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Bacon lovers, this creamy potato soup with bacon recipe is for you! It’s a super simple soup made with very few ingredients and is just the thing to warm you up on a cold day.
You may also like my Easy Baked Potato Soup or Cheesy Potato Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
I came up with this potato bacon soup when I wanted something cozy but low effort. I didn’t even have to go shopping because I had all the ingredients on hand in my fridge and pantry! It’s hearty, has a crave-worthy creamy broth, yet it’s made with everyday items.
This potato and bacon soup has seasoning salt and Italian seasoning, two of my favorite ways to easily jazz up flavor. With a prep time of only 15 minutes, you’ll have this comforting soup on the table in no time at all. The savory flavors are just so irresistible!
What you’ll need
- Bacon – the bacon fat adds so much flavor to this soup
- Onion, garlic, celery, carrots – the building blocks to many great soups. I like sweet (Vidalia) onions.
- Flour – to thicken up the broth
- Italian seasoning – this all-purpose blend of delicious dried herbs comes all in one jar
- Chicken broth – for more depth of flavor
- Heavy cream – to make it luxurious!
- Potatoes – russets are my go-to for soups
- Seasoning salt – Lawry’s is my favorite, or use Tony’s Cajun seasoning for a kick
Helpful tips
- I like using thick cut bacon for this recipe, but regular bacon will work if you have some. I would add an extra slice or two if using regular bacon because it is thinner.
- We’re leaving the bacon fat in the pot after frying it to make the roux and infuse the soup with wonderful bacon-y flavor.
How to make potato bacon soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Fry the bacon in a soup pot until crispy. Transfer to a plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pot. Sauté the celery, carrots, and onions until softened.
Add in the flour, garlic, and Italian seasoning. Stir until fragrant. Pour in the broth, scrape up the browned bits, and stir/whisk well to ensure that the flour has dissolved.
Add in the cream, potatoes, and most of the bacon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are cooked, stirring occasionally. Add a generous amount of seasoning salt and pepper, then top each bowl with the remaining bacon.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This is the Dutch oven I use to make this soup.
- Easily cut up the bacon with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Mince the garlic with one squeeze of a garlic press.
- Here’s my favorite ladle. I find it spills less than others.
Substitutions and variations
- You can use Yukon Gold or red potatoes, but keep in mind they don’t fall apart as easily and the soup will seem a bit less thick with them and/or you may need to cook them for a little longer to get them nice and soft.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for something lower fat since this soup is cooked at a high heat, and it could easily curdle.
- The seasoning salt or Tony’s seasoning can be subbed for regular salt + a pinch of cayenne pepper.
What to serve with potato bacon soup
- My Cheesy Garlic Bread is always a good idea, or try a slice of bread (I like sourdough).
- Make a side salad for a fresh complement. I like spring mix with this Creamy Pesto Dressing, or make a Caesar salad with my reader favorite 10 Minute Caesar Dressing and Garlic Croutons.
Leftovers and storage
- This is one of those “even better the next day” type of soups! Keep for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- You may need to add a splash of chicken broth to thin leftovers as they can thicken up.
- Freeze this soup for up to 3 months. It may change texture a bit, but it will still be tasty.
If you made this creamy potato soup with bacon, please leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me on Instagram if you made any S&L recipes.
Creamy Potato Soup with Bacon
Ingredients
- 6 strips thick cut bacon cut into small pieces
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 2 sticks celery chopped finely
- 1 large carrot peeled & chopped finely
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes peeled & diced, see note
- Seasoning salt & pepper or Tony's Seasoning to taste, see note
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a Dutch oven/soup pot over medium-high heat. Cook until crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Once the bacon is crispy, transfer it to a paper towel lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the pot and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, garlic, and Italian seasoning, and cook for about a minute, stirring nearly constantly.
- Stir in the chicken broth, and ensure the flour has dissolved and the browned bits are scraped up from the bottom of the pot.
- Add in the cream, potatoes, and most of the bacon (save the rest for garnishing the bowls later on). Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to a rapid simmer so it's gently boiling.
- Cook with the lid slightly open until the potatoes are fall-apart tender (20-25 minutes). Stir every so often. The soup will get thicker the longer you cook it.
- Add seasoning salt and pepper as needed. Garnish bowls with the rest of the bacon.
Notes
- Using seasoning salt like Lawry’s or Tony’s Original Creole Seasoning instead of plain salt gives this soup an extra pop of flavor that salt alone does not. A pinch of cayenne pepper + regular salt will also work to give the soup an extra little something-something without making it spicy.
- I recommend weighing the potatoes using the grocery store scale, but it’s ok to guesstimate for this recipe if you need to. Potato sizing is subjective, but two pounds of Russets generally works out to two large potatoes or three medium-to-large potatoes.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Hey Natasha! Could this be put in a crockpot after frying bacon and cooking veggies and put on low or high if you made it early in the day?
Hi Lauren! Yes, I think that should work. I’d probably put it on low if you’re going to be cooking it for more than 3-4 hours. Perhaps add the cream in towards the end. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
So amazing! I used an immersion blender to make it a little smoother. Such great flavor and so comforting on a cold winter night!!!
Thank you so much, Joanne!! 😀 I’m so glad you enjoyed this one.
This is delicious and will be in our regular rotation! Made it in a rainy cold day and was so perfect. Easy too! My husband loved it!
Yay!! I’m thrilled to hear that, Dana!! 😀 Thanks for your 5-star review!