Cheesy Potato Soup

4.93 from 41 votes
40 Comments

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Whether you’re looking for a new go-to soup, or just want something creamy and comforting, this Cheesy Potato Soup recipe is sure to satisfy! It is loaded with so much flavor.

Loaded Potato Soup in a bowl with bread.
Featured with this Recipe
  1. Ingredients in this Potato Soup
  2. What Else Can I Add to Potato Soup?
  3. Frequently Asked Questions About this Soup
  4. More Scrumptious Potato Recipes
  5. How to Make Cheesy Potato Soup
  6. Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe

This cheesy potato soup is also referred to as loaded potato soup because it is loaded with all your favorite potato toppings. Think cheese, bacon, and scallions with a creamy savory sauce. It’s the ultimate comfort food on cold winter nights when you want to feel cozy and wrapped up in a hug. It only takes 35 minutes to prepare, but tastes like it’s been simmering for hours. We love potatoes in any form, but this soup is one of our favorites. Not only is it delicious, but it’s also easy to make!

Ingredients in this Potato Soup

  • Bacon
  • Onion
  • Flour
  • Chicken broth
  • Yukon gold potatoes (russet potatoes work too)
  • Half and half (to make it even thicker, you can use heavy cream)
  • Sharp cheddar cheese
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Shredded cheese for garnish, optional
  • Sour cream optional
  • Green onion for garnish, optional
Ingredients to make Loaded Potato Soup including chicken broth, cheese, bacon, flour, half and half, sour cream, potatoes, onions, salt, pepper and green onions.


What Else Can I Add to Potato Soup?

You can make this soup extra hearty with all kinds of other ingredients. We love to add:

  • Ham
  • Corn
  • Celery
  • Garlic
  • Chives
  • Chiles
  • Chicken
  • Carrots
  • Broccoli
  • Cream Cheese (Panera Bread adds this to their soup and it’s delicious!)
  • Butter
  • Zucchini
  • Peas
Spoon scooping up Loaded Potato Soup with cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions.

Frequently Asked Questions About this Soup

How Do You Thicken Potato Soup?

For this recipe, we use flour as a thickener, but cornstarch can also be used to thicken.

Which Potatoes are Best for Loaded Potato Soup?

For an extra creamy texture, buttery Yukon golds are the absolute best for this potato soup recipe. But, if you don’t have any on hand, red potatoes or Idaho russets will do just fine.

What is “Loaded” Potato Soup?

When we say this soup is loaded, we mean it’s stuffed with all those delicious fixings you normally pile on top of a baked potato: cheese, crispy bacon, vibrant green onions, sour cream, more cheese. You know, the works! This potato soup is wonderfully versatile that way. You can add as much or as little of these toppings as you like.

Can Potato Soup Be Reheated?

Yes, but first of all, make sure you store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Then we suggest you warm it up on the stove rather than the microwave. The microwave doesn’t heat it evenly and causes the potatoes to taste grainy. We would also recommend you use up leftovers within three days.

Can You Freeze Loaded Potato Soup?

Because of the cream in the soup base, this soup doesn’t freeze very well. This is one soup that is absolutely best when served fresh, or reheated within a couple of days. Plus, it’s so delicious that we rarely have leftovers.

Is Potato Soup Gluten Free?

Most potato soup recipes are not gluten-free. However, for this recipe, all you need to do is swap out the flour for your favorite gluten-free brand. Everything else stays the same and we promise you won’t even be able to tell the difference.

Read Next: 35+ Easy Lunch Ideas

More Scrumptious Potato Recipes

Being from Idaho, comforting potato recipes are our love language. We have several potato classics for you to try. One of our favorites is Loaded Baked Potato Soup, which is made with actual BAKED potatoes. So yummy!

How to Make Cheesy Potato Soup

Close up of a bowl with Loaded Potato Soup garnished with cheese, sour cream, bacon and green onions.

Cheesy Potato Soup

4.93 from 41 votes
This Potato Soup is loaded with all your favorite potato toppings in a warm, satisfying bowl. Cheese, crisp bacon, scallions, and of course, hearty potatoes in a creamy savory sauce. It's the best potato soup for chilly days!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings

Video

Ingredients

  • 6-8 slices bacon
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 2 quarts chicken broth (8 cups)
  • 10 Yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste
  • shredded cheese for garnish, optional
  • sour cream optional
  • green onion for garnish, optional

Instructions

  • Cook bacon and cut it into 1/2" pieces. Place bacon pieces in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until bacon is crispy.
    Bacon cooking in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Carefully remove bacon from the pot and place on a paper towel to drain. Set aside. Pour off most of the grease from the pot but leave about 3-4 tablespoons of the grease in the pot. Do not wipe clean. 
    Cooked crispy bacon on a paper towel next to a pot with a little bacon grease for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Add diced onion to the pot and sauté until onions become soft and clear.
    Cooking diced onions in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup with a wooden spoon.
  • Sprinkle flour over the onions and stir well to become combined. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 minutes. 
    Sprinkling flour in a pot over onions for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly with a large whisk to make a slurry. Bring to a boil. 
    Broth in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • 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.
    Uncooked potatoes in a pot for Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Add half and half and stir until well combined.
    Pouring half and half into a pot of Loaded Potato Soup.
  • Carefully place half of the soup in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Be careful not to overfill the blender. You may want to do this in batches.
    Blender with Loaded Potato Soup next to a pot of soup.
  • 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.
    Adding cheese and bacon into Loaded Potato Soup. Wooden spoon on the side.
  • Place in individual bowls and garnish with additional shredded cheese, sour cream, and/or chopped green onion.
    Ladle with Loaded Potato Soup over a pot. Sliced bread, bacon, cheese, onions and sour cream on the side.

Notes

Recipe Tips:
  • This soup will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
  • Tastes best when re-heated over the stove.
  • Do not freeze.

Nutrition Information

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. I am diabetic and need to know the serving size. It says 10 serings, but not size of serving.
    I appreciate the nutrional facts.

    1. We don’t have exact serving size measurements. It is hard to determine exact serving sizes with homemade recipes.

  2. 5 stars
    It was good as is and the next time I made it I made changes that made it more of a loaded baked potato cross cheeseburger soup. Just added lean ground beef and a little rosemary and parsley. It was great.

    1. 5 stars
      This is the ultimate comfort food for fall and winter. I have had a craving for some really great LBP soup…..and this hit the spot!! Seriously good and soooo easy to put together. Just make it!!! It is a keeper and will be in my regular rotation!! Thanks for sharing!

  3. 5 stars
    I use heavy whipping cream and not the half and half. I also use ham and not the bacon. I made the soup bowls out of the frozen bread dough only because I can no longer find bread soup bowls at my grocery stores. The family absolutely loves this Sunday dinner.

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