Description
This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a creamy, comforting recipe packed with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, tender Yukon Gold potatoes, and a blend of sautéed vegetables. Perfect for chilly days, this hearty soup combines rich flavors and velvety textures to satisfy your craving for a classic baked potato in soup form.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb bacon, chopped up
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp all purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded plus more for topping
- 1 tbsp all purpose seasoning (or 1 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Green onions
- Extra cheese
- Extra bacon
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Cook bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving 2-3 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pot.
- Sauté vegetables: Add the unsalted butter to the bacon grease. Once melted, add the shredded carrots, diced onion, diced celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Add flour: Sprinkle the all purpose flour over the vegetables and stir well to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Add liquids: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Combine remaining ingredients: Stir in the whole milk, heavy cream, chopped Yukon Gold potatoes, and all purpose seasoning. Mix everything together thoroughly.
- Simmer soup: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to low for a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork.
- Mash potatoes: Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot, giving the soup a creamy texture while leaving some chunks intact.
- Add cheese and bacon: Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and most of the reserved crispy bacon pieces until the cheese has melted completely.
- Season and serve: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot topped with optional green onions, extra cheese, extra bacon, and sour cream as desired.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, mash more potatoes or add an additional tablespoon of flour during the sauté step.
- Substitute vegetable broth and omit bacon for a vegetarian version, using olive oil instead of butter and vegan cheese.
- Use Russet potatoes if Yukon Gold are not available; they will yield a slightly fluffier texture.
- Low-fat milk can be used in place of whole milk and heavy cream to reduce calories but may affect creaminess.
- To make this gluten-free, substitute the all purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch slurry.
- This soup stores well and can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
