Description
This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a creamy, hearty comfort food packed with crispy bacon, tender Yukon Gold potatoes, sharp cheddar cheese, and a medley of sautéed vegetables. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it combines rich flavors and a smooth texture with customizable toppings to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Soup Base
- 1 lb Bacon, chopped up
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 ribs Celery, diced
- 1 cup Shredded Carrots
- 5-6 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 + 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 bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon pieces and set aside, leaving 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the unsalted butter to the bacon grease and melt it. Add the diced carrots, onions, celery, and minced garlic. Sauté for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften.
- Add Flour: Sprinkle the all purpose flour over the sautéed vegetables and stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
- Pour Broth: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming.
- Add Dairy and Potatoes: Stir in the whole milk, heavy cream, chopped potatoes, and all purpose seasoning or the garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika mix. Combine thoroughly.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender.
- Mash Potatoes: Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes inside the soup to thicken the texture.
- Add Cheese and Bacon: Stir in the shredded sharp cheddar cheese and most of the reserved crispy bacon pieces.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with optional toppings like green onions, extra cheese, bacon, or sour cream.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, mash more potatoes or add a bit more flour in step 3.
- Use low-fat milk or half-and-half to reduce the fat content.
- Substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth to make it vegetarian (omit bacon).
- Yukon Gold potatoes are great for creaminess, but russet potatoes can also be used.
- Leftovers reheat well and the soup thickens; add a splash of milk when reheating if needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
