This Loaded Baked Potato Soup captures all the cozy flavors of a fully-loaded baked potato in a creamy, spoonable bowl. A clever blend of cauliflower and russet potatoes creates a velvety texture without being overly heavy. It’s the ultimate comfort food for chilly evenings or hectic weeknights.
Craving a delicious Loaded Baked Potato Soup? You've come to the right spot! From Dinner Ideas favorites to amazing Chicken Thigh Recipes recipes, there's something here for everyone.
Why You’ll Love This Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Ultimate comfort food: All the nostalgic flavors in a luxurious, spoonable form.
- Surprisingly simple: Comes together in under an hour with mostly hands-off simmering.
- Secret ingredient texture: Cauliflower creates a creamy, thick base without heavy roux.
- Endlessly customizable: Top with bacon, cheddar, jalapeños, or sour cream.
Ingredients & Tools
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 large russet potatoes (about 600g), peeled and cubed
- 1/2 head medium cauliflower (about 400g), cut into florets
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- To taste: salt and black pepper
- For garnish: fresh chives, extra bacon, cheese, sour cream
Tools: A large stockpot or Dutch oven, an immersion blender or standard blender, a wooden spoon, and a sharp knife.
Notes: Use a good-quality broth for best flavor. Sharp cheddar is non-negotiable for that classic tangy bite.
Nutrition (per serving)
| Calories: | 480 kcal |
| Protein: | 18 g |
| Fat: | 35 g |
| Carbs: | 22 g |
| Fiber: | 3 g |
Serves: 6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 50 minutes
Before You Start: Tips & Ingredient Notes
- Don’t skip the bacon fat. We’re going to cook our aromatics in the rendered bacon grease. This builds a foundational layer of smoky, savory flavor that infuses the entire soup. It’s a little trick with a huge payoff.
- Cut your potatoes and cauliflower evenly. You want them to be roughly the same size—about 1-inch cubes for the potatoes and similar-sized florets. This ensures they all cook at the same rate and become perfectly tender for blending.
- Shred your own cheese. I know, it’s an extra step. But pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking agents that can make your soup grainy or prevent it from melting smoothly. A block of sharp cheddar grated fresh will give you the silkiest, most luxurious result.
- Have your immersion blender ready. If you’re using a standard blender, remember to work in batches and never fill it more than halfway with hot liquid. Remove the center cap from the lid and cover it with a towel to let steam escape safely.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Step 1: Start by cooking your bacon. Place the chopped bacon in your cold stockpot and turn the heat to medium. Cooking it slowly from a cold start helps render the fat evenly, giving you perfectly crispy bits. Once it’s browned and crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate. You’ll notice we’re leaving all that glorious bacon fat in the pot—that’s our cooking oil!
Step 2: Build your flavor base. Add the diced onion to the hot bacon fat. You should hear a gentle sizzle. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and turned translucent. Now, stir in the minced garlic and cook for just one more minute until it becomes incredibly fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn, as it can turn bitter.
Step 3: Add the potatoes, cauliflower, and broth. Toss your cubed potatoes and cauliflower florets into the pot, giving everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in that savory fat. Now, pour in your broth. It should just about cover the vegetables. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can easily pierce a potato cube with a fork with no resistance.
Step 4: Blend it up! This is where the magic happens. If you’re using an immersion blender, carefully submerge it into the soup and blend until completely smooth. If you’re using a countertop blender, ladle the soup in batches, never filling the jar more than halfway. Blend until velvety. The texture should be thick and creamy, with no lumps.
Step 5: Enrich the soup. Return the blended soup to the pot if you used a countertop blender. Stir in the heavy cream and the smoked paprika. Let it heat through for a couple of minutes over low heat. Now, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and gradually stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Adding the cheese off the direct heat prevents it from breaking or becoming oily. Stir until it’s fully melted and incorporated.
Step 6: Finish and season. Take the pot off the heat entirely. Now, stir in the half-cup of sour cream. This adds a wonderful tang and extra creaminess. Finally, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste it! This is your chance to adjust. Does it need more salt? More pepper? Make it yours.
Step 7: Serve and load it up! Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Now for the fun part—the toppings. Generously sprinkle the reserved crispy bacon, more shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and a shower of fresh, chopped chives. Serve immediately while it’s piping hot.
Storage & Freshness Guide
- Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Not recommended, as dairy can separate and texture becomes grainy.
- Reviving: Reheat gently on the stove, whisking in extra broth or cream if thickened.
Serving Suggestions
Complementary Dishes
- A simple side salad with a tangy vinaigrette — The sharp, acidic dressing cuts through the soup’s richness beautifully and adds a fresh, crisp element to the meal.
- Buttery, toasted low-carb bread or garlic knots — Perfect for dipping and scooping up every last bit of that creamy soup from the bottom of the bowl.
- Sautéed garlicky greens like kale or spinach — They add a pop of color and a nutritious, earthy component that balances the hearty, decadent soup.
Drinks
- A crisp, dry hard cider — Its bright apple notes and slight fizz provide a fantastic contrast to the creamy, savory soup.
- An iced black tea with a lemon wedge — The tannins and citrus cleanse the palate between spoonfuls, keeping each bite tasting fresh.
- A light-bodied lager or pilsner — The carbonation and mild hop bitterness are a classic pairing for rich, cheesy dishes.
Something Sweet
- A small bowl of mixed berries — Their natural sweetness and slight acidity are a light, refreshing finish that doesn’t feel too heavy after a rich meal.
- A square of very dark chocolate — Just a bite or two of high-cocoa chocolate satisfies the sweet tooth with its intense, slightly bitter flavor.
- A few almond flour shortbread cookies — They offer a buttery, crumbly texture and a subtle sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the soup’s savory profile.
Top Mistakes to Avoid
- Mistake: Boiling the soup after adding the dairy. Once you’ve stirred in the cream, sour cream, and cheese, you must keep the heat very low or even take it off the heat. Boiling can cause the dairy to separate or curdle, giving you a grainy, broken soup instead of a smooth one.
- Mistake: Not blending the soup until completely smooth. A few chunks of potato might seem fine, but for that truly luxurious, baked-potato-skin-texture, you want it velvety. Keep blending until you can’t feel any bits at all. I’ve messed this up before too, and the difference in mouthfeel is huge.
- Mistake: Adding pre-shredded cheese directly to very hot soup. As mentioned, the starches and cellulose on pre-shredded cheese can make your soup gritty. If it’s all you have, toss it with a teaspoon of cornstarch first to help it incorporate more smoothly, but fresh is always best.
- Mistake: Underseasoning. Potatoes need a good amount of salt, and the broth and cauliflower are fairly neutral. Be bold with your salt and pepper, tasting and adjusting at the end. The toppings add salt, but the base soup itself needs to be well-seasoned.
Expert Tips
- Tip: For a super-silky texture, pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve. This is a restaurant trick that catches any tiny, unblended fibers from the cauliflower or potato skins, resulting in an unbelievably smooth and elegant soup.
- Tip: Make it a day ahead. Soups are almost always better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld. Gently reheat it on the stove over low heat, stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from scorching.
- Tip: Add a splash of hot sauce or a pinch of cayenne. You don’t necessarily taste the heat, but it adds a subtle, warm complexity in the background that makes the other flavors pop. It’s a little secret for depth.
- Tip: Roast your cauliflower first for a nuttier flavor. If you have an extra 20 minutes, toss the cauliflower florets with a little oil and roast at 400°F (200°C) until lightly browned. This adds a wonderful, deep, toasty note to the soup.
FAQs
Can I make this soup ahead of time?
Absolutely, and it often tastes even better! Let the soup cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The one thing to note is that it will thicken as it sits. When you reheat it, do so gently over low heat on the stove, and you may need to whisk in a little extra broth or cream to bring it back to your desired consistency. Avoid boiling it to keep the dairy happy.
Can I freeze Loaded Baked Potato Soup?
I don’t recommend freezing this particular soup. Soups with a high dairy content, like this one with cream, sour cream, and cheese, tend to separate and become grainy when thawed. The texture changes pretty significantly. The potatoes can also become a bit mealy. It’s truly best enjoyed fresh or stored in the fridge for a few days.
Is there a way to make this soup thicker or thinner?
Of course! For a thicker soup, you can let it simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes after blending to reduce and concentrate. For a thinner soup, simply whisk in more broth or a bit of water until it reaches the consistency you like. Remember to adjust your seasoning again after diluting it.
What can I use instead of cauliflower?
If you’re not a fan of cauliflower, you can replace it with an additional russet potato. The soup will be slightly starchier and less velvety, but still delicious. You could also use peeled and chopped celery root (celeriac) for a similar creamy texture with a mild, celery-like flavor.
My soup turned out a bit grainy. What happened?
This is almost always a cheese issue. It likely got too hot too quickly, causing the proteins to tighten and separate. Another culprit could be pre-shredded cheese. To fix it, try blending the soup again with an immersion blender—sometimes that can help re-emulsify it. For next time, remember to add the cheese off the heat and use freshly shredded block cheese.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Make the best Loaded Baked Potato Soup with this easy recipe. Creamy, comforting, and ready in under an hour. Get the full recipe and start cooking!
Ingredients
For the Ingredients
-
4 slices thick-cut bacon (chopped)
-
1 large yellow onion (diced)
-
3 cloves garlic (minced)
-
2 large russet potatoes (about 600g, peeled and cubed)
-
1/2 head medium cauliflower (about 400g, cut into florets)
-
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
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1 cup heavy cream
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2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
-
1/2 cup sour cream
-
1 tsp smoked paprika
-
salt and black pepper (to taste)
-
fresh chives, extra bacon, cheese, sour cream (for garnish)
Instructions
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Start by cooking your bacon. Place the chopped bacon in your cold stockpot and turn the heat to medium. Cooking it slowly from a cold start helps render the fat evenly, giving you perfectly crispy bits. Once it’s browned and crisp, use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate. You’ll notice we’re leaving all that glorious bacon fat in the pot—that’s our cooking oil!01
-
Build your flavor base. Add the diced onion to the hot bacon fat. You should hear a gentle sizzle. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions have softened and turned translucent. Now, stir in the minced garlic and cook for just one more minute until it becomes incredibly fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn, as it can turn bitter.02
-
Add the potatoes, cauliflower, and broth. Toss your cubed potatoes and cauliflower florets into the pot, giving everything a good stir to coat the vegetables in that savory fat. Now, pour in your broth. It should just about cover the vegetables. Bring the whole thing to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to a steady simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for 15-20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can easily pierce a potato cube with a fork with no resistance.03
-
Blend it up! This is where the magic happens. If you’re using an immersion blender, carefully submerge it into the soup and blend until completely smooth. If you’re using a countertop blender, ladle the soup in batches, never filling the jar more than halfway. Blend until velvety. The texture should be thick and creamy, with no lumps.04
-
Enrich the soup. Return the blended soup to the pot if you used a countertop blender. Stir in the heavy cream and the smoked paprika. Let it heat through for a couple of minutes over low heat. Now, turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting and gradually stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Adding the cheese off the direct heat prevents it from breaking or becoming oily. Stir until it’s fully melted and incorporated.05
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Finish and season. Take the pot off the heat entirely. Now, stir in the half-cup of sour cream. This adds a wonderful tang and extra creaminess. Finally, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Taste it! This is your chance to adjust. Does it need more salt? More pepper? Make it yours.06
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Serve and load it up! Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Now for the fun part—the toppings. Generously sprinkle the reserved crispy bacon, more shredded cheddar, a dollop of sour cream, and a shower of fresh, chopped chives. Serve immediately while it’s piping hot.07
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