Description
This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a comforting, hearty soup packed with tender baked potatoes, crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and a hint of garlic and green onions. It's creamy, cheesy, and topped with delicious fried potato skins for an irresistible twist on a classic favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Soup Ingredients
- 3 1/4 lbs. russet potatoes (about 5 large, evenly sized)
- 9 oz bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large bunch green onions, sliced (light and green portions kept separate)
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups milk (2% or whole)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (white or yellow), plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Optional Fried Potato Skins
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Reserved baked potato skins from about 4 potatoes
Instructions
- Preheat and bake potatoes: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub and rinse potatoes very well. Pierce each potato several times with a fork. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife. Remove and let cool enough to handle.
- Cook bacon and prepare base: In a large pot over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until just crisp. Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels, leaving rendered fat in the pot. Return pot to low heat, add the light portion of sliced green onions and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add flour and garlic: Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add minced garlic and continue stirring for another 30 seconds to develop flavor.
- Deglaze and add liquids: Slowly pour in the chicken broth while stirring, followed by the milk. Continue stirring to combine thoroughly.
- Prepare potatoes for soup: Scoop out as much of the potato flesh as possible from the baked potatoes, leaving skins intact. Reserve the skins for frying. Add the potato flesh to the soup pot.
- Simmer the soup: Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Bring the soup to a light simmer over medium-high heat while stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Mash potatoes and add cheese and sour cream: Remove from heat and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes in the soup into smaller chunks for a creamy texture with some bite. Stir in the sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese. Add up to 1 cup more cheddar if extra cheesiness is desired.
- Prepare fried potato skins: Dice about 7 or 8 halves of reserved potato skins into small pieces. Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced potato skins, season with salt and pepper, and cook with occasional tossing until golden brown and crisp, about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Serve the soup: Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top each serving with additional shredded cheddar cheese, crispy cooked bacon, fried potato skins, and the green portion of sliced green onions.
Notes
- Look for thicker green onions with a substantial white/light portion as it adds more flavor. Alternatively, use two bunches of green onions to ensure about 1 cup of the light portion.
- You can substitute the light portion of green onions with 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion sautéed for 6 minutes before adding the garlic and flour for a milder onion flavor.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to better control the saltiness in the soup.
- Cheese types can be adjusted based on preference; smoked cheddar adds a nice depth of flavor.
- For a richer soup, whole milk is recommended but 2% milk works well too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
