Name: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 5 tablespoons Unsalted butter; 1/3 cup All-purpose flour; 3/4 cup Diced onion (about half of one medium onion); 2 cloves Garlic (minced); 2 cups Nonfat milk; 1 cup Heavy cream; 2 cups Chicken or vegetable broth; 4 Large Russet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 pounds)); 1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese (plus more for garnish); 1 cup Sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt); Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 8 slices Bacon (diced and cooked crisp); Chives (minced)

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Baked Potato Soup is creamy, comforting, and ready in under 45 minutes! This cozy soup has all your favorite baked potato toppings like sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, chives, and sour cream.

For more soup recipes, check out my Ground Turkey Soup with Rice and Kale, Easy Chicken Minestrone, or Split Pea Soup with Bacon.

A ladle full of baked potato soup with bacon, cheese and chives on top

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Why I Love This Baked Potato Soup Recipe

Weeknight Dinner – It takes less than 45 minutes from start to finish, making it a great weeknight dinner option that tastes like it took you all day!
Family-Friendly – Both kids and adults alike love this creamy comforting soup.
Customizable – You can easily customize it with your favorite baked potato toppings. Top this soup with extra bacon, pepper-jack cheese, jalapenos, hot sauce, or whatever toppings you like.

RECIPE WALK-THROUGH

Ingredient Notes

Milk – I typically use fat-free milk, but you can use whatever kind of milk you have on hand. 2% or whole milk would add extra creaminess.
Broth – I like to use vegetable broth but chicken broth will also work.
Potatoes – I use russets in this recipe because hold their shape better and don’t turn to mush in the soup.
Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Freshly grated, off the block. I don’t recommend pre-shredded cheese as it doesn’t melt well into the soup.

How To Make Baked Potato Soup

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

collage of images showing the steps for making loaded baked potato soup

Heat up a large soup pot (something like this 5-quart cast iron dutch oven). Melt some butter and saute the onion and garlic.
Make a roux – whisk in the flour, letting it cook a little to get golden, then whisk in milk and cream.
Pour in broth and whisk until combined. Add potatoes and bring to a gentle simmer (not a rolling boil).
Reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom from scorching. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Chop up some bacon and cook it in a skillet until it’s crispy. PRO TIP: Cut the raw bacon directly into the hot skillet using kitchen shears. Once cooked, set the bacon aside to drain on paper towels.
Once the potatoes are nice and tender, turn off the heat and stir in sour cream, cheese, and about half of the bacon. Taste your soup and add salt and pepper as desired.
Garnish and serve.

How Do You Thicken Potato Soup?

Potatoes are very starchy, so as they cook they release this starch into the cream broth, thickening it as it simmers. Starting with a roux also helps to thicken your soup. If your soup is too thick, stir in milk or broth a little at a time until you are happy with the consistency.

Serving Suggestions

This soup is a rich and hearty meal on its own, so I will usually toss a quick salad together to serve on the side. Air fryer green beans or roasted broccoli would also be delicious sides.

To serve, I like to top each bowl with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, sliced green onions, and a dollop of sour cream. Just like a regular baked potato!

Storage Tips

The Best Way to Store Leftovers

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Freezing: Potato Soup makes an excellent freezer meal. Allow the soup to cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or airtight freezer containers. Make sure to label them, then store in the freezer for up to six months.

Reheating: Thaw completely in the refrigerator first if necessary, then heat in a saucepan on the stovetop. You can also heat in the microwave, gently.

Recipe Tips

Potato Dice – Cut potatoes as evenly in size as possible for even cooking.
Cooking Time – The cooking time could vary based on the heat level or even on the potatoes themselves or how big you cut them. I wanted the potatoes to still have some texture, so you may want to cook them a little longer than I did.
Grate Your Cheese – Use freshly grated cheese; avoid pre-shredded bags of cheese as they have a cellulose coating that will prevent melting.
No Cream? You can use all milk and you’ll still get a thick soup, but it just won’t have the same creamy consistency.
Peeling Potatoes – Russet potatoes have a thicker skin so I prefer to peel it off. However you can leave the skin on if you don’t want to take the time for peeling. Just know that some of the skin will fall off and be left floating in the soup.

More Cozy Soup Recipes

Recipe

a silver ladle with potato soup, bacon, cheese and parsley, a red pot of potato soup below

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4.75 from 60 votes

Kristin Maxwell

Loaded Baked Potato Soup is rich, creamy and ready in 40 minutes. Made with classic toppings, like cheese, bacon, chives and sour cream.

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings servings

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Ingredients

5 tablespoons Unsalted butter
1/3 cup All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Diced onion about half of one medium onion
2 cloves Garlic minced
2 cups Nonfat milk
1 cup Heavy cream
2 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
4 Large Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 pounds)
1 cup Shredded cheddar cheese plus more for garnish
1 cup Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 slices Bacon diced and cooked crisp
Chives minced

Instructions

Melt butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for one minute more. Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Gradually pour in the chicken broth and whisk until combined. Stir in potatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer (do not boil).
Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring often to keep the bottom from burning.
Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Drain grease and chop into bite sized pieces.
Stir in sour cream, half of the shredded cheddar cheese, and half of the bacon. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. If the soup is too thick, add more milk as needed until the consistency is to your liking.
Serve immediately, garnished with chives, and the remaining shredded cheddar cheese and bacon, if desired.

Notes

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Freezing: Potato Soup makes an excellent freezer meal. Allow the soup to cool completely, then portion into freezer bags or airtight freezer containers. Make sure to label them, then store in the freezer for up to six months.
Reheating: Thaw completely in the refrigerator first if necessary, then heat in a saucepan on the stovetop. You can also heat in the microwave, gently.
The cooking time could vary based on the heat level or even on the potatoes themselves or how big you cut them.
I wanted the potatoes to still have some texture, so you may want to cook them a little longer than I did.

Keyword baked potato soup, loaded baked potato soup, potato soup

Nutrition

Calories: 572kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 19gFat: 43gSaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 619mgPotassium: 740mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1386IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 457mgIron: 2mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.