Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This soup is a luscious mixture of creamy potato soup, cheese and broccoli soup, and—of course—bacon! All the ingredients combine together into a flavorful soup.

I used more chicken broth, and less cream, to allow the soup to be creamy, but not overly thick. The melted cheese thickens this soup perfectly well on its own. I added some extra vegetables, like mushrooms and broccoli because vegetables make everything better! And the bacon is used in the soup, as well as the garnish. Be sure to cook the bacon in the soup pot, so that bacon flavor permeates the soup ingredients.

Ingredients for the Loaded Baked Potato Soup:

I don’t know about you, but I love a truly loaded baked potato. So, this loaded baked potato soup has it all:

• Thick cut bacon: Cooked until crispy. I prefer thick cut bacon because I slice the bacon cross-wise before cooking it in the pot. It crisps up so nicely this way. Then I let it drain on a paper towel until its ready to use.
• Onion: Finely diced onion adds a terrific flavor to this soup.
• Mushrooms: You may say, “no thank you.” But, they really add to the texture of this soup and cook down small while you are cooking the onions.
• Broccoli: Absolutely! Have you every had a loaded baked potato with broccoli—so good! Cut the broccoli florets small and add them in the very last moments, so they are not overly cooked. I think it tastes fresher that way.
• Potatoes: Cubed and cooked in the soup broth.
• A baked potato: This thickens the soup so nicely and adds more potato flavor.
• Chicken broth, Milk, Heavy Cream, and Unsalted butter
• Spices: minced garlic, dried parsley, dried chives, onion salt, kosher salt, black pepper
• Sour Cream: This ingredient is in the soup, as well as a garnish.
• Sharp cheddar cheese: The melted cheese takes this soup to a new level.
• Garnish: bacon, green onions, sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream

How to Make the Loaded Baked Potato Soup:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to paper towel with a slotted spoon. Discard bacon grease, but don’t clean the pot.
2. Add 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, and onion to pot. Cook for 6 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook until onions and mushrooms are tender, about another 2-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add cubed potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let simmer 15-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
4. While cooking cubed potatoes, cover large baking potato with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Scoop out flesh and set aside. Discard potato peel.
5. In another pot over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons butter. Add flour and spices while whisking to form a paste. Gradually whisk in milk, chicken broth and heavy cream. Continually whisk until the mixture thickens and begins to coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream until it is completely incorporated.
6. Add broccoli, baked potato flesh, and two-thirds the crisped bacon to the cubed potatoes mixture. Stir. Add cream mixture to the pot and stir. Then, stir in cheese. Let melt and thicken. Taste for seasonings. Add more salt and pepper as desired.
7. For fun—serve this soup in a bread bowl! Garnish with the remaining bacon, extra cheese, green onions and sour cream.

Make homemade Bread Bowls for serving this soup! Yummy!!

–Kim

Print Recipe

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup is comfort in a bowl—creamy, thick, warm potatoes and cheese, with broccoli, mushrooms, onions, bacon, sour cream, chives and green onions. Just what you need on a cold night!

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course, Soup

Keyword: bacon, baked potato, cold soup, potato

Servings: 6 people

Author: Kim Melanson

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-sliced bacon sliced thin crosswise
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• ½ large onion finely diced
• 3-4 large mushrooms halved and sliced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 ½ pounds potatoes peeled and cubed
• 1 large potato to be baked
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ Tablespoon dried parsley
• ½ Tablespoon dried chives
• ½ teaspoon onion salt or powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup sour cream (or 2oz cream cheese)
• 1 ½ cups broccoli cut small
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Garnish:

• Bacon crisped and crumbled
• 2 green onions chopped
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Sour cream

Instructions

• In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon until crispy. Transfer bacon to paper towel with a slotted spoon. Discard bacon grease, but don’t clean the pot.
• Add 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, and onion to pot. Cook for 6 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook until onions and mushrooms are tender, about another 2-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
• Add cubed potatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let simmer 15-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• While cooking cubed potatoes, cover large baking potato with plastic wrap and cook in microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Scoop out flesh and set aside. Discard potato peel.
• In another pot over medium heat, add 2 Tablespoons butter. Add flour and spices while whisking to form a paste. Gradually whisk in milk, chicken broth and heavy cream. Continually whisk until the mixture thickens and begins to coat the back of a spoon, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in sour cream until it is completely incorporated.
• Add broccoli, baked potato flesh, and two-thirds the crisped bacon to the cubed potatoes mixture. Stir. Add cream mixture to the pot and stir. Then, stir in cheese. Let melt and thicken. Taste for seasonings. Add more salt and pepper as desired.
• For fun—serve this soup in a bread bowl! Garnish with the remaining bacon, extra cheese, green onions and sour cream.