Baked Potato Soup (2024)

Baked potato soup is about as good as you can get in terms of comfort food in the soup category! It’s so hearty and creamy and full of flavor. This soup has all the best parts about a loaded baked potato, in a bowl you can slurp. It’s a great recipe to use if you have leftover baked potatoes, but it’s also easy enough to whip up all on the same night. Top it with all the traditional baked potato toppings of crispy bacon, sliced green onions, melty cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream if you like. This is definitely a favorite of my whole family and perfect for a cozy night in!

Ingredients and Equipment

• Butter – real butter gives the best flavor here, and also combines with the flour for the thickening agent.
  
• Garlic– fresh garlic adds great flavor, but if you’re out, you can definitely sub in some garlic powder to taste! If using garlic powder, add it with the salt and pepper to taste. I’d start with 1/2 teaspoon.
  
• Flour – flour is used as our thickener. If you’re out of flour, you could certainly try combining 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch with your cold milk before adding to the pot to help thicken the soup.
  
• Milk – low fat milk works just fine in this recipe, though I personally would skip skim milk. I generally use what we have at home, which is 1%.
  
• Chicken Broth – free free to use canned broth, or chicken bullion base + water or homemade if you have it!
  
• Potatoes – russet potatoes work best here with their high starch content. They crumble nicely and area able to soak up liquid in the soup. If you have another type of potato leftover, or in your kitchen, you can certainly sub out a different variety and it will still taste great. This step takes the longest in terms of prep time, but if your potatoes are already cooked, it comes together in under 30 minutes!
  
• Cheese – I prefer using a sharp cheddar for extra flavor, but regular mild cheddar works great as well. I would avoid using pre-shredded cheese in bags, as it doesn’t melt as well and might add a less desirable texture to your finished soup.
  
• Sour Cream – low fat or full fat sour cream can be used.
  
• Green Onions– thinly slice your green onions and use both the white and green ends!
  
• Bacon– bacon adds both flavor and texture to the finished soup. Though I call for the minimum amount of bacon needed for the recipe, at our house I just cook a full pound so we have plenty to add on top. The easiest way to prep bacon for this recipe (and always) is baking it in the oven! You can cook it at the same time as your potatoes, just add the pan toward the end of cooking time.

Instructions

This is a basic walkthrough of making baked potato soup so you can know what to expect! Scroll to the end of this article for the full printable recipe, including all measurements.

1. Melt butter in a large stock pot and add garlic. Saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant.
   
2. Add flour and whisk mixture together to form a paste-like mixture.
   
3. Drizzle in milk very slowly, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Note: This step can sometimes be problematic and even I end up with lumps sometimes! No shame in that- rouxs can be tricky and this one has less butter than normal so it’s a little harder to smooth out. I often just pull out my immersion blender at this point to smooth it all out before moving on to the next step.
   
4. Add chicken broth and bring soup to a low simmer to thicken.
   
5. Add in cooked baked potatoes and season with salt and pepper.
   
6. Add in cheddar cheese and stir until melted and then add in sour cream, bacon, and green onions.
   
7. Ladle into bowls and Serve with extra toppings!

NOTE: I mention in the ingredient notes above that I like to have extra chicken broth on hand. This is a thick and hearty soup- if I need to stretch it, or if it’s going to sit for a bit, I like to add extra broth. It’s very flexible that way!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I prep baked potato soup ahead of time? This soup will thicken quite a bit once stored, so I think it’s better made fresh. That being said, leftovers are delicious, they just need to be thinned out with additional broth.

Can any of the steps be done ahead? Yes! To save time, bake your potatoes ahead of time. They can be stored in the fridge until ready to use. This is an excellent use for leftover baked potatoes. You can also cook your bacon ahead of time and store the same way. Slice your green onions and grate your cheese. With all of those steps done ahead, this soup takes just minutes to make!

Help! My leftovers are super thick, what do I do? As mentioned above, this soup will thicken upon chilling. Just heat it up and if necessary, thin with a little extra broth until your desired consistency is reached.

Serving Suggestions

• We love serving baked potato soup with crusty bread for dipping. Because the soup itself is so hearty, it’s definitely more filling than other lighter, broth-based soups. Bread and a nice green salad work nicely!
  
• If you’re up for making your own bread, this super easy overnight artisan loaf is a great choice. We also love homemade Buttermilk Ranch on our salad.