. Sauté until the onions are tender. Add in the garlic and sauté another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Quickly whisk in the flour. Cook until the flour is lightly browned.
- Slowly pour in the milk and broth, whisking constantly. Bring to a low boil and continue whisking until evenly combined.
- Add in the drained potatoes. Using an immersion blender, blender or potato masher, puree until desired consistency (you can puree the soup completely or leave some potato cubes for a chunkier texture).
- Stir in ¾ cup sour cream, 1 cup shredded cheddar, and ½ cup cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil then remove from heat.
- Serve topped with shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream and green onions and any other favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Buffalo Chicken Flavor - add some shredded buffalo chicken, green onions, bacon and cheddar cheese or blue cheese crumbles
- Mexican Inspired - avocado, corn, black beans, Mexican blend cheese, sour cream, green onion
- Jalapeno Popper - diced jalapenos, cheddar cheese, green onion, sour cream
- Chili Cheese - chili, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onion
- Pulled Pork - left over BBQ pulled pork, cheddar cheese, sour cream green onion
Amanda says
It’s a gloomy, rainy day here in the Toronto area so what better to make for lunch than a cozy, comforting bowl of soup? This was delicious, quick and easy to make. Will definitely make again!