Creamy, cheesy, and full of crispy bacon, this potato soup tastes like a baked potato with everything on it. The trick is cooking the whole pot in bacon fat, so that flavor runs all the way through instead of just sitting on top. This is a big bowl that actually fills you up, perfect for the chillier weather.
POTATO SOUP At A Glance
Prep
15 min
COOK
45 min
Total
1 hour
Serves
8
Pan
Large pot or Dutch oven with a lid
Why I Put Bacon In My Pot First When I Make Potato Soup
Most loaded potato soups treat the bacon like a garnish. You make a creamy soup, then you sprinkle bacon on top at the end. I wanted that smoky flavor in every spoonful, so the bacon goes into the cold pot before anything else. Once it’s crisp, it comes out to wait for topping duty, and everything else cooks in the fat it leaves behind.
The other thing I do differently is change how the soup gets thick. There’s a little flour at the start, but most of the body comes from the potatoes themselves. Once they’re tender, I mash about a third of them right in the pot. That gives you a creamy base with plenty of chunks left, and it means the soup only needs one cup of half-and-half instead of a carton of heavy cream.
I also used low-sodium chicken bone broth instead of regular broth. Bone broth has a lot more protein, so by my math each bowl has roughly 25 grams. That turns this from a side into a real dinner.
Let’s dig in!
Tips and Notes Before You Start
- Start the bacon in a cold pot. It renders more fat and crisps more evenly than bacon dropped into a hot pan.
- Adding celery is up to you. If you use it, dice it small and give it the full 10 minutes with the onion so it’s soft by the end.
- No need to peel. Yukon Gold skins are thin enough to leave on, just like in my red skin mashed potatoes.
- Shred your own cheese if you can. Bagged shreds are coated with anti-caking powder that can make a soup grainy.
- Salt goes in at the very end. Bacon, broth, and cheddar are all salty, so taste before you add more.
- Leftovers get much thicker overnight, especially with bone broth. That’s normal, and a splash of broth brings it back.
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What You’ll Need for Loaded Potato Soup
Thick-cut bacon. Chopped into half-inch pieces while it’s still raw. Chopping it first is much easier than crumbling it later, and you get even little nuggets that crisp all the way through. Thick-cut gives you meaty bites and plenty of fat to cook the vegetables in.
Yukon Gold potatoes. Scrubbed and cut into roughly three-quarter-inch pieces. I used small Yukon Golds and just quartered them. Yukon Golds turn creamy when you mash them but hold their shape in the pot, which is exactly what you want in a chunky soup. Russets fall apart faster and give you a thicker, starchier soup, so they work too if that’s what you have.
Low-sodium chicken bone broth. Keep an extra cup nearby in case you want to thin the soup at the end. Regular chicken broth works fine, or use my easy chicken stock if you have some in the freezer. The reason I say low-sodium is that brands vary a lot, and between the bacon and the cheese, this soup doesn’t need any help in the salt department.
Onion, celery, and garlic. One diced onion, two ribs of celery if you’re using it, and three cloves of garlic. A tablespoon of jarred minced garlic works just as well (that’s what I used because I’m not a big fan of mincing garlic and it tastes just as good to me.)
Butter and flour. Butter joins the bacon fat, and some all-purpose flour cooks in it for a minute to make a quick roux. That roux is what keeps the soup creamy and smooth instead of watery.
Half-and-half and sour cream. Set the sour cream on the counter while you cook, because cold sour cream dropped into hot soup is more likely to curdle.
White sharp cheddar. I used white cheddar in the soup to keep it creamy-looking, then topped the bowls with a mix of yellow and white. Any sharp cheddar you like will work.
Thyme, salt, and pepper. A teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves (or half a teaspoon dried), half a teaspoon of salt to start, and half a teaspoon of black pepper.
For the toppings. The crispy bacon you set aside, extra shredded cheddar, fresh chives or green onions, and a spoonful of sour cream if you like.
How to Store and Reheat Potato Soup
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Don’t be surprised when you open it the next day and it’s almost as thick as mashed potatoes. The potatoes keep soaking up liquid, and bone broth firms up when it’s cold. That’s totally normal.
To reheat, warm it gently on the stove over medium-low with a splash of broth or milk, stirring until it loosens back up. In the microwave, heat it in short bursts and stir in between. Keep the heat low either way, because boiling it can make the dairy separate.
I’d keep this one in the fridge rather than the freezer. Potatoes tend to go soft and grainy after freezing, and cream soups often separate when they thaw.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my potato soup too thin?
It probably needs more mashing. Press a few more of the potatoes with the masher and give it a few minutes on low; it thickens more as it sits, too.
Why is my potato soup too thick?
Stir in more broth a quarter cup at a time until it’s where you want it. This happens most often with leftovers.
Do I have to peel the potatoes?
Not with Yukon Golds. Their skins are thin and soften right into the soup. If you use russets, you may want to peel them, because their skins are thicker.
Can I add ham?
You can swap 2 cups of diced ham for the bacon and use 2 tablespoons of butter in place of the bacon fat. I’d skip using both, though, because ham, bacon, and cheddar together make for a very salty pot.
Why did my soup curdle?
Usually because it boiled after the dairy went in, or because very cold sour cream hit very hot soup. Keeping the heat low and letting the sour cream warm up on the counter first prevents both.
Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven with a lid
- potato masher
- Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thick-cut bacon , chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium yellow onion , diced
- 2 ribs celery , diced 1/4 inch (optional)
- 3 cloves garlic ,minced
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken bone broth plus up to 1 cup more for thinning
- 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes , scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (no need to peel)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus about 1/2 teaspoon more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups cheddar shredded from a block (measured before shredding)
- Extra cheddar (yellow, white, or both) optional, for topping
- Chopped fresh chives or green onions optional, for topping
- Sour cream (optional) optional, for topping
Instructions
- Add the chopped bacon to a cold Dutch oven and set it over medium heat. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot and pour off the rest.
- Add the butter, onion, and celery (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes with celery or 6 minutes without. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in about 1 cup of the broth, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until smooth. Stir in the remaining 3 cups.
- Add the potatoes, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to mash about a third of the potatoes right in the pot, leaving the rest in chunks.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir in the half-and-half. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes without letting it boil.
- Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the sour cream, then the cheddar a handful at a time until melted.
- Taste and add more salt as needed, about 1/2 teaspoon. If the soup is thicker than you’d like, stir in more broth 1/4 cup at a time.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, extra cheddar, and chives.
Nutrition
Notes
- Celery: Optional. If you use it, dice it small and give it the full 10 minutes, or it can stay crunchy in the finished soup.
- Broth: Low-sodium broth leaves room for the salty bacon and cheese. Regular chicken broth works too.
- Lactose free: Use lactose-free half-and-half and sour cream cup for cup. Add a pinch more salt, since lactose-free dairy tastes slightly sweeter.
- Gluten free: Omit the flour and mash about half the potatoes instead of a third.
- Crock pot: Crisp the bacon and soften the vegetables with the flour in a skillet, then cook with the broth and potatoes on LOW 6 to 7 hours or HIGH 3 to 4 hours. Mash, warm the half-and-half on LOW, and turn it off before adding the sour cream and cheese.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days. It thickens a lot overnight; reheat gently with a splash of broth or milk. Freezing isn’t recommended.
How to Trust This Recipe
I know it’s hard to know what is real and not real these days, so this is a real photo of my leftovers on the second day after making a big pot of soup. I like sharing one unpolished image like this so you can see what the food really looks like, not just the pretty picture. I like to keep my leftovers pre-portioned in these brown paper meal prep containers, labelled with the name and date.
This image was captured with ProofMode on my iPhone, which creates signed records with C2PA (Content Credentials) showing the original photo came from a real capture on my device at a real place (Maker Farm). In plain English: I really made this recipe, and this is a real photo of it. The full proof photo file is available here, along with directions on how to verify it.
If you make it, I’d love to hear how thick you like yours!
Happy cooking!
Love,
Jennifer
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Meet Jennifer
Jennifer cooks and experiments in the kitchen at Maker Farm, where she focuses on simple pantry cooking, homemade staples, and practical recipes that make everyday meals easier. Over the years she has tested many ways to make cooking simpler and more dependable, and shares the methods that work best in her own kitchen, occasionally showing them on her Heart to Home at Maker Farm vlog.