Cheesy Potato Soup

I often refer to this cheesy potato soup recipe as “loaded potato soup,” because the flavors remind me of eating a baked potato or mashed potatoes loaded with all of my favorite potato toppings. Think cheese, bacon, and scallions, with a rich, savory sauce. This is the ultimate cozy comfort food for a cold winter night. Soup’s on!

This soup recipe is perfect for busy days because it takes only 35 minutes to prepare, but it tastes like it has been simmering for hours. I love potatoes in any form, but this soup is one of my favorites!

How to Make Cheesy Potato Soup

You know you are going to love a soup when the first ingredient is bacon. Am I right? Add onions, potatoes, cheese, half and half, and some seasonings, and you’ll have a rich, creamy soup on the dinner table in no time.

1. Cook bacon – Cook bacon and cut it into ½” pieces. Place bacon pieces in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until bacon is crispy. Carefully remove the bacon from the pot and place it on a paper towel to drain. Set aside. Pour off most of the grease from the pot but leave about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the grease in the pot. Do not wipe clean. 
2. Saute – Add diced onion to the pot and sauté until onions become soft and clear.
3. Simmer – Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir well to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 minutes. 
4. Whisk – Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly with a large whisk to make a slurry. Bring to a boil. 
5. Prepare potatoes – Peel and cut potatoes into 1″ cubes. Add diced potatoes to the pot and reduce to medium heat. Simmer potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender, stirring often.
6. Blend – Add half and half and stir until well combined. If you don’t have half and half, you can use 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Carefully place half of the soup in a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, and blend until smooth. Be careful not to overfill the blender. You may want to do this in batches.
7. Combine – Add the blended mixture back to the soup pot and stir in shredded cheese and cooked bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste. If not serving right away, pour the soup into a slow cooker to keep warm until ready to serve.
8. Load it up – Place in individual bowls and garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or chopped green onion.

Cheesy Potato Soup Variations

You can make this soup extra hearty with all kinds of other ingredients. Add in more meats, vegetables, or even different flavor components to make it your way. The options are endless!

• Meat – Try cooking and slicing ham, chicken, or sausage into the soup.
• Veggies – Use fresh or frozen corn, celery, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, or peas for more of a vegetarian soup.
• Herbs – Try garlic, chives, parsley, or oregano for added flavor.
• Spicy – Give it a kick of heat by adding chiles, red pepper flakes, or even sriracha to the soup.
• Cream cheese – Make it like Panera Bread and add 8 ounces of cream cheese to your soup. It makes it extra creamy!
• Butter – A tablespoon of butter adds richness and gives the soup a smooth buttery texture.

Tips for the Best Cheesy Potato Soup

Follow these simple-to-use tips to take this soup to the next level. Your friends and family will be raving about your cheesy potato soup!

Picking the Right Potatoes – Choose the right potatoes like russet potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes. They both have a creamy texture to them.

Cutting – When cutting or adding vegetables or meat, try to cut in uniform pieces to have even cooking throughout the process.

Sauteing – If you plan to add more veggies, make sure to saute them with the onions.

Roux – Make a roux by mixing flour with the butter or broth. This will be a thick and smooth mixture that helps improve the texture and thickness of the soup. Make sure not to burn it or brown it too much.

Add Liquids Slowly – Make sure to add liquids slowly and carefully, while stirring the soup at the same time. This will give the soup a consistent creamy texture while cooking.

Quality cheese – Choose a good quality block cheese that you can hand-shred (my favorite is sharp cheddar). The cheese will melt properly and evenly if it is hand-shredded. Prepackaged shredded cheese has a coating on it that doesn’t melt as well into the soup.

How to Store Soup Properly

This cheesy potato soup does not freeze well, but it can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for four to five days. It is great both as a meal prep recipe to have all week, or to enjoy fresh as a family dinner. Our family loves it year round!

• Storage – Place the cooled-down potato cheese soup into an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for four to five days.
• Reheating – When ready to reheat, place the soup in a microwaveable bowl or on the stovetop. Warm it up slowly until it reaches a desired temperature to enjoy.

More Soup Recipes with Potato

Being from Idaho, we are ALL about potatoes! It’s kinda our thing. If you love potatoes too, you’ve come to the right place! Check out these “spud”-tacular classic soup recipes, and give them a try:
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Broccoli Cheese Soup
Vegetable Beef Soup
Clam Chowder
Zuppa Toscana
Ham and Potato Soup