Loaded Baked Potato Soup

4.72 from 14 votes

This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is one of the best comfort food soups for a cold winter night! This creamy, hearty potato soup is loaded with bacon, potatoes, cheese, sour cream, and so much more to truly warm your soul.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

4 large baking potatoes Yukon Gold or Russet
8 strips bacon cut into 1/4” strips & cooked crisp
4 tbsp butter
2 carrots peeled & diced, optional
1 sweet yellow onion or yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp favorite herb blend basil, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes
6 cups milk
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
8 oz. sour cream
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground black pepper

Optional Garnishes

shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled cooked bacon
sliced green onions

Instructions

Heat oven to 425°F. Clean the baking potatoes and pierce each with a fork. Cover in foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and cool to touch. Peel the potatoes. Roughly mash two of the potatoes, and dice the other two potatoes. Set the potatoes aside.
4 large baking potatoes
While the potatoes cook, place the sliced bacon in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook the bacon until just crisp and transfer to a paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease and save the rest for later use. (Be sure to refrigerate the excess bacon grease, if any.)
8 strips bacon
Add 4 tablespoons butter to the bacon grease and turn the heat to low. When grease/butter mixture is just hot, add the diced carrots and cook (covered) for 3 minutes. Cover and stir every 1 minute. Add the onions, cover and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring every minute.
4 tbsp butter, 2 carrots, 1 sweet yellow onion or yellow onion
When the carrots are tender, turn the heat to low, remove the lid and add the minced garlic. Cook 1 more minute.
2 cloves garlic
Sprinkle the sautéed vegetables with the flour, stir and cook over low heat 1 minute. Stir constantly.
5 tbsp all-purpose flour
Add the herbs while stirring/whisking continuously.
1 tsp favorite herb blend
Turn heat to medium, and whisk continuously while adding the milk and vegetable stock. Cook and whisk until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook until mixture thickens, 10-20 minutes.
6 cups milk, 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
Stir in the potatoes, cheese and sour cream. Taste, then season with salt & black pepper. If the soup becomes too thick, add more vegetable stock. If it is too thin, cook until it becomes the desired consistency.
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 8 oz. sour cream, ½ tsp kosher salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Garnish with your favorite baked potato toppings: crispy bacon, extra cheese, butter, sliced green onions, crushed crackers, cooked sausage, sour cream, Greek yogurt, chopped jalapeños, chopped cilantro, cooked cubed chicken, or cooked ground beef.
Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition