Loaded Potato Soup Recipe – Creamy Cheese & Bacon

This easy Loaded Potato Soup recipe doesn’t require any peeling, baking or even draining your potatoes. It’s incredibly simple but it’s packed with flavor!

Have you ever had fresh potatoes freshly plucked from the ground?

They’re delightful, in every sense of the word.

I didn’t have fresh potatoes on hand when I first made this Loaded Potato Soup. But when its potato season I dig a good number of them out of the ground.

This homemade loaded potato soup is rustic in the sense that I use red potatoes that I don’t bother peeling. Just simmer, mash and add a few more ingredients to make a delicious, creamy soup? This is a soup you’ll be wanting to make often.

I really should have called it Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup because there is a fair amount of cheese melted into it.

But I figure the “loaded” part gives a pretty good indication that this soup is firing on all cylinders and there’s not much holding it back. Potatoes, whole milk (or almond milk), cheese, bacon…it’s a potato soup recipe that’s warm and comforting and hearty. The ultimate comfort food.

I even added a few minced jalapenos to mine – you know me, loaded isn’t loaded without some type of jalapeno, chipotle or poblano. And, of course, even more cheese.

How to make potato soup from scratch

Simmer your potatoes for 20-30 minutes in chicken stock until they’re very soft, then use a potato masher to crush them so they “melt” into the broth, making a thick soup. Potato soup needs quite a bit of seasoning, so season to taste then add any toppings you like.

What potatoes are best for potato soup?

All types of potatoes can be used for potato soup. Russet potatoes will need to be peeled first, but white or red potatoes can be cooked with their skins for a more rustic potato soup. Leftover baked potatoes work great for this recipe as well. I do prefer red or white potatoes for this recipe because I don’t have to bother peeling them!

What goes with loaded potato soup?

Serve loaded potato soup with a loaf of good crusty bread, a salad, a side of vegetables such as roasted broccoli or asparagus, or even roasted chicken. Or a good steak! This can be served as an appetizer or the main course, and if you’re making it for your dinner, you really don’t need much else.

How do you make potato soup thicker?

Most potato soups don’t need to be thickened if they have the correct ratio of chicken stock to potatoes. If you find that your soup is too thin, however, you can thicken it by mixing a tbsp of cornstarch with a little cold water and stirring it into the hot soup. I’ve never found that this recipe needed it though, and I like a thick soup.

Can you freeze potato soup?

Potato soup can technically be frozen, but the texture will change enough that I don’t recommend it. It turns a bit gummy, and any potato chunks become mushy and unappetizing. It will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator, and the leftovers are even better the next day.

Suggested Toppings for Loaded Potato Soup

• Bacon. And then some more bacon.
• Shredded cheddar cheese (or try some crumbled blue!)
• Chopped green onions or chives
• Croutons
• Diced jalapeños (a personal favorite)
• Sour cream
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Leftover ham, turkey, or chicken
• A drizzle of adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)

We eat soup all year long, like Cheesy Broccoli Soup, Navy Bean with Bacon, Zuppa Toscana, and this Loaded Potato Soup. I use my Instant Pot for this soup in the summertime so I don’t have to turn on the oven.

I love the texture of this loaded potato soup and the skins on the red potatoes add a smidge of something healthy in spite of all the cheese and bacon. You can use russet potatoes that have been peeled if you prefer.

If you find that rustic-style is not your cup of tea (or bowl of potatoes, ha!) you can certainly make it with russets that you’ve peeled and cut into smaller chunks. Stirring in a few tablespoons of adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers) to make it a Chipotle Loaded Potato Soup also wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

Update: I did make the version with adobo sauce and you can get the recipe here: Chipotle Cheese Potato Soup It is SO GOOD!! The pic is below!

If you’d like to make this in the instant pot, you can find the instructions here: Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup

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Loaded Potato Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

No boiling or baking your potatoes ahead of time! This loaded potato soup is simple with loads of flavor.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 pound bacon, sliced into large pieces
• 1/2 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 32- ounce container low-sodium chicken broth, 4 cups
• 3 pounds red potatoes, quartered or halved depending on size
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups whole milk, almond milk works, too
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• toppings: shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, chopped green onion, crumbled bacon, minced fresh jalapeno, a drizzle of adobo sauce

Instructions

1. Heat a stockpot over med-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels, leaving bacon grease in stockpot.
2. Reduce heat to medium, add onions. Cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle flour over onions and cook, stirring constantly, about a minute (this will remove the "raw" flour taste).
3. Slowly pour in chicken stock, whisking constantly until smooth. Add potatoes, bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are very soft (15-30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes).
4. Using a potato masher or something similar, crush potatoes to thicken soup, leaving some chunks but allowing some to "melt" into the soup. Stir in cheese until melted and smooth. Add milk, bring back to a simmer and cook for an additional 10 minutes until very hot.
5. Ladle soup into bowls and top each as desired.

Notes

Note: Nutritional information does not account for toppings.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 461Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 819mgCarbohydrates: 42gNet Carbohydrates: 38gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 24g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix.

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Kristy Bernardo

Kristy Bernardo is the recipe creator behind The Wicked Noodle. She's a five-time cookbook author, has taught cooking classes to both kids and adults, and has been creating recipes for nationwide brands since 2009. She learned most of her cooking skills from her mom and grandmother, then honed those skills at boot camp at the Culinary Institute of America.

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