Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Name: Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 8 slices (about 8 oz) (225 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces; 2 tablespoons (28 ml) rendered bacon fat, reserved from cooking the bacon in step 1; 1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter; 1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced; 3 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced; 3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour; 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 2½ lb (1130 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes; 1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk, at room temperature; ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream, for the soup, at room temperature; ¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, for serving, cold or room temperature; 6 oz (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, for the soup, freshly grated (about 1½ cups); 1 oz (28 g) sharp cheddar cheese, for serving, freshly grated (about ¼ cup); 1 teaspoon (3 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, total; ¼ tsp goes in step 2, ¼ tsp in step 4, and up to ½ tsp is for final seasoning in step 9; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ tsp in step 4, the rest for final seasoning; ¼ cup (12 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, creamy soup that tastes like a loaded baked potato in a bowl. Russet potatoes simmer in a bacon-scented base, get partly mashed for body, then finish with sour cream and sharp cheddar. Each bowl is topped with crisp bacon and fresh chives.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Wait: 3 min
Total: 1 hr 8 min
Makes: About 8 cups (6 generous bowls)

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Ingredients

6 servings

8 slices (about 8 oz) (225 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces
2 tablespoons (28 ml) rendered bacon fat, reserved from cooking the bacon in step 1
1 tablespoon (14 g) unsalted butter
1 medium (about 8 oz) (225 g) yellow onion, finely diced
3 cloves (12 g) garlic, minced
3 tablespoons (24 g) all-purpose flour
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
2½ lb (1130 g) russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
1½ cups (360 ml) whole milk, at room temperature
¾ cup (180 g) sour cream, for the soup, at room temperature
¼ cup (60 g) sour cream, for serving, cold or room temperature
6 oz (170 g) sharp cheddar cheese, for the soup, freshly grated (about 1½ cups)
1 oz (28 g) sharp cheddar cheese, for serving, freshly grated (about ¼ cup)
1 teaspoon (3 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt, total; ¼ tsp goes in step 2, ¼ tsp in step 4, and up to ½ tsp is for final seasoning in step 9
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; ¼ tsp in step 4, the rest for final seasoning
¼ cup (12 g) fresh chives, thinly sliced

Equipment (6)

5- to 6-quart (4.7–5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot with lid
Potato masher (or immersion blender)
Slotted spoon
Paper towel-lined plate
Box grater
Ladle and small bowl (for tempering the sour cream)

Steps

Before you start

Grate all the cheddar from a block yourself (6 oz for the soup plus 1 oz for topping). Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking starch and can make the soup grainy.
Set out the milk and sour cream 20 minutes ahead so they are not ice cold. This helps prevent curdling.
Peel and cube the potatoes just before cooking, or keep them in cold water so they don't brown (drain well before using).
This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If you only have Morton kosher salt, use about half as much by volume. Plan on about 70 minutes from start to bowl; this is a stovetop recipe and no oven is needed.

1
Crisp the bacon
- Place the bacon pieces in a cold 5- to 6-quart soup pot and set over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are deep golden and crisp.
- Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Pour the fat into a heatproof bowl, then measure 2 tablespoons (28 ml) of it back into the pot, leaving the browned bits behind.
- Discard the rest of the fat.
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Ready when: Bacon is deeply golden and crisp, and it stops sizzling vigorously.
Tip: Starting in a cold pot renders the fat gently, so the bacon crisps without burning.
2
Soften the aromatics
- Return the pot to medium heat with the 2 tablespoons of bacon fat and add the 1 tablespoon butter.
- When the butter foams, add the diced onion and ¼ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring often, for 5–6 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until the onion is soft and translucent but not browned.
- Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent; garlic smells fragrant.
Tip: If the garlic browns it will taste bitter, so add it last and keep it moving.
3
Make the roux
- Sprinkle the 3 tablespoons flour over the onions and stir constantly for 1 minute, until no dry flour remains and the mixture looks like a pale, pasty paste.
- The 3 tablespoons of total fat to 3 tablespoons of flour gives a properly thick roux.
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Ready when: Mixture is a pale paste with a slightly toasty smell and no dry flour.
4
Add broth and potatoes
- Pour in the broth about ½ cup (120 ml) at a time, whisking or stirring well after each addition so the mixture stays smooth.
- Add the potato cubes, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil.
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Ready when: Broth reaches a full boil with no flour lumps.
Tip: Adding the broth gradually prevents lumps.
5
Simmer until tender
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup simmers gently.
- Partially cover and cook for 15–18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a cube of potato breaks apart easily when pressed against the side of the pot with a spoon.
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Ready when: Potato cubes crush easily with no firm center.
Tip: Keep it at a gentle simmer; a hard boil breaks up the potatoes unevenly and can scorch the bottom.
6
Mash for body
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes directly in the pot with 8–10 presses, leaving roughly half of the cubes intact for a thick, chunky texture.
- For a smoother soup, blend briefly with an immersion blender instead.
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Ready when: Soup looks thick and creamy with plenty of potato chunks remaining.
Tip: Don't over-mash or blend. Overworked russets turn gluey.
7
Add milk and heat through
- Stir in the milk.
- Return the pot to low heat and warm for 4–5 minutes, stirring often, until the soup is steaming and hot but not boiling.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming and small bubbles just begin at the edges; do not let it boil.
Tip: Boiling after the milk goes in can cause it to separate.
8
Cool and temper sour cream
- Remove the pot from the heat and let the soup rest, uncovered, for 3 minutes so it drops just below a simmer.
- Meanwhile, put the ¾ cup (180 g) sour cream in a bowl and whisk in 1 ladleful (about ½ cup/120 ml) of the hot soup until smooth.
- Stir this mixture back into the pot until fully blended.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming gently but no longer bubbling, and the sour cream is fully blended with no white streaks.
Tip: Tempering warms the sour cream gradually so it doesn't split when it meets the hot soup.
9
Melt in cheese and season
- With the pot still off the heat, add the 6 oz cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each addition melts before adding the next.
- Stir in two-thirds of the bacon, saving the rest for serving.
- Now taste and season: add salt ¼ teaspoon at a time (up to ½ teaspoon total) and the remaining ¼ teaspoon pepper, stirring and tasting after each addition.
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Ready when: Cheese is fully melted and the soup is smooth, creamy and evenly pale golden.
Tip: Season only after the cheese goes in; bacon, broth and cheese are all salty, so you may need little or no extra salt. If the soup is too thick, thin with a splash of milk or broth.
10
Serve loaded
- Ladle the soup into warm bowls.
- Top each with a spoonful of the ¼ cup sour cream for serving, a pinch of the 1 oz extra cheddar, the remaining bacon and a generous scatter of chives.
- Serve immediately.
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Tip: Add the toppings at the table so the bacon stays crisp.

Good to know

Tips

Use russets. Their high starch content breaks down and naturally thickens the soup without cream.
Keep the soup below a boil once dairy is added so it stays smooth.
Season at the end, after the cheese is in, since bacon, broth and cheese all vary in saltiness. If using Morton kosher salt, use about half the volume listed.
For extra baked-potato flavor, crisp a few peeled potato skins in leftover bacon fat and use them as a garnish.

Make ahead

Make the soup through the mashing step up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently over medium-low heat until steaming, then continue with the milk, sour cream tempering and cheese. Keep the bacon separate and re-crisp it in a dry skillet if needed.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: dairy-based potato soup can turn grainy when frozen, so freezing is best avoided. If you do, freeze before adding the milk, sour cream and cheese, for up to 2 months. Reheat over low heat, stirring often, and add a splash of milk or broth to loosen. Don't boil.

Substitutions

russet potatoes → Yukon Gold potatoes. They hold their shape better and give a buttery flavor, but the soup will be slightly less thick.
whole milk → half-and-half. Gives a richer, creamier soup. Use the same amount.
low-sodium chicken broth → low-sodium vegetable broth. Works well, but the soup will taste less savory. The bacon still adds smoky flavor.
sour cream, for the soup → plain full-fat Greek yogurt. Tangier. Use room-temperature yogurt and temper it as in step 8 to avoid curdling.