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.
More cozy soup recipes
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
- Add the bacon 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 transfer to a paper towel lined plate. 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.
Dorothy says
Can I use 2% milk?
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
We haven't tested it, but it should be ok. 🙂 It will probably end up thinner.
Sheena says
I used lowfat lactose free milk and Turkey bacon for this recipe which was satisfying and delicious for our family! Thank you for sharing, I will be cooking it again!♥️🥣
Kelly says
Mom gave her stamp of approval! She said it was better than hers an restaurant quality. I did substitute 2 cups of milk with 2 cups of heavy cream and pork bacon with turkey bacon. DELICIOUS!!!
Natasha says
Aww that's so nice to hear!! 🙂
Lynn says
Can I use frozen potatoes instead?
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested that, but you could give it a try. I imagine they'll thaw quite quickly if they're already diced.
Angela Holder says
Made this last night as it has been overcast, rainy and cold. Perfect comfort meal. Served it with a side salad and some garlic bread. Super easy to make. I definitely followed your suggestion of mashing and it made all the difference.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Angela!! 🙂
Ally Rae says
Hello! I want to make this soup for a party! However, I have a best friend with a gluten allergy! Do you have any recommendations for replacing the flour?
Natasha says
Hi Ally! Hmmm... I suppose in theory you could omit it and then add a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken it more, but I haven't tested. You may want to do a test run first to ensure it's perfected.
Julie says
made this for dinner last night as we were craving something comforting due to the cold weather! this hit the spot. super easy to make and appreciated the tip on mashing the potatoes a bit. it gave a great consistency. will definitely make again!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Julie!! 😀 Appreciate your review! XO
Dione Essinger says
Can this exact recipe be made in a crock pot?
Natasha says
I've only tested it as written.
Paige says
Can this be made in a pressure cooker?
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested it or made anything super similar in my Instant Pot, so I am hesitant to guess on timing/when to add the dairy and so on.
Esme says
I made this for dinner last night, and it turned out amazing! I added some cubed ham when cooking the bacon for a little extra protein as suggested. I'll be making this several times during the cold months. Thank you for sharing!
Natasha says
Yay!! You're very welcome, Esme. 🙂
Richard says
Now a family favorite. Added roasted garlic and ran the hand mixer through half of it. We all love a bit of chunk. Added a bit of broth at the end . Save those bacon drippings folks-Great recipe!
Natasha says
Excellent!! 🙂
Misty says
I just made this for the first time and it’s amazing! Thank you for this recipe! I highly recommend it!🥰
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so glad. Thanks for your review, Misty!!
Karly says
I have made this 4 times since I read this recipe. Highly recommend it’s a favourite in my house. Great job
Natasha says
That's awesome!! 😀 Thank you!
Tracy says
First time ever making Potato Soup and first time trying it. My husband loved it. Yes I loved it too. I was thinking about trying it in the crock pot.
Natasha says
That's so nice you two both loved it!! 🙂
Verla says
So good! My family loved it. It will definitely be in the regular winter rotation.
Natasha says
Yay!! That's so nice to hear, Verla! I appreciate your 5-star review! 🙂
Jessica Miller says
Fantastic!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Wonderful to hear, Jessica!
Dawn says
This recipe sounds delicious, but I'm wondering if it can be made dairy-free? I typically use plain soy milk in my recipes (it's pretty thick, somewhere between 2%-whole milk), but I don't want to ruin the texture here. Thanks, I've made and enjoyed a lot of your recipes!
Natasha says
Hi Dawn! If you like the taste of soy milk in other recipes and you've done similar, then I don't see why it wouldn't be ok, but honestly I haven't ever cooked with soy milk before. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Aimee says
Made this tonight and hubby loved it. I subbed 2 cups low fat milk and 2 cups half and half for the whole milk. Also, only had bacon bits, not raw bacon, so I sautéed the onion in tablespoon of butter. Deliciously thick and creamy. Will make again!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So glad both of you enjoyed it, Aimee!
Esther says
So good! This will become our regular biweekly dinner in the winter. Thank you!!! 🙂
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Esther! 😀 Thanks for your review!
Beth says
I used golden potatoes because that’s what I had on hand and 1/2 and 1/2. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and it was DELICIOUS! I’m sure this soup will be requested often. Thanks for this recipe. Tastes like it was much harder and more time consuming than it was to make. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear it, Beth!! I appreciate your 5-star review! 🙂
Tom Z says
Perfect! The recipe didn’t need “fine tuning” at all.
Thanks!
This recipe is Definitely a “keeper.
Tom
Sheboygan, WI
Natasha says
I'm thrilled to hear that! Thanks, Tom!
Mellany says
Just made and can't wait to eat! Glad it turned out because I was adding an extra half to the recipe. My husband kills soup. Mashing some of the potatoes gives it a great consistency. THANK YOU
Natasha says
You're welcome!! Enjoy!
Jenn says
It was overall a pretty easy recipe to make. It’s super comforting and perfect a cool night. I think next time I would add some extra seasoning, it was a tad bland for my family (garlic is our favorite flavor though lol). Next time I would add some extra garlic and I think a little celery salt, just a little something to perk it up.
Natasha says
I'm glad you liked it! Yup, you could for sure add something like that. I'm also a fan of adding Tony Chachere's seasoning to potato soup... I do that sometimes for a salty kick as I am salt obsessed lol.
C says
this has been my go to potato soup recipe for a couple years now! love it and so does my family
Natasha says
I love that!! 🙂 That makes me happy. Thanks for your review!
Nancy says
Can you leave out the sour cream in this recipe? My husband and I both don’t like sour cream.
Natasha says
You could. I haven't tested it without... I am hoping it still has enough flavor. The bit of tanginess gives it a little acidity.
Keri says
This was delicious and very easy to make!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thank you!! 🙂
Cassie says
Sooo good! Everyone in the family loved it! Already made it twice in a week!
Natasha says
That's so nice to hear, Cassie!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
April says
So excited to try this recipe. Quick question though. My daughters hate onions, do you think omitting the onions will change recipe much?
Natasha says
I think that should be ok. It'll make it slightly less flavorful, but sounds like your daughters would appreciate that haha.
Shirley says
First time making potato soup! Was very good. Thank you for the recipe! Very easy to make and didn’t take very long.
Natasha says
Yay!! I'm so happy to hear it, Shirley!
Marianne Nichols says
I made your recipe tonight even though I make my own, it came out so good. I just love potato soup, it is so comforting to me and I made a rotisserie chicken to go with it on the side. Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Aw you're welcome, Marianne! Thank you so much for giving our recipe a go. So happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Heather says
We loved this recipe. Very tasty, thick and creamy.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
We're thrilled to hear it, Heather! Thanks so much for trying it!
Gloria Eberhart says
Can this recipe be made in a slow cooker?
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested it in a slow cooker but you could definitely experiment if you've made similar recipes in yours.
Nessa says
Made this today with some drunken Cornish hens off the grill and fresh string beans. Delicious! Thanks for sharing
Natasha says
That's great! You're very welcome, Nessa.
Mallory says
My husband and I loved it! How long is the soup good in the fridge?! How about when frozen?
Natasha says
I'm so glad you two enjoyed it! I'd say 3-4 days in the fridge. This soup may change texture when frozen due to the dairy, but it should still taste ok. Generally they recommend 3 months for freezing but I'll often freeze stuff for a bit longer myself.
Brent says
What is a serving size for this soup recipe?
Natasha says
Hi! It's whatever 1/6 of the recipe comes out to. I am not a trained nutritionist, so I am not comfortable making calculations beyond that - sorry!
megan says
making this tonight to pair with mini reuben sliders with left over corned beef for a post-st.paddys day family dinner night! Yum!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Enjoy!! Let us know how it goes 🙂
jodi says
I don't have chicken broth but do have vegetable broth - can I substitute or would that taste gross
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Hi Jodi! That would work just fine and taste great.
Julie Jolly says
Very good 👍 and my family likes it too. I didn't have bacon so I saute the onions in bacon grease and pancetta for a topping. So yummy 😋
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂 Thanks for your review, Julie!
Mia w says
I just made this soup & it’s so hearty & delicious. I used Uncured Turkey bacon because I dont Eat pork. Also, I only Had one cup of whole milk on hand & did 2.2 cups of half & half. It was perfect. Thank you for this recipe.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you were able to adapt it to your tastes, Mia!
Bobby says
We have a storm moving thru NM, what a perfect dish for dinner, it was delicious!!! My husband loved it! Thank you for the recipe, I will definitely be making this again!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome, Bobby! So glad your husband enjoyed it! Stay warm 🙂
Claire Nelligan says
Can you tell me how many pounds of potatoes this would be? My potatoes vary in size. Thank you.
Natasha says
Hi! So you don't need to be exact, but I'd say about 2 pounds give or take.
Christina Zarate says
Delicious so easy to make so comfort food
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome! That's what we like to hear 🙂
Kelli says
I've tried numerous recipes, looking for something to compete with my MILs potato soup....This is it!!! Your recipe was so easy to follow and turned out perfectly the first time I made it. It is a very close copy cat for Outback potato soup. Your recipes never disappoint!! Thank you so much! My search is finally over!!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Aw I'm so glad this potato soup was the one! Thanks so much for your review, Kelli 🙂
Magan says
Thank for this recipe! I can’t eat garlic so I left that out and added some parsnips in for a different flavor. Your recipe is very easily modified and I loved it! Just ate a bowl for lunch and am looking forward to more throughout the week! Thank you!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
You're welcome! So happy you enjoyed it and could easily adapt it. Love parsnips too!
Sherry says
We liked this potato soup, very good and tasty. Followed directions just as given and came out perfectly. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Sherry!
Allie says
Is there a substitute for the sour cream? Is it required? Or can it just not be added at all?
Natasha says
I suppose you could leave it out, but it gives that signature "baked potato" flavor. You could try Greek yogurt (I'd use something higher fat so it's less likely to curdle).
Sarah says
Hi Natasha! Just wanted to say I made this last night and used whole fat Greek yogurt as a substitute for the sour cream because it was all I had on hand. It turned out perfectly and tasted so similar to sour cream!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!! Yup, full fat Greek yogurt is very similar. Thanks for your review! 😀
Crys says
Is there anyway I can use 2% milk instead of the canned milk? Help!
Natasha says
Hi Crys! Not sure what you mean about canned milk? The recipe calls for whole milk (homogenized) which is around 3% fat. I think 2% should be fine, but I will say there is a chance it could curdle if you boil it too much (perhaps let it warm up on the counter for a bit... don't add it cold from the fridge straight into the soup), and the soup may end up slightly less rich, but hopefully not noticeably so.
Crys says
Okay sounds good! And sorry I noticed I said canned milk after I posted it / and couldn’t edit it. I’ve been following another recipe that requires evaporated milk and my brain decided to put that lol thanks for the help!
Natasha says
Ohhh ok!! No worries haha.
Dawn says
Question. When you say prepare the potatoes- how exactly do I do that ? I know it’s a stupid question but I’m not much of a cook. Lol. Do I boil them and if so , do I use broth or water ?
Natasha says
Oh no worries!! That's a perfectly good question... we all learn somewhere. 🙂 So, for this recipe, prep means to peel them (if you want) and then cut them up into cubes/dice them. That's it. If you look at the ingredients list in most recipes, you will see that there's usually preparation hints next to some of the ingredients. So, in this case, I put "diced" right in the ingredients list in grey text beside the potatoes, and then in step 1 of the recipe I indicate you can choose to peel the potatoes or not since there's an option there. If the potatoes had to be peeled, I would simply put "peeled & diced" in the ingredients list and nothing in step 1 other than to prep the potatoes (or sometimes I would even leave that part out since really the ingredients list tells you that and it's redundant info). In my recipes (and most recipes, in fact), unless otherwise indicated, you can always assume that ingredients are uncooked. If I wanted you to boil the potatoes first, I would clearly explain that because that would be a huge leap if I didn't explain that in the recipe (or I'd put something like "1 pound of cooked potatoes" in the ingredients list, and then I'd probably put a note somewhere in the recipe itself, blog post, or recipe card notes section to explain how you should cook them). I hope this helps!! And let me know if you like the soup.
Candace says
This was a great question because most of the recipes I looked up everyone says to bake the potatoes first so when I was reading your ingredients and you said prep potatoes I was kind of curious to that’s why I started looking through comments to see if anyone asked so I’m glad I found this to clear it up for me! Going to be making this for dinner tonight 😄🤞🏼
Natasha says
I'm glad you found your answer, Candace! I actually say in the blog post too (second paragraph) that I opted not to bake the potatoes and my logic as to why, but I am guessing you just skimmed thru! No worries, and I hope you enjoy the soup. Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Tam says
Can you boil the potatoes first to speed the process?
Natasha says
Hi! I suppose you could give that a go.
Pam says
This soup is delicious! I smashed most of the potatoes just like the recipe suggested and it made all the difference. It made it even more creamy. I agree that more cheese is nice and I would fry up more bacon too! But, it was so good!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Pam!! 🙂
Sarah says
If I wanted to use heavy cream instead of milk would I use more chicken broth and less cream? Four cups of heavy cream would be a lot I would think…
Natasha says
Yes, that's what I would do. Perhaps 1.5-2 cups cream and the rest with broth. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Le says
Fantastic recipe! Easy to make and delicious. Its only 67 degrees today, but can't wait to make it again when it gets cooler.
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Victoria says
Absolutely Delicious! I substituted yellow potatoes for preference and because that’s what I had on hand; it was still fabulous. Perfect fall weather soup😊 I will make this again!
Natasha says
Excellent! 🙂 So happy you enjoyed it!
Jackie Justus says
Excuse me; 15 minutes prep time? You're obviously not counting the time it would take to chop 6 slices of bacon, half an onion, however many scallions you want, and to peel and slice four potatoes.
Natasha says
Doing all the prep at once takes me about 10 minutes or less (I'm pretty fast), so yes, I figure 15 minutes isn't exactly a bad estimate for most people. Everyone goes at a different pace, I guess? I use kitchen shears for the bacon and it takes like 2 minutes if that. In the recipe (step 2) I suggest to prep the onion and potato while the bacon is cooking, and some recipes wouldn't even count that as separate prep time since cooking is already underway. So yeah, 15 minutes is pretty generous, actually. You can also prep the scallions and cheese while the soup is cooking (like I suggest in step 8).
Jess B says
I love your prep time response, and can't wait to make this! Jess okay
Natasha says
🙂 Enjoy!
AngelaML says
Eyeing this recipe for a future meal - but I had to LOL at this comment. You are notorious for your "30 minute meals" that always take me a full hour and 30 minutes. I am just such a newbie. It's just a given. I still enjoy all of your recipes so much, so thank you!!!
Natasha says
Hahaha ah I'm glad for your sense of humor, Angela!!
Nikki says
I thought 15 minutes was pretty generous as well!!!!!! Lol… On any rate.. great recipe! We loved it!!!!!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Nikki! 🙂
H says
Took me 12 min. She is right on. Thanks!
shelby h says
okay let me just say YUM!! This was the best potato soup that i have ever made!! It was super easy to make and already had most of the ingredients on hand so can’t beat that! it was a super rainy and cold day so this was the perfect dinner ! thanks so much for an awesome recipe
Natasha says
Yay!! That's great!! You're welcome. 😀
Angela scott says
This soup was absolutely delicious
Natasha says
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Sara says
Hi there-
Is it possible to use 1% milk for this recipe?
Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi Sara! I'm hesitant to recommend it. It is very thin and watery and you may not get the expected results. It could also curdle, which would not be good.