Comforting Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Cheese and Bacon
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This baked potato soup is the ultimate comfort food, packed with creamy potatoes, crispy bacon, and rich cheddar cheese!
This soup is delicious and easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients, you’ll have a hearty meal perfect for any occasion.
Serve it with some crusty bread as a meal in itself, or pair it with a light salad or sandwich. Let’s dive into what makes this recipe so irresistible!
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What Is Baked Potato Soup?
If you love loaded baked potatoes, then you will love this soup!
Baked potato soup is a rich, creamy soup that captures all the flavors of a classic loaded baked potato. Think fluffy potatoes, crisp bacon, tangy sour cream, and sharp Cheddar cheese—all in one comforting bowl!
The soup is easy to make and incredibly versatile. You can serve it at casual family dinners, as a game-day appetizer, or even during holiday gatherings. It’s a crowd-pleaser, and the flavors only deepen with time, making leftovers even better!
Our Loaded Cauliflower Leek Soup Recipe has a similar vibe to baked potato soup, and our Bacon Cheeseburger Soup Recipe is a great low-carb option.
If you’re seeking a comforting plant-based soup recipe, try our Vegan-Friendly Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup or this Chickpeas Tomato Soup infused with curry spices.
Where is the Recipe Card?
To print the recipe card, scroll to the bottom of this post. For all the tips, keep reading!
Baked Potato Soup Recipe:
Number of Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we recommend reading through the blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Ingredients for Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This recipe’s ingredients and tools are conveniently linked to online retailers like Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Instacart, and Walmart.
- Lean Bacon—Adds crispness and a savory flavor. Prosciutto work well. If you want a meat-free version, simply leave this ingredient out.
- Onions—These provide a sweet, caramelized base for the soup. You can use yellow or white onions.
- Garlic—Adds a deep, savory taste to the broth.
- Chicken Broth/Stock—Gives richness and helps blend the flavors together.
- All-Purpose Flour—Also known as plain flour, it helps to thicken the soup and give it a creamy texture.
- Chives—Adds a mild onion flavor and a pop of color.
- Half & Half—An American product that is half milk and half cream, with a similar texture to single cream (UK). Other substitutes include mixing equal parts whole milk with heavy cream (double cream), evaporated milk, or coconut milk.
- Sour Cream—Adds tanginess and creamy texture. It can be substituted with plain Greek yogurt if desired.
- Russet Potatoes—The best potatoes for soups, as they break down into a smooth, creamy texture. Other varieties you can substitute include Maris Piper, King Edwards, and Yukon Gold.
- Cheese—Melts on top for a gooey, cheesy finish. It’s always best to shred/grate your own cheese.
- Croutons—Optional garnish, adding a delicious crunch.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post. The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
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Recipe Tips
- Best potatoes to use: Stick with Russet potatoes for their ability to break down into a smooth texture. If you can’t find Russets, other varieties like Maris Piper, King Edwards, and Yukon Gold are good options.
- Cook separately: Cooking the potatoes separately from the chicken broth removes excess starch. Too much starch in a soup can make it gummy or overly thick.
- Use bacon fat for flavor: Cooking the onions and garlic in bacon grease adds a layer of richness you don’t want to skip. Blot excess grease with paper towels.
- Blend carefully: An immersion blender makes it easy to control the texture. If using a high-speed blender, be sure to blend in batches. If you don’t have either of these pieces of kitchen equipment, mash with a potato masher for a chunkier soup. (Don’t forget to finely chop the bacon!)
- Season to taste: Gradually add salt and black pepper to find the perfect balance—store-bought broth, stock, or bouillon may have more salt than you realize.
- Garnish generously: Top with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions for that loaded baked potato effect. For even more indulgence, add a dollop of sour cream and chives!
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Cool and transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave or stove at medium heat until the soup is hot.
- Freezing Instructions:
- Potato-based soups can get grainy when frozen, so keep this in mind when freezing.
- Let the soup cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container.
- Alternatively, pour the soup into a freezer bag and lay it flat for space-saving storage.
- To keep track of your food storage, label each dish with its name, date, thawing instructions, and reheating instructions.
- Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- When ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat slowly on the stove to retain the best texture.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart for Cooking
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the soup, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
- Salad: Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese Salad With Balsamic Glaze
- Main Dish: Slow Cooker Pork Chops with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
- Side Dish: Blackened Broccoli
- Beverage: Fresh Plum Margaritas
- Dessert: Salted Caramel Apple Pie Cookies
Printable Baked Potato Soup Recipe Card
The printable recipe card is below—please leave a star rating and quick review to share your experience with others!
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 medium potatoes peeled and diced into 1”/2.5cm cubes
- 8 lean bacon or prosciutto slices divided
- 2 medium onions diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3½ cups chicken broth (stock) divided
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup chives finely diced (reserve handful as garnish)
- 2 cup half and half (single cream)
- ¾ cup sour cream
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded cheese of choice for garnish
- Croutons for garnish
Instructions
- Place the cubed potatoes into a pot and cover with 1"/2.5cm of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add salt to taste. Reduce heat and simmer potatoes for 20 minutes or until very fork tender. Drain and set them aside.
- Meanwhile, add the bacon to a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning frequently, until crispy. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add the garlic and onion to the soup pot and cook until soft and golden.
- Add ½ cup of the chicken broth to the pot. Whisk in the flour and use a silicone spatula to stir as the flour cooks for one full minute to remove the raw flour taste. Use the spatula to loosen any bacon remnants from the bottom of the pot. This will add flavor. Add chives, reserving some as garnish.
- Slowly add the half and half and sour cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add the remaining stock, cooked potatoes, and 6 slices of cooked bacon (the other 2 slices will be for garnish) to the soup pot.
- Blend the soup in batches in a high-speed blender or directly in the pot with an immersion blender. Reheat gently if required.
- Ladle the soup into serving bowls and garnish with shredded cheese, croutons, chives, and crumbled bacon, as desired. Enjoy!
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.