Easy Loaded Potato Soup

Loaded potato soup is one of those dinners that sounds simple and delivers every single time. You start by cooking the bacon right in the Dutch oven and leaving that rendered grease in the pot because that is where all the flavor starts. The onion and garlic go in next, then flour to build the roux, then broth and potatoes simmered until soft.

Once the potatoes are done you mash them right in the pot to your preferred consistency, stir in room temperature heavy cream and two kinds of freshly shredded cheese, and add most of the crispy bacon back in. Ten more minutes on low and dinner is ready. My family asks for this one constantly all fall and winter and it never disappoints.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• The bacon grease stays in the pot and becomes the cooking fat for the onion and garlic. It seasons the entire soup from the very first step and adds a smoky depth that plain oil cannot replicate.
• Simply Potatoes diced potatoes skip the peeling and chopping completely. They go straight from the bag into the pot and save about 15 minutes of prep work on a weeknight.
• Two kinds of cheese stirred in at the end produce a richer, more complex cheesy flavor than one type alone and melt into the cream beautifully.
• You control the texture. Mash everything smooth for a velvety, creamy soup or leave it partially chunky for something more hearty and substantial. Both are excellent.

Ingredients Needed To Make Potato Soup

The Bacon Base

Ten strips of diced bacon cooked in the Dutch oven until crispy. Three quarters goes back into the soup. The rest is saved for topping every bowl. The rendered bacon grease left in the pot becomes the cooking fat for the onion and garlic and seasons the entire soup throughout.

The Roux and Broth

Diced yellow onion and minced garlic cooked in the bacon grease. Flour stirred in and cooked for 1 to 2 minutes builds the roux that thickens the soup naturally. Chicken or bone broth with paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and optional crushed red pepper seasons the base.

The Potatoes and Cream Finish

Simply Potatoes diced potatoes go straight from the bag into the simmering broth. Once softened they get mashed right in the pot. Room temperature heavy cream and freshly shredded mild cheddar and Colby Jack stirred in on low heat finish the soup into something rich and deeply cheesy.

How to Make Easy Loaded Potato Soup

Step 1: Cook the Bacon

Add the diced bacon to a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until fully crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Leave about ¼ cup of bacon grease in the pot.

Step 2: Build the Aromatics and Roux

Cook the diced onion in the bacon grease until translucent. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for 1 to 2 minutes until fully incorporated and lightly cooked.

Step 3: Add Broth and Potatoes

Pour in the broth and add all the seasonings. Stir to combine. Add the diced potatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally until the potatoes are completely softened.

Step 4: Mash and Finish

Reduce the heat to low. Use a potato masher to mash to your preferred consistency. Stir in the room temperature heavy cream and both cheeses until fully melted and smooth. Add ¾ of the reserved bacon and stir through. Simmer on low for 5 to 10 more minutes.

Step 5: Serve

Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining crispy bacon, a dollop of sour cream, extra shredded cheese, and sliced green onions.

Storing and Reheating

Store in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The soup thickens significantly as it cools. Add a splash of broth or cream when reheating and stir over medium-low heat until loosened and warmed through. Microwave on medium power in 60-second intervals stirring between each. The flavor is actually excellent the next day.

What People Ask About Potato Soup

Why keep the bacon grease in the pot instead of draining it all?

The rendered bacon grease is infused with all the smoky, salty, slightly sweet flavor from the cooked bacon. Cooking the onion and garlic in it rather than plain butter or oil adds a depth of flavor to the entire soup base that you simply cannot get any other way. About ¼ cup is the right amount, just enough to season and cook the aromatics without making the finished soup greasy or heavy.

Why use Simply Potatoes instead of fresh potatoes?

Simply Potatoes are refrigerated pre-diced potatoes that skip the peeling, washing, and chopping steps entirely and go straight from the bag into the pot. They save significant prep time on a weeknight without sacrificing any quality in the finished soup. Fresh potatoes work equally well. Peel and dice into uniform pieces before adding to the broth and cook until fork tender the same way.

Why must the heavy cream be room temperature?

Cold cream added to a hot soup causes a temperature shock that can cause the cream to curdle or break into a grainy, separated texture rather than incorporating smoothly into the soup. Room temperature cream blends gradually and evenly into the hot base and produces a smooth, cohesive finished soup. Pull it from the refrigerator at the very beginning when you start cooking the bacon and it will be ready when you need it.

Meghankay

Easy Loaded Potato Soup

This easy loaded potato soup cooks bacon, builds a roux with bacon grease and flour, simmers diced potatoes in seasoned broth, and finishes with heavy cream and two kinds of cheddar for a rich creamy one-pot dinner.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  

• 10 strips bacon uncooked
• ½ yellow onion diced
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 4 cups chicken broth or bone broth
• 20 oz simply potatoes diced potatoes
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper optional
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz mild cheddar cheese freshly shredded
• 8 oz Colby jack cheese freshly shredded
• Green onions for garnish

Method

 

1. In a dutch oven or large pot on medium heat, add diced uncooked bacon. Once the bacon is fully cooked, remove the bacon bits from the dutch oven and set aside.
2. Carefully remove excess grease from pan leaving about ¼ cup of bacon grease remaining in dutch oven.
3. Next, add diced yellow onion and cook in bacon grease until translucent. Once the onions are translucent, add minced garlic and stir until well combined.
4. Next add ¼ cup all purpose flour into the pan and mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined . This will help thicken the soup.
5. Once the flour is well combined, add chicken broth or bone broth, seasonings listed above and stir.
6. Next, add refrigerated simply potatoes diced potatoes into dutch oven. Stir until well combined. Bring liquid to a simmer and cover for 5-10 minutes. Stir every couple minutes to help prevent the potatoes from sticking to bottom of pan.
7. Once the potatoes are softened, turn heat down to low and use potato masher to help combine the potatoes to your preferred consistency.
8. Add room temperature heavy cream, mild cheddar and Colby jack cheese. Stir until well combined. Add ¾ bacon bits that were originally set aside into the dutch oven. Save remaining for garnish.
9. Let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
10. Serve immediately. Top with bacon, sour cream, cheese and green onions, and enjoy.

Notes

• Leave about ¼ cup of bacon grease in the pot after cooking the bacon. That is the flavor base for the entire soup and cooking the onion in it rather than plain oil makes a significant difference in the finished depth of flavor.
• Make sure the heavy cream is at room temperature before adding it. Cold cream added to a hot soup can cause it to curdle or break. Pull it from the refrigerator when you start cooking the bacon.
• Freshly shredded cheese only. Pre-shredded bag cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly and you will end up with a grainy rather than creamy soup.
• Mash the potatoes to your preferred consistency before the cream and cheese go in. Fully smooth produces a creamy, velvety soup. Partially mashed keeps chunks throughout for a more hearty, textured result.