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This easy loaded potato soup recipe has tender potatoes in a creamy, savory base, all made in one pot and finished with classic loaded potato toppings. It’s the ultimate quick comfort bowl for busy nights.
Love potato soup with bacon? Try Zuppa Toscana next!
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Your New Favorite Potato Soup Recipe
This simple loaded potato soup keeps everything in one pot—bacon, roux, and potatoes—so there’s no baking and no extra pans to wash. The potatoes simmer in the broth for a built-in creamy texture, and milk adds a bit of richness without feeling too heavy. There's no separate cheese sauce and no extra steps. Just classic loaded baked potato flavor with a hearty, ladleable finish. Serve it with my French bread for the ultimate cozy dinner.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Bacon – Adds smoky, deeply savory flavor and that satisfying crunch everyone loves in loaded baked potato soup. Stir it in or pile it on top. Either way, it’s the ultimate ingredient in a classic loaded potato soup.
- Butter – Combines with flour to form the roux, which thickens the soup and gives it body. Baked potatoes and butter belong together.
- Onion and Garlic – Onion adds sweetness and depth, while garlic builds that classic savory backbone.
- All-Purpose Flour – Thickens the broth, making the soup feel creamy without relying solely on dairy.
- Chicken Broth – The potatoes cook directly in the broth, which deepens the savory flavor and helps create a naturally creamy base as they soften.
- Potatoes – The heart of the soup. They simmer until tender, adding natural starch and creaminess to the broth and potato texture to every bite.
- Milk – Keeps the soup creamy and smooth without the heaviness of cream.
- Sour Cream – Another signature ingredient in loaded baked potatoes, stirred in off heat to add tang and extra creaminess without curdling. Greek yogurt works just as well.
How To Make This Recipe Step-by-Step
Cook the bacon – Add the bacon to your soup pot and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove it, leaving about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot. Add the butter and stir until melted.
Build the flavor and thickening base – Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, then the flour, and cook for a few minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly pour in the broth while stirring to prevent lumps from forming.
Cook the potatoes – Add the diced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, partially covered, and cook until fork-tender, stirring as needed.
Finish with milk and texture – Stir in the milk and keep the heat low for 5-10 more minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Mash some of the potatoes right in the pot to thicken the soup to your liking.
Stir in the sour cream – Remove from heat and stir until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Top and serve – Ladle into bowls and finish with crispy bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, chives, or extra sour cream.
Test Kitchen Tips for Loaded Potato Soup
- Bacon – Cook it however you prefer—stovetop, oven-baked, air fried, or use pre-cooked. If it’s not cooked in the soup pot, replace the 1 tablespoon of bacon fat with butter.
- Which potato is best? – Yukon Golds don’t require peeling and hold their shape well. Russets work too—you can peel for a smoother soup or leave skins on for a rustic texture.
- Potato size matters – The cook time is based on ½-inch cut pieces. Larger chunks will take longer to become tender.
- Dairy and milk options – Use what you have on hand. Heavy cream, dairy milk of any fat level, or unsweetened plant-based milk all work well in this recipe.
- Steakhouse-style option – For a richer, steakhouse-style loaded baked potato soup, stir in 1 cup shredded cheddar while the soup is off the heat, just before serving.
My Favorite Potatoes For Potato Soup
I usually reach for Yukon Gold potatoes because they don’t need peeling. I can scrub them, dice them, and get straight to the soup. Also, their light skins blend into the creamy base, so it doesn’t look like it has peels, which is great for picky eaters. Red potatoes cook similarly, but their skins will be more visible.
Russets work just as well. Peel them first if you don’t want a more rustic texture. Either way, this creamy loaded potato soup turns out delicious.
Storage and Reheat Tips
Cool the soup completely before storing. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 90 days, knowing the texture may loosen slightly after thawing.
When reheating, warm gently over low heat. Add a splash of broth or milk if needed to loosen the texture. Avoid boiling to keep the dairy smooth.
Try These Easy Soup Recipes
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Ham and Bean Soup
- Minestrone Soup
- Easy Lasagna Soup
- Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Cabbage Roll Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
📖 Recipe
Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
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Video
Note about scaling
When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.
Ingredients
- 6 slices Thick Sliced Bacon, (about ½ pound)
- 3 tablespoons Butter
- 1 large Onion, diced
- 4 cloves Garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- 4 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes, ½-inch diced (about 6 cups)
- 1 cup Milk, or heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Salt, or more to taste
- Black Pepper, to taste
- ½ cup Sour Cream
Optional Toppings
- Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Chives, Crumbled Bacon, Sour Cream
Instructions
- Add BACON to a 4-quart stockpot over medium heat and cook until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot.
- Add BUTTER. Once melted, add ONION and cook until softened, about 3–5 minutes. Stir in GARLIC and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in FLOUR and cook 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Gradually add CHICKEN BROTH while stirring until smooth.
- Add POTATOES. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fork-tender.
- Stir in MILK and keep heat low (do not boil) for 5-10 more minutes, or until potatoes are cooked to your liking.
- Mash some of the POTATOES in the pot to thicken the soup, if desired.
- Remove from heat. Stir in SOUR CREAM. Season with SALT and BLACK PEPPER to taste.
- Serve topped with CRUMBLED BACON, GREEN ONIONS, CHEDDAR CHEESE, and SOUR CREAM.
- Cool completely before storing. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 90 days.
Recipe Notes
Equipment
- 4.5-quart dutch oven or soup pot
- slotted spoon to get chopped bacon out of the pan
- paper towels
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.
Viola Sanjume says
Most delicious potato soup I have ever had. Thank you for sharing.
Traci says
Wonderful!! I'm so glad you made it! Thank you for sharing this feedback. 🙂 Enjoy!
JB says
I can eat this over and over and over again. Loaded baked potato, in soup form, is quite possibly my favorite soup of all time. I love that you only need one pot for this soup too! Super easy - Thank for sharing the best recipes KG. 🙂
Traci says
I love that you love potato soup that much! I'm with you on the easy one-pot method. It makes the decision so easy. Thank you for sharing this feedback 🙂