This Creamy Baked Potato Soup is packed with all the goodies you love in a loaded baked potato - think crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and tangy sour cream - all blended into a rich, velvety soup. Pure comfort food!
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When the weather turns chilly, there’s nothing better than a warm bowl of soup to keep you cozy. And what’s more comforting than a big, creamy bowl of Baked Potato Soup?
This recipe is loaded with everything you love about a classic baked potato all blended into a velvety soup that feels like a warm hug from the inside out. Serve it with a Mixed Greens & Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette and these Easy Dinner Rolls for the perfect winter meal.
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Why you'll love this soup
✔︎ It’s Easy to Make: You don’t need to be a pro chef to whip this up. Most of the ingredients are things you already have in your kitchen.
✔︎ Make Ahead: Busy schedule? Follow the tips below to make this soup in ahead of time.
✔︎ Total Comfort Food: This soup is like a cozy sweater for your stomach - rich, creamy, and full of flavor.
✔︎ Customizable: Got dietary needs or picky eaters? Tweak this recipe with substitutions. More on that below.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Here's what goes into this delicious soup:
- Baked Potatoes: The star of the show! You’ll need about 4-5 large baked russet potatoes. Leftovers work great here.
- Bacon: Crispy bacon adds that salty crunch we all love.
- Onion and Garlic: These add a savory depth of flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Helps thin the soup and adds a savory base. You can also use vegetable broth.
- Milk and Sour Cream:These make the soup rich, creamy, and tangy. I like to use 2% or whole milk and full-fat sour cream for the best flavor. If you want a lighter option, you can use plain whole milk Greek yogurt for a similar tangy taste.
- Cheddar Cheese: Because cheesy potato soup is a must.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste.
Need It Dairy-Free? Substitute the butter, milk, sour cream and cheese with your favorite non-dairy options.
Instructions
Making homemade potato soup from scratch is easier than you think!
Cook Your Bacon: In a large pot, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove it from the pot and set it aside, but don’t toss that bacon grease! You’ll use it to sauté the onions and garlic.
Sauté the Veggies: Add butter, diced onion and minced garlic to the pot and sauté until they’re soft and fragrant.
Add Potatoes and Broth: Scoop the flesh out of your baked potatoes and add it to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine.
Blend It Up: Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until it’s smooth. If you don’t have one, a regular blender works too - just blend in batches.
Make It Creamy: Stir in the milk, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese. Let everything heat through until the cheese is melted and the soup is creamy.
Serve and Top: Ladle the soup into bowls and top with crispy bacon, more cheddar cheese, and maybe even a sprinkle of chives if you’re feeling fancy.
FAQs
Many recipes use a flour-based mixture to thicken the soup. In this recipe, the potatoes release enough starch when blended to give the soup a nice texture without making it too thick. Plus, this soup is completely gluten-free!
Absolutely! This soup reheats beautifully. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It may separate a little bit but will come together again when reheated.
Yes, you can freeze the soup with a few changes. For the best results, make the soup up to step 4 (when you puree it). Do NOT add the dairy products. Let it cool, put it in a freezer safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge, rewarm on the stovetop and stir in the dairy ingredients (milk, cheese, sour cream) for a smooth and creamy soup.
Tips for the Best Potato Soup
✘ Bake the Potatoes in Advance: Baking your potatoes the day before saves time and makes the recipe come together quickly.
✘ Don’t Skip the Bacon Grease: It adds so much flavor to the soup base.
✘ Blend with Care: If you’re using a blender, don’t overfill it. Work in batches to avoid a soup explosion! Also blend or puree just until you reach your desired consistency. Overblending or overpureeing can make your soup a little thick.
✘ Season as You Go: Taste your soup before serving and add extra salt or pepper if needed.
More Great Soup Recipes
We crave warm bowls of soup when the weather turns chilly. Check out some of our most popular soup recipes:
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Recipe
Creamy Baked Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds russet potatoes
- 5 ounces bacon, diced
- 3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ cups milk (I used 2%)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
- Chopped fresh chives, chopped green onions, sour cream - for garnish
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Clean and dry potatoes. Prick potatoes all over with a fork. Place directly on the oven rack and bake for one hour or until easily pierced in the centers with a sharp knife. Cool slightly.3 pounds russet potatoes
- About 20 minutes before the potatoes are done baking, heat a dutch oven over medium low heat. Add bacon and cook until the fat renders and the bacon bits are crispy, about 20 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels.5 ounces bacon,
- Increase the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pan. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.3 tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted is fine), 1 medium onion,, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Cut potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh from the skins. Add to the pot along with the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup just to your desired consistency. (You can also use a blender for this step.) Don't overblend your potatoes. They will release too much starch and become thick.2½ cups chicken broth, 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Stir in milk, sour cream and cheese until melted and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.1½ cups milk, ½ cup sour cream, ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese,
- Ladle soup into bowls. Top with reserved cooked bacon bits, chopped chives and/or green onions and more cheddar cheese and sour cream.Chopped fresh chives, chopped green onions, sour cream - for garnish
Notes
- You can bake the potatoes two days in advance. Cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator. The baked flesh will stick to the potato skins after they are cooled, so you will want to gently warm them in the microwave to make scooping out the flesh a little bit easier.
- Pressed for time? Don’t bake your potatoes, microwave them! The exact amount of time varies by the size of your potatoes, anywhere from 7-11 minutes. Turn them over halfway through the cooking time to help them cook more evenly. They should be easily pierced with a knife when they are cooked through, just like potatoes baked in the oven.
- Milk - Milk with a bit of fat gives the best flavor. Whole milk or 2% milk work best in this recipe.
- Sour Cream - I prefer full fat sour cream in this soup but plain Greek yogurt can also be substituted.
- Chicken Broth - You can also use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Need It Dairy-Free? Substitute the butter, milk, sour cream and cheese with your favorite non-dairy options.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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