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Close up of a bowl with Loaded Potato Soup garnished with cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions.
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4.95 from 51 votes

Cheesy Potato Soup

This Potato Soup is loaded with all your favorite potato toppings in a warm, satisfying bowl. Cheese, crisp bacon, scallions, and of course, hearty potatoes in a creamy savory sauce. It's the best potato soup for chilly days!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: potato soup
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Author: Erica Walker

Ingredients

  • 6-8 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 quarts chicken broth (8 cups)
  • 10 Yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • shredded cheese for garnish, optional
  • sour cream optional
  • green onion for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Cook bacon and cut it into ½" pieces. Place bacon pieces in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until bacon is crispy.
    Bacon cooking in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Carefully remove the bacon from the pot and place it on a paper towel to drain. Set aside. Pour off most of the grease from the pot but leave about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the grease in the pot. Do not wipe clean. 
    Cooked crispy bacon on a paper towel next to a pot with a little bacon grease for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Add diced onion to the pot and sauté until onions become soft and clear.
    Cooking diced onions in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup with a wooden spoon.
  • Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 minutes. 
    Sprinkling flour in a pot over onions for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly with a large whisk to make a slurry. Bring to a boil. 
    Broth in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Peel and cut potatoes into 1" cubes. Add diced potatoes to the pot and reduce to medium heat. Simmer potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, stirring often.
    Uncooked potatoes in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Add half and half and stir until well combined.
    Pouring half and half into a pot of Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Carefully place half of the soup in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Be careful not to overfill the blender. You may want to do this in batches.
    Blender with Loaded Potato Soup next to a pot of soup.
  • Add the blended mixture back to the soup pot and stir in shredded cheese and cooked bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste. If not serving right away, pour the soup into a slow cooker to keep warm until ready to serve.
    Adding cheese and bacon into Loaded Potato Soup. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Place in individual bowls and garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or chopped green onion.
    Ladle with Loaded Potato Soup over a pot. Sliced bread, bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream on the side.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • This soup will stay in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Tastes best when re-heated over the stove.
  • Do not freeze.

Nutrition

Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 1046mg | Potassium: 1022mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 615IU | Vitamin C: 34.1mg | Calcium: 361mg | Iron: 6.4mg