Is there anything better on a cold day than a bowl of creamy potato soup? We think not! And our loaded baked potato soup recipe may be the most satisfying potato soup of them all.
The flavors of a baked potato with all the toppings are packed into one of our most-loved hearty homemade soups. The base is made with starchy potatoes, butter, milk and a dollop of sour cream for an extra-rich texture. Then, as with a real baked potato, each bowl is loaded with green onions, shredded cheddar and crumbled bacon. The recipe makes 10 servings, so you’ll have enough to feed the whole crew.
Baked Potato Soup Ingredients
- Potatoes: Choose a starchy type of potato, like Idaho or russet. Either of these breaks down easily when cooked to make a smooth soup.
- Butter: This is the first ingredient used to make a roux, which is an important step in creating a smooth and creamy soup like this one. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
- Flour: The next roux ingredient is all-purpose flour. Whisked into melted butter, flour thickens the soup and helps ensure a consistent texture.
- Milk: The final roux ingredient is 2% milk, which is stirred into the butter and flour. The roux is then simmered briefly until thick.
- Sour cream: Sour cream is added to the loaded baked potato soup recipe for extra creaminess, and it lends a mild tangy flavor.
- Green onions: Just 1/4 cup sliced green onions gives the soup a mild onion flavor that pairs well with the potatoes and toppings.
- Cheddar cheese: Shred a mild cheddar to top off the bowls of hot baked potato soup.
- Bacon: Use a smoky variety of bacon like hickory- or applewood-smoked for garnishing bowls of potato soup. Here are our picks for the best bacon brands.
Directions
Step 1: Bake the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 350°F and have a baking sheet ready. Use a fork to pierce the potatoes several times and then place them on the sheet pan. Slide the pan into the oven and bake the potatoes until they’re completely tender, 65 to 75 minutes. Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them cool completely.
Editor’s Tip: To save time on the day you want to serve the soup, bake the potatoes the day before. Once they cool, place them in a covered container in the fridge. The next day, peel and cube them to add to the soup.
Step 2: Peel and cube the potatoes
Remove the peels from the cooked potatoes and discard them. Slice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes and set them aside.
Step 3: Start the soup
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the flour, salt and white pepper into the butter until the mixture is smooth. Continue stirring for another 30 seconds or so, then whisk in the milk gradually. Stir the mixture constantly as you bring it to a boil. Continue to stir and simmer the liquid for about two minutes until it’s thickened.
Add the potatoes to the pan and mix them into the soup; give the soup another minute or two on the burner to warm the potatoes through, then remove the pan from the heat.
Step 4: Add the sour cream and green onions
Add the sour cream to the soup and stir it in thoroughly. Then, fold in the sliced green onions.
Ladle the finished recipe into soup bowls, and top each serving with shredded cheddar cheese and crumbled cooked bacon.
Recipe Variations
- Lighten the soup: Using 2% milk rather than cream makes this soup lighter than other loaded baked potato soup recipes. To lighten it further, reduce the butter and flour for the roux to 1/4 cup each. To compensate for the thinner texture, mash some of the cooked potato cubes into the broth.
- Save time with bacon bits: Use premade, real bacon bits instead of cooking bacon. (Just avoid imitation bacon bits, which don’t taste as good.)
- Make a smoother soup: Instead of leaving the potatoes cubed in this soup, mash them lightly before adding them to the broth. Use a whisk to incorporate the potatoes until you have a smooth soup, and add a splash more milk if the soup seems too thick.
- Try a cheese-potato soup: Instead of saving the cheese for a garnish, add the shredded cheddar to the saucepan after you’ve simmered the soup and removed it from the heat. Stir until the cheese has melted smoothly into the soup. (Grate the cheese yourself for the smoothest texture.)
- Add a spicy garnish: Along with the cheese and bacon, top bowls of soup with diced jalapenos. A drizzle of hot sauce or Sriracha sauce is another way to spice up this loaded baked potato soup recipe.
- Give the soup more flavor: Some readers like to add a little sauteed onion and celery to the soup base.
How to Store Baked Potato Soup
Let the soup cool completely, then transfer it to a storage container with a tight-fitting lid. Store the soup in the fridge for up to five days.
Can you freeze baked potato soup?
Unfortunately, no. This loaded baked potato soup recipe is made with milk and sour cream. Dairy-based potato soups that are frozen will have a grainy, watery texture once thawed. It’s best to refrigerate your baked potato soup and eat it within five days.
How do you reheat baked potato soup?
Reheat the refrigerated soup either in a saucepan over low heat on the stove or portioned into bowls and microwaved for 45 seconds at a time until warmed through. Stir the soup well after rewarming to bring back the creamy texture.
Baked Potato Soup Tips
Can you leave the skins on for baked potato soup?
Yes! If you love potato skins, leave them on the cubed cooked potatoes. This will change the texture of the finished soup, of course, as it will have pieces of peel in the broth and clinging to the potatoes.
How can you thicken baked potato soup?
One way to achieve a thicker loaded baked potato soup is to substitute whole milk, half-and-half or heavy cream for the 2% milk. Another way to thicken the soup is to lightly mash some or all of the cubed cooked potatoes. Once the potatoes are mashed, whisk them into the soup until the texture is smooth.
How do you keep baked potato soup from getting gummy?
A gummy, gluey texture can happen in potato soup when the potatoes are mashed or worked in too vigorously and too much of their starch is released into the broth. To prevent this, stir the cooked potato cubes gently into the soup. If you’re breaking down the potatoes for a thicker soup or a soup with an all-creamy texture, mash the cooked potatoes lightly with a fork or masher—don’t use a food processor or potato ricer.
What can you serve with baked potato soup?
Topped with cheese and bacon, this filling baked potato soup recipe can stand as a meal all on its own—just add some oyster crackers on the side or slices of crusty bread with butter for dunking. You can also serve small bowls of potato soup as a side dish for roast beef, ribs, steak or other meaty main dishes.
