Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Quick Info

Prep: 15m | Cook: 25m | Servings: 6

🛒 Ingredients

• 6 strips bacon, chopped
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2.5 to 3 lbs Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes, cubed (peel Russets, leave Gold skins on)
• 4 to 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups milk (any variety)
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For Serving & Garnish

• Round bread bowls (sourdough, Italian, or Tuscan garlic) (optional)
• Sour cream
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Diced chives or sliced green onions

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🍳 Equipment

• Large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot
• Immersion blender (or standard blender)
• Paper towel-lined plate
• Ladle

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📋 Instructions

1. Place a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat and cook chopped bacon until browned and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
2. In the same pot with the rendered bacon fat, melt the butter over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté for 3–5 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
3. Sprinkle flour evenly over the onions and garlic; stir continuously for 1–2 minutes until a smooth paste forms.
4. Add cubed potatoes, chicken stock, milk, heavy cream, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.
5. Stir well and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover partially with a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
6. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving plenty of potato chunks for texture (or transfer part of the soup to a blender for a smoother consistency).
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed.
8. If serving in bread bowls, warm bread in the oven, slice off the top, and hollow out the center. Ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish generously with reserved crispy bacon bits, shredded cheddar, sour cream, and diced chives or green onions.

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💡 Notes & Variations

• Leaving the thin skins on Yukon Gold potatoes adds color and earthy texture, but Russets should be peeled to avoid tough skins.
• The soup will thicken naturally as it rests and cools; stir in an extra splash of warm chicken stock or milk when reheating.

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