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Overhead view of creamy loaded baked potato soup in ceramic bowl topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, dollop of sour cream and chopped chives on light wood table with linen napkin and spoon

Baked Potato Soup

This ultra-creamy loaded Baked Potato Soup is pure comfort in a bowl! Made with fluffy baked potatoes, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, and sour cream, it's thick, cheesy, and ready in 1 hour 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • - 4 medium russet potatoes about 2 lbs / 900g
  • - 6 slices thick-cut bacon
  • - 3 tbsp 45g unsalted butter
  • - 1/2 cup 75g finely chopped yellow onion
  • - 3 garlic cloves minced
  • - 1/3 cup 40g all-purpose flour
  • - 2 cups 475ml low-sodium chicken broth
  • - 2 cups 475ml whole milk
  • - 1 cup 240g sour cream, at room temperature
  • - 1 1/2 cups 170g shredded sharp cheddar cheese, plus more for topping
  • - 1 tsp salt plus more to taste
  • - 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • - 2–3 tbsp chopped chives or green onion for topping

Method
 

  1. Bake the potatoes first. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Pierce each potato a few times with a fork and bake directly on the oven rack for 45–60 minutes, until a fork or knife slides in with no resistance (this is what "fork-tender" means). Cool slightly, halve, scoop the flesh into rough chunks, and set aside.
  2. Cook the bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and crumble once cool. Keep about 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat in the pot; discard the rest.
  3. Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon fat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 3–4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
  4. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1–2 minutes, until it forms a smooth, pale-gold paste. Slowly whisk in the broth, then the milk, a little at a time, whisking until smooth after each addition. Simmer 5–7 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  5. Stir in the baked potato chunks, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes to warm through. Mash some of the potato chunks with a spoon for a thicker soup, or leave more whole for a chunkier one.
  6. Remove the pot from the heat completely. Stir in the room-temperature sour cream and the shredded cheddar, a handful at a time, until smooth and melted.
  7. Ladle into bowls and top with the crumbled bacon, extra cheddar, and chives.

Notes

  • Take the **pot** completely off the heat before stirring in the sour cream — adding cold dairy to a simmering pot is what causes curdling
  • Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days; reheat gently over low heat.
  • If freezing, freeze before adding the sour cream and cheese, then stir those in fresh after reheating, as dairy can separate after freezing.

Nutrition (Estimated per serving)

Calories: ~430 | Carbohydrates: ~30g | Protein: ~14g | Fat: ~28g | Saturated Fat: ~15g | Sodium: ~650mg
Estimated only — values will vary based on exact ingredients used.