The Best Baked Potato Soup Recipe
Cozy up with THE BEST Baked Potato Soup Recipe of your life! Lots of chunky potatoes, onions and spices, in a thick creamy broth. Top with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, and green onion slices. You'll be licking the bowl clean!
My husband has always loved potato soup. If it's on the menu at a restaurant, he will order it. Needless to say, I've made a lot of creamy potato soups over the years. When it comes to a classic potato soup (that should basically taste like the best loaded baked potato you've ever had) Baked Potato Soup is our go-to!
This soup has a true russet potato flavor. It's perfectly thick and creamy (without using heavy cream) and the potatoes are light and fluffy. Toppings are a must---you know, bacon, cheese, and green onions. And you'll appreciate how incredibly easy it is to make.
Ingredients For Baked Potato Soup
- Medium size baking potatoes (such as russets)
- Turkey or pork bacon
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken stock or vegetable stock
- Milk
- Dried mustard
- Salt and pepper
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Green onion slices
Why "Baked" Potatoes?
Most potato soup recipes call for raw potatoes that cook in the broth and milk with the rest of the ingredients. Not saying this is a bad thing, and it's also a great short-cut, but if you have the extra time, baking the potatoes in their jackets (as my mom says) will lend the best potato flavor.
The skins infuse a lot of flavor into the potatoes while they bake, making the soup that much better! They're also less starchy after they bake so you get a lighter and fluffier potato texture. It's worth the extra time, I promise!
Step by Step Baked Potato Soup Recipe
- Step 1. Start by baking potatoes in a 400° degree oven for 1 hour. Set aside to cool enough to handle. Remove skin using a paring knife and cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
- Step 2. Cook bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove to a plate. If using pork bacon, remove the excess grease from the pan.
- Step 3. In the same pot melt butter and cook onion until golden brown. Stir in flour and cook another 30-seconds.
- Step 4. Add potatoes, seasonings, broth, and milk to the pot. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 10-minutes. The soup will thicken some.
- Step 5. Remove pot from the heat and stir in the sour cream. At this time you can add some of the bacon bits and green onions. Serve and top with cheddar cheese, more bacon, and green onion.
Can I Microwave the Potatoes?
While baking the potatoes in the oven lends the best results, microwaving would be my second choice. Peirce the potatoes on both sides with a fork, then microwave 2-4 minutes per side, per potato. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions.
Can I make this Dairy Free?
You can absolutely replace cows milk for your favorite dairy free milk. Note, it may not be as creamy.
Best potatoes for Baked Potato Soup
Russet potatoes are going to be the best choice for Baked Potato Soup in my opinion. When baked, the high starch content absorbs the moisture, that eventually turns into steam, and that's what gives the baked potato its fluffy, airy texture.
Pro tips:
- Make potatoes ahead of time. Potatoes can be baked up to 3 hours before making the soup and set out at room temperature. If planning to use later in the day, place cooled potatoes with skins on in the fridge until ready to use.
- Brown the onions. Allow the onions to become golden brown when cooking them in the butter. This will add great flavor to the soup.
- Cut up bacon before cooking. I like to cut the bacon in small pieces before cooking. This helps the bacon to cook evenly and crisp up faster.
Can I Freeze Baked Potato Soup?
I don't recommend freezing Baked Potato Soup. It won't taste bad but the consistency will be more watery once thawed.
Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium size russet potatoes, skin on, scrubbed clean
- 6 slices turkey or pork bacon, cut in small pieces
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, chopped fine
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 2 cups good quality chicken stock or vegetable I use roasted chicken better than bullion base
- 2 cups milk I use 1%
- 1 teaspoon dried mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions, sliced
Instructions
Bake potatoes
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Pierce clean potatoes with a fork on both sides. Bake in hot oven for 45-minutes to 1 hour, depending on how big the potatoes are. You want them to be soft to the touch and the skins are just starting to pull away from the flesh. Remove from the oven and allow to cool enough to handle them.
- Peel potatoes using a paring knife and dice into small chunks.
- Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven or pot on medium heat until crispy. Remove to a plate and set aside. If using pork bacon, pour out the excess grease.
- In the same pot add butter and chopped yellow onions. Cook 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
- Stir in flour and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add potatoes, seasonings, chicken broth, and milk. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook stirring occasionally for 10 minutes to heat potatoes and soup is slightly thickened.
- Remove pot from the heat and stir in sour cream or Greek yogurt. Add in a few bacon bits and green onion if desired.
- Serve immediately with shredded cheddar cheese, extra bacon bits, and green onions slices.
Notes
- Make potatoes ahead of time. Potatoes can be baked up to 3 hours before making the soup and set out at room temperature. If planning to use later in the day, place cooled potatoes with skins on in the fridge until ready to use.
- Microwave potatoes. This would be my second choice if you absolutely don't have time to bake them. Peirce the potatoes on both sides with a fork, then microwave 2-4 minutes per side, per potato. Follow the rest of the recipe instructions.
- Storing Baked Potato Soup. Place cooled soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
More Soups To Try
If you loved this potato soup, you have to try these next! Creamy Beef and Potato Soup, Chicken and Broccoli Wild Rice Soup, Slow-Cooker Creamy Chicken Enchilada Soup, and Loaded Cauliflower Soup.
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Holy smokes/cow and everything in between 🤣 I made this and no lie, it was so delicious just the way Ang made it! It has tons of possibilities of adding other ingredients to make it your own but omg it is so creamy and flavorful just as is. Thanks Ang for another all time favorite in my kitchen!
Thank you for this review! I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup!💛