Baked Potato Soup
There is nothing quite like a bowl of Baked Potato Soup when it’s cool outside! Forget the store-bought, canned versions; we are talking about a velvety, comforting masterpiece. It is the ultimate bowl of comfort and one of the easiest soups to make — and it’s basically all the things you love about a loaded baked potato.
I love the wintertime because it gives me a good excuse to make soup (not that I really need one). This baked potato soup is thick, creamy, and loaded with texture from the chunky potatoes and pieces of bacon. Plus, everyone can customize their soup and add their favorite toppings.
Made with simple ingredients like Yukon Gold potatoes, beef bacon, chicken stock, half & half, sour cream, garlic, butter, cheese, and a few seasonings, you will turn your kitchen into a restaurant-style soup shop in no time.
What you’ll love about this recipe:
Ingredients you will need to make Baked Potato Soup:
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Yukon Gold (white) potatoes are my go-to when making this soup. Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape better and offer a creamier, slightly buttery texture. (Russets are starchy and break down more easily, resulting in a thicker, mashed-potato texture). And since I like to add chunks of potatoes to the soup, Yukon Gold potatoes are perfect.
- We skip the pork and level up with beef bacon, which adds a deep, smoky, salty richness that pairs perfectly with the other ingredients.
- Chicken stock adds an in-depth flavor, but you can substitute it with vegetable stock if that is your preference.
- For the base, you will need half & half and sour cream for creaminess, and a soup that is neither too thick nor too thin.
- For the cheese, you will need a dual-cheese blend of mild cheddar and melt-in-your-mouth Monterey Jack. Mild cheddar helps keep the flavor mellow and works well with the other flavors.
- Butter and minced garlic are a must with this soup. They need no explanation.
- The seasonings needed are garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, sea salt, and black pepper.
How to make Baked Potato Soup:
Cook the beef bacon. Place the beef bacon onto a baking sheet (paid link) and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once cooled, chop the beef bacon strips into small pieces, then set them to the side.
Boil the potatoes. Remove the skin from the Yukon Gold potatoes, then cut them into small cubes. Bring the water to a boil, and boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes (until tender enough to push a fork through), then drain. Separate a cup of cooked potatoes and set them aside for a later step.
Puree the potatoes. Add the cooked potatoes to a blender (paid link) along with chicken stock and blend for 30 seconds. Make sure the potatoes you set aside are not blended.
Add ingredients to the cooking pot. Heat a cooking pot over medium-low heat, then add the chopped bacon and garlic, stirring for 1 minute.
Stir in remaining ingredients and cook. Pour in the potato puree, half & half, sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack, shredded mild cheddar, butter, seasonings, and the remaining cooked potato cubes. Stir until well blended, then cover and cook on low heat for an additional 10 minutes.
Serve. Place the soup in a bowl and top with additional cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives, if desired.
Tips & Tricks
- Cut your potatoes into pieces no larger than 1-inch and try to keep them the same size so that they boil consistently.
- If you like the texture of potato skins, you can leave the skins on when blending the potatoes with the chicken stock.
- The potato puree will appear thin after blending, but it will continue to thicken during the cooking process and upon standing.
- Avoid using pre-shredded cheese, as it contains cellulose which prevents the cheese from melting.
- Milk or heavy cream can be used in place of half & half. The soup will be thinner if you use milk and thicker if you use heavy cream.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Looking for a quick and easy soup recipe? This Baked Potato Soup can become a family staple that has everyone looking forward to sitting together at the dinner table and enjoying family time.
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Baked Potato Soup
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 – 6 1x
Description
There’s nothing like a bowl of Baked Potato Soup when it’s cool outside! It’s the ultimate bowl of comfort and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 16 oz beef bacon
- 2 lb Yukon Goldpotatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup half and half
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mild cheddar, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack, shredded
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried chives
- 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
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Instructions
- Prepare the bacon by placing it on a baking sheet (paid link) and baking it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces, then set it aside.
- Boil the potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until tender. Drain. Separate 1 cup of cooked, cubed potatoes and set them aside.
- Place the remaining potatoes into a blender (paid link) with the chicken stock and blend for 30 seconds.
- In a large cooking pot over medium-low heat, add the chopped bacon and the minced garlic, and stir.
- Pour in the potato puree, half & half, sour cream, cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, dried chives, sea salt, and black pepper into the pot.
- Stir ingredients, then cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
Nutrition
- Calories: 739
- Sugar: 6.1g
- Sodium: 991mg
- Fat: 46.6g
- Carbohydrates: 37.8g
- Fiber: 6.2g
- Protein: 33.6g
- Cholesterol: 150mg