Name: The Best Loaded Potato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 strips bacon ((cut into ½-inch pieces)); 1/2 medium onion ((chopped)); 2 cloves garlic ((minced)); 1/4 cup flour; 3 cups milk; 2 cups chicken broth; 2 pounds Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes ((about 4-5 large; peeled and diced)); 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 3/4 cup sour cream; 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese; sliced green onions ((or chives))

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This Loaded Potato Soup recipe is comforting, hearty, and delicious! Along with some soft dinner rolls or crusty bread, this will be the star of your next dinner. This soup is loaded with potatoes, and topped with crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions. It's totally irresistible!

Looking for more potato recipes? Try my Zuppa Toscana or Scalloped Potatoes next!

bowl of potato soup with cheddar cheese, green onions, and bacon sprinkled on top.

About This Recipe

Have you ever went to Outback Steakhouse? They make one of the best potato soups I've ever had. On their menu, it's called a "baked potato soup". It's thick and creamy, and comes topped with green onions, bacon, and cheddar cheese.

The Outback potato soup is actually super easy to make at home! The entire process only takes about 30-40 minutes. Most of the time is spent crisping up bacon at the beginning, and letting the soup simmer.

The key to this recipe is how long you simmer this soup. This is what determines the thickness and creaminess. The longer you simmer the soup, the more starches from the potatoes are released, which naturally thicken the soup.

My favorite potatoes for this recipe are either Yukon Gold or Russet. Yukon Gold potatoes are waxier, creamier, and less starchy than Russet potatoes. They hold their shape better during long cooks, so if you want nice chunks of potato, then I recommend Yukon Gold.

Russet potatoes, on the other hand, will break down into your soup faster, and thicken it quite a bit. If you're short on time, then I recommend Russet potatoes. Yukon Gold will also break down, but not as fast. Both will make the soup creamy if boiled long enough.

Key Ingredients

Bacon: These act as a crunchy topping for the soup. You can either cook your own bacon, or buy precooked bacon bits.

Onions and garlic: These are pretty self explanatory at this point. They add tons of great flavor.

Potatoes: I recommend either Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes. I used Yukon Gold today.

Flour: A little bit of flour helps thicken the soup.

Milk: I used whole milk.

Chicken broth: For this, I mixed 2 teaspoons of Better Than Bouillon with 2 cups of water.

Sour cream: This is stirred in at the end to add extra creaminess. The tiny bit of tanginess also helps bring the soup to life.

Cheddar cheese: For that cheesy goodness.

Green onions: For topping the soup.

Instructions

STEP 1: Add the bacon to a large pot and cook over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes until crispy. Remove the bacon to a bowl, leaving the bacon grease behind. (I actually used a nonstick pan for this step because my wife was using my large pot when I started the recipe. I switched back to the large pot in the next step)

STEP 2: Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

STEP 3: Add the flour and cook it for 30 seconds until it absorbs all the oil.

STEP 4: Gradually add the milk and whisk constantly until it's mixed in. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.