Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is thick, velvety, and packed with crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, sour cream, and tender potatoes. Made with both russet and Yukon Gold potatoes, it has a rich, creamy base with just enough potato chunks to make every spoonful hearty and satisfying. It’s everything you love about a fully loaded baked potato, made into one incredibly cozy soup.

Behind This Loaded Baked Potato Soup Recipe

I’ve been making homemade potato soup for over a decade, tweaking and perfecting it along the way. After years of trial and error, I finally feel like I’ve mastered it, and I’m so excited to share it!

I’ve learned that great potato soup is all about building flavor and getting the texture just right. I cook the onions until they’re almost caramelized for a rich, savory base, then use two kinds of potatoes for the perfect consistency. Russets break down to create that thick, velvety broth, while Yukon Golds hold their shape for plenty of tender potato chunks.

The little details matter, too. Adding bacon too early makes it soft and almost ham-like, so I stir it in at the very end to preserve its crispness. I also wait until the end to add room-temperature sour cream so it blends in smoothly without curdling. It’s taken a lot of batches to get here, but this is the loaded baked potato soup I’ve always wanted. Rich, creamy, full of flavor, and loaded with all the good stuff!

Tips From My Kitchen

• Take your time with the onions. Letting them cook for about 10 minutes until deeply softened and just beginning to caramelize creates a richer, more developed flavor than simply cooking them until translucent.
• Don’t add the bacon too early. After years of making potato soup, I’ve found that bacon left simmering in the broth becomes soft and almost ham-like. Stir it in right before serving so it keeps more of its texture.
• Use both russet and Yukon Gold potatoes. Russets naturally break down as they cook, while Yukon Golds tend to hold their shape better. Together, they create a creamy soup that still feels hearty and full of potatoes.
• Blend just enough. Start with about five circular passes of an immersion blender, then check the consistency. You want a velvety broth with visible potato chunks. Overblending can release too much starch and make the soup gummy.
• Bring the sour cream to room temperature. Cold sour cream added directly to very hot soup is more likely to separate. Let it warm up while you cook, then stir it in off the heat.
• Add the cheese over low heat. Freshly shredded sharp cheddar melts more smoothly than pre-shredded cheese. Avoid boiling the soup once the cheese and sour cream have been added.

Ingredients You’ll Need & Why

This loaded baked potato soup gets its flavor from simple ingredients layered together throughout the cooking process. The combination of bacon, aromatics, two kinds of potatoes, and rich dairy creates an incredibly creamy soup without losing its hearty texture.

Bacon + butter: Bacon adds smoky, savory flavor, and cooking the vegetables in some of the rendered bacon fat makes the entire soup even more flavorful. Butter adds richness and helps soften the aromatics.

Yellow onion, celery + garlic: The onion cooks until almost caramelized for a slightly sweet, deeply savory base. Celery adds another layer of aromatic flavor, while fresh garlic ties it all together.

All-purpose flour: Creates a light roux with the butter and bacon drippings, helping the broth thicken as the potatoes cook.

Chicken stock + Better Than Bouillon: Unsalted chicken stock forms the base, while chicken bouillon adds concentrated savory flavor. Using unsalted stock lets you control the seasoning better.

Whole milk + heavy cream: This combination creates a rich, creamy broth without making the soup excessively heavy.

Russet potatoes + Yukon Gold potatoes: Russets break down more easily, helping thicken the soup naturally. Yukon Golds hold together better, leaving those tender potato chunks that make the soup feel hearty.

Black pepper, chili powder + smoked paprika: These seasonings add warmth, a subtle smoky note and depth without making the soup spicy.

Sharp cheddar cheese + sour cream: Cheddar brings that classic cheesy baked potato flavor, while sour cream adds tanginess and a silky finish. Freshly shred the cheese and allow the sour cream to reach room temperature before adding.

Chives + extra toppings: Finish each bowl with reserved crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh chives for the full loaded baked potato experience.

How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This soup is all about building flavor in layers, starting with crispy bacon and slowly cooked onions before adding the creamy broth and potatoes. The final blending step is what gives it that perfect balance of thick, velvety soup and tender potato chunks.

1. Cook the Bacon

Add the bacon strips to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-low heat. Cook until deeply golden and crispy on both sides, flipping halfway through. Transfer to a plate and let cool before chopping into small pieces.

Carefully remove about half of the rendered bacon fat, leaving the rest in the pot for flavor.

2. Build the Flavorful Base

Add the butter to the reserved bacon drippings and let it melt. Stir in the diced onion and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply softened, golden around the edges, and beginning to caramelize.

Add the diced celery and continue cooking until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant.

3. Make the Creamy Broth

Season the vegetables with black pepper, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the mixture. Stir continuously for 1–2 minutes, until the flour is fully absorbed and no dry patches remain.

Slowly pour in the chicken stock, followed by the whole milk and heavy cream, whisking as you go. Scrape along the bottom of the pot to release all those flavorful browned bits.

Stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, and chicken bouillon until incorporated.

4. Simmer the Potatoes

Add the peeled, diced russet and Yukon Gold potatoes to the pot. Increase the heat to medium and bring the soup to a gentle boil, then adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

Cook for approximately 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender. A fork should slide easily through the centers without resistance, and some of the russet potatoes may already be beginning to break apart.

5. Blend Until Thick and Velvety

Using an immersion blender, make approximately 8-10 circular passes through the soup. The broth should begin to look noticeably thicker and creamier while plenty of tender potato chunks remain visible.

Check the texture before blending further. You want a rich, velvety base, not a completely smooth purée.

6. Finish with Cheese, Sour Cream and Bacon

Reduce the heat to low and gradually stir in the freshly shredded sharp cheddar until melted and smooth. Remove the pot from the heat, then fold in the room-temperature sour cream until fully incorporated.

Stir in most of the chopped bacon, reserving some for topping. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.

7. Add All the Loaded Toppings

Ladle the hot soup into bowls and finish with extra crispy bacon, shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped chives. Serve while hot and creamy.

Why I Use Two Kinds of Potatoes

After years of making potato soup, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that the type of potato you use makes a huge difference in the finished texture. I love a potato soup that’s thick, rich and velvety, but I still want plenty of tender potato chunks in every spoonful. Using two varieties gives me the best of both worlds.

Russet potatoes: These have a higher starch content and a fluffy texture, which means they break down more easily as they cook. This helps naturally thicken the broth and gives the soup that rich, creamy consistency without needing to blend everything completely smooth.

Yukon Gold potatoes: These have a naturally buttery flavor and a firmer, creamier texture that holds together better during cooking. While some of the russets break down into the broth, the Yukon Golds help ensure there are still plenty of tender potato pieces throughout the soup.

My trick is to partially blend the soup with an immersion blender, making just a few circular passes until the broth turns thick and velvety while leaving plenty of potato chunks intact. Be careful not to overblend, since potatoes can release too much starch and develop a gummy texture.

More Recipes to Try

If you love cozy, comforting soups, my Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup is another family favorite, loaded with tender gnocchi and savory sausage in a rich, creamy broth. My Rich & Creamy Lasagna Soup has all the cheesy, hearty flavors of homemade lasagna without the layering, while my Chicken Alfredo Soup combines tender chicken, crispy bacon and pasta in a creamy garlic Parmesan broth. They’re all perfect for those nights when you’re craving something warm, filling and homemade!

If you make this Loaded Baked Potato Soup, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how it turned out. And if you share a photo or video, tag me @BadBatchBaking and use #badbatchbaking so I can see your creations!