Print

Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon

loaded baked potato soup - featured image
Print Recipe

This Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Crispy Bacon is thick, creamy, and loaded with sharp cheddar and crispy bacon bits. It comes together in about 35 minutes using simple ingredients, making it the perfect comfort food for cold weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into small pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes (about 4–5 medium potatoes)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • Extra crispy bacon (from the bacon you cooked earlier)
  • Fresh chives (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon: Place chopped bacon in a cold Dutch oven. Turn heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy and fat is rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Add diced onion to the pot with the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds more until fragrant.
  3. Make the roux: Add butter to the pot. Once melted, sprinkle in flour and whisk constantly for 1-2 minutes until it forms a thick paste.
  4. Add the liquids: Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Then add milk, still whisking. Bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around edges). Do not let it boil hard.
  5. Cook the potatoes: Add diced potatoes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Stir, bring back to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork-tender.
  6. Thicken the soup: Remove pot from heat. Using a potato masher, gently mash about half the potatoes right in the pot to create a creamy texture while keeping some chunks.
  7. Add the cheese and sour cream: Stir in 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and the sour cream until melted and incorporated. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  8. Serve immediately: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with remaining shredded cheese, crispy bacon bits, a dollop of sour cream, and sliced green onions.

Notes

For a thicker soup, mash more potatoes. If soup gets too thick after sitting, thin with a splash of warm milk or broth when reheating. For best results, shred cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded. Do not let the soup boil after adding milk to prevent curdling.

Nutrition

Keywords: loaded baked potato soup, potato soup with bacon, creamy potato soup, easy potato soup, comfort food soup

Find it online: https://coracooks.com/easy-loaded-baked-potato-soup-with-crispy-bacon/