Comfort food lovers, rejoice – we made it to soup season! I celebrated by making three different soups in the span of four days this week, including this decadent, silky-smooth Loaded Potato Soup chock-full of allll the fixin’s.
The creamy (no cream!) soup base is thickened with mashed potatoes then flavored with bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and sour cream, ladled into bowls and then sprinkled with more freshly grated cheese, more bacon, and tons of chopped chives or green onions – woo! Think loaded baked potato in soup form. The ultimate comfort food.
Tips for Making Loaded Potato Soup:
- Save time by cooking then mashing the mashed potatoes used to thicken this soup up to several days ahead of time, or use leftover mashed potatoes. This recipe would be perfect to make after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- As I mentioned, there’s no cream in this soup so it’s actually fairly light tasting and feeling. I use unsweetened almond milk because that’s what we always have in the fridge, and recommend 2% milk fat or higher if using cow’s milk.
- I highly recommend serving this soup with crispy gluten free crostini for dunking and dipping! Here’s the method I use >
How to Make This Recipe:
Start by peeling then chopping 4 medium-sized russet potatoes then add the chunks to a big pot of cold water and season with 1 Tablespoon salt.Â
Bring the potatoes to a boil then cook until very tender (but not mushy,) then drain well, add to a big bowl, and mash to your desired consistency. More chunks = a chunkier soup. Less chunks = a less chunky soup! Measure out 5 cups mashed potatoes then set aside.
Next, add 1/2lb chopped bacon to a large soup pot over medium heat. I use the same pot I cooked the potatoes in – just gave it a quick rinse then put it back onto the burner and let the heat sizzle off all the water before adding the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crisped then scoop onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving the bacon fat in the pot.
Add 1/4 cup butter to the pot followed by 1 small chopped onion, salt, and pepper, ad then saute until the onions are very tender, 7-9 minutes.
Next, sprinkle in 6 Tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour then cook while whisking for a minute or two (recipe will not be GF if using all-purpose flour.) Add 6 cups milk one glug at a time while whisking constantly to avoid lumps, until a smooth sauce has been formed, then pour all the milk in.
Season the soup with salt and pepper then turn the heat up to medium-high and bring to a simmer while stirring constantly. Turn the heat back down to medium then simmer while stirring until slightly thickened.
Final steps! Add half the mashed potatoes then whisk furiously to combine before whisking in the remaining half. Next whisk in 6oz freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese until smooth, followed by 8oz sour cream.
Add half the cooked bacon back into the soup, reserving some to sprinkle on top, along with salt and pepper to taste, then let the soup sit off the heat for 10 minutes to thicken. When it’s time to serve, scoop the soup into bowls then top with extra shredded cheese, the reserved bacon, and chopped chives or green onions – for that fully loaded effect! I hope you love this delicious and comforting soup! Enjoy!
Similar Recipes:
- Sweet Corn, Kielbasa, and Potato Soup>Â
- Cheesy Ham and Potato Soup >
- Crock Pot Broccoli-Cheddar Potato Soup >
- Healthy Cheeseburger Soup >
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Loaded Potato Soup
Description
Loaded Potato Soup is thick, creamy, and gluten-free, plus it's loaded with delicious add-ins like bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and chives!
Ingredients
- 4 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled then chopped
- 1/2lb bacon, chopped
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 6 Tablespoons gluten-free or all-purpose flour (soup will not be GF if using AP flour)
- 6 cups milk (I used almond milk - use 2% or higher if using cow’s milk)
- 8oz freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1 cup sour cream
- chopped chives or green onions for topping
Directions
- Add potatoes to a large pot of cold water then season with 1 Tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil then cook until potatoes are very tender. Drain well then add to a large bowl and mash to your desired consistency (more chunky will mean a chunkier soup.) Measure out 5 cups mashed potatoes then set aside. Can be done ahead of time. Alternatively you could use 5 cups leftover mashed potatoes.
- Add bacon to a soup pot over medium heat, cook until crisp, then remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, reserving bacon fat in the pot (you could remove a few Tablespoons but leave at least 1/4 cup bacon fat in pot.) Melt butter in bacon fat then add onions, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until very tender, 7-9 minutes. Sprinkle in flour then whisk until smooth and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste. Slowly add milk a splash at a time while whisking constantly to avoid lumps until a smooth sauce has formed, then add the rest of the milk.
- Season generously with salt and pepper then turn heat up to medium-high and bring soup to a simmer while stirring constantly. Turn heat back down to medium then cook while stirring constantly until soup has slightly thickened, 3-4 minutes.
- Add half the mashed potatoes then whisk until smooth, and then whisk in remaining mashed potatoes. Add 3/4 of the cheese then whisk until smooth, and then add sour cream and whisk until smooth. Stir in cooked bacon.
- Taste then add salt and pepper, and then remove soup from heat to sit and thicken for 10 minutes. Ladle into bowls then serve with the reserved cheese, chives or green onions, and extra bacon.
Notes
- You can use 5 cups leftover mashed potatoes instead of making them fresh.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Lindsey 10.02.2015
Yum. Quick question – I am not a fan of sour cream (I know, I know), is there a substitute I can use instead? Or do you think it would be fine without?
Kristin 10.04.2015
You could use plain Greek yogurt (maybe 1/2 or 3/4 of the amount of sour cream because I think GY is more tangy!)
Noelle H 10.02.2015
Wow, delicious soup, but all I can say is I’m glad someone else watches Below Deck. I’m ironing the Captain’s shorts!
Kristin 10.02.2015
Oh my gosh I was DYING listening to her sing her captain’s shorts song!!! Ben thinks I’m absolutely nuts!
Leslie 10.02.2015
Looks delicious! I’m looking for a good camera, what camera do you use to take such clear and beautiful pictures?
Leslie 10.02.2015
Looks delicious! I’m looking for a good camera, what camera do you use to take such clear and beautiful pictures?
Kristin 10.02.2015
I use a Nikon D7000!
Audrey 10.02.2015
Love this!!! I’m GF and so excited to try it.
Important Question: What kind of almond milk did you use? Unsweetend or sweet? Vanilla or plain?
Thanks!!
Kristin 10.02.2015
Good question! Unsweetened unflavored almond milk – so just straight up almond milk, no sugar, vanilla flavoring, etc. :)
Ryan @ Feed by Round Pond 10.02.2015
Finally a potato soup that doesn’t make me feel like I have to run 5 miles after eating it!
Lynn 10.02.2015
Looks soooo yummy! Def will be making soon! Do you think this would freeze ok?
Kristin 10.04.2015
I normally don’t recommend freezing milk-based soups, because they separate so easily, but I think the mashed potatoes would help keep everything together!
Sarah 10.02.2015
Looks amazing! And girl, just download doc-u-sign! Because printers are the worst.
Chelsea @ Delipsch 10.02.2015
Liquid Gold never looked so good! I am sure it tastes even better than it looks. Thanks for another epic recipe :) Hello Fall Recipes!
Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday 10.02.2015
I’ve somehow never had a potato soup, but this looks fabulous enough that I may need to change that! Yum!
Lara 10.02.2015
Just…yum. Cannot WAIT to make this!!
Lindsey @ Simply Lindsey 10.02.2015
I love loaded baked potato soup and your recipe looks sooo delicious! Can’t wait to try it soon!
Abby C. 10.02.2015
Instead of photographing documents with your phone, download scannable. It’s free and it’s a scanner for your phone. It ends up looking much more professional when you send it over. It’s helped me a lot!
Kristin 10.04.2015
Thanks, Abby! I’ll check it out! :)
Megan 10.02.2015
The weather is finally cooling off in Denver which means soup season is finally here! Can’t wait to to try this!
Lea J. 10.02.2015
I’ve been dreaming of potato soup and with all the rain we’re getting here on the east coast this weekend, I think tomorrow’s the perfect day to bust it out.
Julie 10.02.2015
Yay for soup time! I love all your soups so this is definitely going into rotation.
Leesa 10.02.2015
Aah… Loaded potato soup, one of my favs!!! My son has to eat GF, so will definitely try this recipe. Yum.
Chicago Jogger 10.02.2015
It has been freezing in Chicago this week, and this soup looks so warm and comforting! Pinning :) Have a great weekend. P.S.: I’m with you on Lutheran’s know best!
Tori 10.02.2015
This is such a great staple recipes to have on hand! Loaded potato soup is always a family fave!!
Medeja 10.02.2015
Perfect soup for autumn! Looks yummy!
Tom ~ RYG 10.02.2015
Agreed! Panera man here. Guilty. We men love it. Maybe not as much as the girls? Dunno. Potato soup is a comfort food. Gonna try this. Thanks.