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Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded potato soup made with creamy mashed potatoes, simmered until tender and finished with melted cheddar, sour cream, and bacon. Thick, rich, and generously topped with crisp bacon crumbles, shredded cheese, and green onions.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 8 strips bacon
Potatoes and aromatics
  • 3 lb russet potatoes
  • 1 onion
  • 4 cloves garlic
Broth and dairy
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz cream cheese softened
Cheese and sour cream
  • 2 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 cup sour cream
Seasonings
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
All toppings
  • 1 chives
  • 1 green onions

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the bacon and aromatics
  1. Cook the diced bacon in a large pot until crispy, then remove and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
  2. Sauté the diced onion in the bacon drippings for 4 minutes, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Simmer and thicken
  1. Add the chicken broth and cubed potatoes, then simmer for 20 minutes until very tender.
  2. Mash about 2/3 of the potatoes in the pot, then stir in the softened cream cheese and heavy cream until smooth.
  3. Stir in the shredded cheddar and sour cream until melted, then season generously with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
Finish and serve
  1. Fold in most of the bacon and keep the rest for topping.
  2. Serve the soup very hot, piled high with sour cream, cheddar, bacon crumbles, sliced green onions, and chives.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, mash while the potatoes are still hot and simmer only until everything is melted and cohesive. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of broth if it thickens. Freezing is not recommended because dairy can separate after thawing. To make it lighter, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and reduced-fat cream cheese while keeping the cheddar for flavor.