This easy loaded baked potato soup recipe is simple to make, thick, and creamy. All your favorite baked potato flavors are packed into this comforting and warming meal!
You might also enjoy my Loaded Mashed Potato Casserole next.
Why you'll enjoy it
This baked potato soup is a perennial favorite since it's a hassle-free way to get all the cozy flavors of a loaded baked potato in a soup. Some readers have even claimed this is the one they've been searching for, which I love to hear. It's super hearty, you've probably got most of the ingredients on hand, and it's a winter meal everyone will crave.
In case you're wondering, we're not actually baking the potatoes for this soup. Techniques for making this popular recipe vary, but I find it easier to just get on with the soup and cook it all in one pot in one go. I always go with the simpler option if the taste is there! And it definitely is. As the weather gets cooler, I hope this soup will become a staple in your home.
What you'll need
- Bacon - I'm a big fan of using bacon to enhance the flavor in dishes. Instead of using butter or oil in this recipe, I use the leftover bacon grease after crisping up the bacon for sautéing.
- Onion - my go-to is sweet (Vidalia) onions
- Potatoes - I like Russets best for this soup
- Flour and milk - while this baked potato soup is creamy, it doesn't actually contain any heavy cream. I used whole (3%) milk along with some flour to thicken it.
- Chicken broth - to add more dimension to the broth
- Garlic - it's another tasty aromatic. I like to mince it with this garlic press since you avoid sticky garlic fingers, and there's no peeling of the cloves needed.
- Toppings - I chose sour cream for that classic baked potato flavor and creaminess, scallions for a pop of freshness, and freshly grated sharp cheddar along with the bacon!
What's the best kind of potatoes to use?
- I prefer using Russet potatoes in this soup, which are often just labelled as baking potatoes at the grocery store, because they're starchy and help thicken the soup nicely and are the preferred variety for baked potatoes. They also fall apart fairly easily, which is great for soups.
- I peeled them, but you could always scrub them and skip the peeling step. It's totally up to you! Some people like the added texture.
How to make baked potato soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut up the bacon with kitchen shears and fry until crispy in a soup pot. Remove the bacon and set aside, and leave behind about half the grease. Add the onion, and sauté until softened. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Slowly whisk in the milk until the flour is dissolved.
Pour in the broth and add the potatoes and garlic. Scrape up the tasty browned bits, and increase the heat. Right before it boils, turn it down and simmer for 20 minutes. When the potatoes are tender, mash if desired. Stir in the sour cream and most of the cheddar and bacon, leaving some for topping.
Garnish with the scallions and extra bacon and cheese, season generously with salt & pepper, and enjoy.
Pro tips
- As with any creamy potato soup, it's very important to add enough salt to bring out all the flavors.
- I recommend grating your own cheddar from a block rather than using the pre-shredded kind in a bag. It melts way better and has a superior taste as well.
Substitutions and variations
- To give this soup more texture, I like mashing the potatoes a little bit (I just use my potato masher and do it right in the pot), but you can skip that step if you want them to be more intact.
- Want to add a little heat? Add a generous pinch of cayenne pepper or some crushed red pepper flakes.
- You could always add some ham or shredded Easy Baked Chicken Breast if you want more protein in here.
What to serve with baked potato soup
- This soup definitely eats like a meal, but some sourdough bread would be the perfect thing to serve it with if you're looking for something else.
- If you are looking for an all-out comfort food meal, however, try a slice of my Cheesy Garlic Bread.
- A side salad makes a great pairing since this soup is pretty rich. I recommend mixed greens with my better than Olive Garden Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers of this soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days max in the fridge.
- When reheating this creamy baked potato soup, do it on a low heat, stirring often. You will likely need to add some more chicken broth because the potatoes continue to release starch. The longer the soup sits, the more it will thicken up.
- This soup is okay frozen, but I do find that freezing potato soups can make them a little grainy when reheated. It will still taste good, though.
Questions? Leave me a comment below, and definitely let me know if you've tried this loaded potato soup recipe. You can also find me on Instagram. Tag me #saltandlavender to showcase what you made!
Easy Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon cut into small pieces
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 4 large Russet potatoes diced
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese or more to taste
- 3/4 cup sour cream or more to taste
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Scallions chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Cut up the bacon and add it to a soup pot (I use kitchen shears to make this job easy). Fry the bacon over medium-high heat until it's nice and crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, prep your onion and potatoes. You can peel the potatoes like I did, or scrub them and leave them unpeeled if you prefer.
- Once the bacon is done, take it out of the pot and set it aside. I like to leave about half the bacon fat in the pot, about 2 tablespoons or so (it's fine to eyeball it). Discard the rest of the bacon fat or reserve it to use in another recipe.
- Add the onion to the pot and sauté it for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour and cook it for about a minute.
- Whisk the milk in slowly until the flour has nicely melted into it and there's no clumps.
- Add the chicken broth, garlic, and potatoes. Increase the heat to high. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. When the soup is almost boiling, reduce the heat and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Let the soup simmer for 20 minutes (you want it to be simmering fairly gently).
- While the soup's cooking, get the cheddar, scallions, and sour cream ready.
- The potatoes should be quite fall-apart tender by now. I like to take my potato masher and mash the potatoes a little bit right in the pot, but if you want to leave the potatoes as-is, that's fine too.
- Stir in the sour cream and most of the cheddar and bacon (I reserve some to top the soup with). Season the soup with salt & pepper as needed. Top each bowl with the scallions and remaining cheddar and bacon.
Notes
- If at any point the soup is too thick for you (especially when reheating it), add in some chicken broth slowly until your desired consistency is reached.
- I suggest reheating this soup on a low heat and stirring it often. The potatoes can cement on the bottom if the heat is too high.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Elaine says
I added mashed potato flakes to thicken the soup more and it works really well. Delicious 😋
Natasha says
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed it, Elaine!
Ally says
When it says reduce heat from high what do I set it to?
Natasha says
Depends on your stove. I usually simmer on medium-low on my gas stove, but you may need to do it a bit higher for electric. When simmering in general, you may need to periodically adjust the heat to maintain a constant simmer. Hope you enjoy the soup! 🙂
Sandra Gonzales says
My first time making this delicious soup, can out good 👍
Natasha says
Fantastic!!
Donna Kessler says
ʻOno (oh-no) Hawaiian word for tasty, delicious and savory. That is exactly how this turned out. I paired it with your Extra Cheesy Garlic Bread and my family loved it! Mahalo nui loa (thank you very much) from Hawaii!
Natasha says
Awww thank you!! 🙂
Melissa says
Love this soup. Have you ever made it in the crockpot? If so how long do you cook it?
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Melissa! 🙂 I haven't tested this one in the Crockpot - sorry!
Sam says
I misplaced my usual potato soup recipe so I thought I would give this similar one a try. Big mistake. I’m sorry but I followed the directions to a “T” and it was not great. I’m giving it a 3 because it was edible but I will not be making this again. Typically I boil the potatoes separately then add them to the milk/broth/roux. I think that is a huge part of where this recipe went wrong. It made the texture very grainy and bland. I ended up adding garlic powder, onion powder and a ton of s&p in order to salvage it. I’m so disappointed.
Natasha says
Sorry you didn't like it. It's very highly rated by others.
Courtney D says
Excellent recipe! I used a 2lb bag of frozen cubed hash browns instead of fresh potatoes and it came out wonderfully. It would be great with some bbq brisket on top too for a little extra protein. Thanks so much!
Natasha says
That's great! And love that brisket idea!
sandra jordan says
Excellent recipe. Tried with family and they loved it!!!!
Natasha says
That's great! 🙂
Christy Pridgen says
Really enjoyed making this recipe. My husband loved it!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!!
Marsha Osborne says
Easy peasy. Tastes great.
Natasha says
Thank you, Marsha! 🙂
Lindsay Peek says
Can i use 2% milk! If so how much?
Natasha says
I'd use the same amount. 2% just means it's thinner and the soup is more likely to curdle, so I'd try not to boil it if possible.
Chris says
This is the best potato soup I ever made! In the past, other recipes came out grainy. My husband wasn’t hungry but once he smelled it cooking he was there getting a big bowl. I cooked sweet Italian sausage on the side cause he likes it in his soup. It was great.
Natasha says
That's awesome!!
Karen says
Made this last night. I make potato soup all the time so this recipe was a little different with sour cream and bacon. I use ham and only chicken stock and half and half. This is very thick and creamy, but we liked it a lot. It’s not very salty even after I added salt and pepper. Next time I’ll spice it up a little more.
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! Maybe try adding some Tony Chachere's seasoning - I love adding it to potato soup!
Kathleen Harness says
I made the loaded bake Potato Soup, it is amazing the flavor is so good. I'll recommend this recipe to my friends and family. 🙂
Natasha says
Thank you!!!
Debbie says
I made this for friends & they loved it! It’s a favorite now. I added chopped celery & fresh spinach!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's awesome! So glad everyone enjoyed it. 🙂
Lacey Babb says
I have made this recipe numerous times and it is wonderful! Wondering what the serving size is?
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that, Lacey! 🙂 It's 1/6 of the recipe. Beyond that, I don't know what that works out to in oz/grams/etc. as I am not a trained nutritionist and I just include the info that the recipe card automatically calculates for me.
Lynne says
I made this and was very good but felt like it was missing something. Added a can of diced green chilis; = perfection!
Natasha says
Sounds good to me!!
Kelly says
I don't have full fat milk. Can I substitute heavy cream with half and half?
Natasha says
You could definitely experiment. That should work I hope! 🙂
Janice says
What would you suggest are ways to lighten it up a bit…..could I use 2% milk and plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream?
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested that, and there's a chance something lower fat could curdle or produce a grainy texture. You could probably get away without adding the sour cream if it's that important to you, but sour cream doesn't really have tons of calories... I just checked the full fat sour cream in my fridge, and it's only about 30 calories per tablespoon.
Leanne says
This recipe is so easy and affordable to make and most importantly, it's delicious! My picky toddler loves it. My partner loves it, and so do I. Such a delicious soup to have made for a busy week. Another winner from Salt and Lavender!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy!! Thank you, Leanne! 🙂
JD says
Can this be made ahead and reheated?
Natasha says
Yes. There's storage and reheating tips in the blog post.
Christine says
This looks really good please send me the website thank you
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Thanks! You're currently on the website with the recipe. Enjoy!
Cori says
This is a WINNER! We had leftover baked potatoes so it made for the perfect soup. Every Salt & Lavender recipe I’ve tried - my family loves!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so happy to hear that, Cori. I appreciate you coming back and trying different recipes. 🙂
Alison says
Perfect on a cold winter night in Ohio. Husband loved it!
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear it! 😀
Kathy Doyle says
Made this tonight for the first time. Perfect for a very cold Michigan night. My husband said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made 😄. This will definitely be a staple in our house! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Kathy!! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Heather says
I'm so excited to try this recipe this weekend. I'm making it for my Mom and I'm going to serve it in a bread bowl. I don't ever cook potatoes so I just wanted to clarify...do you cut up the potatoes at all or add them whole and they fall apart in the cooking process? Thank you! I'll let you know how it goes:)
Natasha says
Hi! You cut them up. In the ingredients list, it says "diced" beside the potatoes. Always look for those little hints in the ingredients list of recipes. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the soup, and let me know if you have any other questions.