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This Loaded Potato Soup is easy, delicious, full of flavour and comes together in around 30 minutes! It combines the creaminess of a classic potato soup with all of your favourite baked potato toppings. Feel free to customize it to your taste, experiment with different toppings and enjoy it any time of year.
Ingredients Needed for Loaded Potato Soup
- Potatoes: Russet potatoes are the best choice for this soup due to their bright colour and starchy nature, which gives the soup a nice, thick consistency.
- Bacon: I used beef bacon here but you can substitute pork if preferred. Tip: to render the most amount of fat and prevent the bacon from burning, place it in a cold pot to start and let it slowly come to temperature. You can then use the rendered bacon fat to sauté your onions and garlic for the most amount of flavour.
- Onions and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavourful base of the soup. Try not to burn the onion or garlic or it will give the soup a bitter and strong flavour.
- Chicken Broth: For best results, use a good-quality chicken broth. Homemade is always best but if you’re in a pinch, Kettle & Fire makes excellent packaged ones made with clean ingredients. For added protein and collagen, I often use their Bone Broths.
- Greek Yogurt: Instead of using heavy cream, which is high in calories and low in nutrition, I use a non-fat Greek yogurt. It gives the soup a creamy texture, subtle tanginess, and bumps up the amount of protein per serving.
- Shredded Cheese: I used Kerrygold Dubliner Cheese here. It’s made with milk from Irish Grass-Fed cows and has a delicious, complex and slightly nutty flavour. I like to stir some into the soup itself and reserve some for garnish. If you can’t find any, substitute your favourite aged cheddar.
- Arrowroot Starch: To keep this recipe grain-free, I use arrowroot starch as a thickener instead of the more common wheat flour. If you can’t find arrowroot starch, you can simply omit it and add one extra small potato to the soup to make sure it’s thick enough to your liking.
- Fresh Herbs: Adding some fresh thyme and bay leaves to the soup will add some depth of flavour.
- Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning the soup to taste.
Topping Ingredients:
- Green Onions: For garnish and a fresh bite.
- Greek Yogurt: Adds tanginess and creaminess when served on top. Also bumps up the amount of protein per serving.
- Jalapeño: If you like it spicy, add some thinly sliced jalapeño or your favourite chile pepper.
- Shredded Cheese: A bit more shredded cheese overtop is the ultimate indulgence.
- Crumbled Bacon: A must-have for that extra crunch and smoky flavour.
Other Topping Suggestions
One of the best parts about loaded potato soup is the toppings! Here are some more suggestions to customize your bowl:
- Blue Cheese: If you like it funky, crumble some blue cheese overtop of your loaded potato soup.
- Chives: For a fresh, herby finish.
- Hot Sauce: For a spicy kick.
- Croutons: For added texture and crunch.
- Fresh Herbs: Such as parsley or dill, for an aromatic touch.
Can it Be Made In Advance?
Absolutely! Loaded potato soup can be made in advance, which makes it perfect for meal prep or serving at a dinner party. Here are some tips for making it ahead of time:
Storage:
- Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: For longer storage, you can freeze the soup. Portion it into freezer-safe containers, leaving some room for expansion. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
Reheating:
- Stovetop: Reheat the soup on low heat, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a little extra broth or water to get the desired consistency when reheating.
- Microwave: Heat in a microwave-safe bowl, stirring every 1-2 minutes until heated through.
Tip!
If you plan on making the Loaded Potato Soup in advance, I recommend reheating the soup first before adding the toppings. This will maintain the texture and freshness of the ingredients and also allow your family and friends to customize their soups however they like.
Specialty Equipment Needed
Making loaded potato soup is fairly straightforward and doesn’t require any specialized kitchen equipment. However, having the following items can make the process easier:
- Large Pot: For cooking the soup. A heavy-bottomed pot is ideal to prevent burning. For small batches of soup, I like to use this 5-quart saucier because it has a long handle, curved bottom, and helper handle for easy carrying.
- Immersion Blender or Regular Blender: To achieve a smooth, creamy texture. An immersion blender is more convenient because you can blend the soup directly in the pot.
- Whisk: Useful for making sure the Greek yogurt and cheese are incorporated into the soup without any lumps.
How to Make Loaded Potato Soup
1: Prepare the Ingredients
- Potatoes: Peel and dice the potatoes into small, even-sized pieces for consistent cooking.
- Bacon: Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb excess grease, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Onions and Garlic: Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
Step 2: Cook the Base
- Sauté: Add the diced onions to the reserved bacon fat and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Roux: Sprinkle the arrowroot starch over the onion and garlic mixture. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes to cook the flour and form a light roux.
- Add Liquid: Gradually whisk in the hot chicken broth, ensuring there are no lumps. Bring to a boil. Top with water, as necessary.
Step 3: Cook the Potatoes
- Simmer: Add the diced potatoes and herbs to the pot. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Blend the Soup
- Blend: Remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until just barely smooth. I like to have a few chunks of potato floating around for texture and to let people know what’s in the soup. If using a regular blender, blend 3/4 of the soup in batches and return to the pot.
Step 5: Add the Yogurt and Cheese
- Temper the Yogurt: To prevent the yogurt from curdling, add it to a separate bowl and whisk in some of the hot soup broth until combined. This process is called tempering and will slowly raise the temperature of the yogurt. You can then add the yogurt mixture to the soup and whisk it through to prevent any clumps.
- Add the Cheese: The final step is to add most of the cheese to the loaded potato soup. I like to use a whisk to prevent clumps.
- Taste for Seasoning: Always taste a little bit of the soup for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
Step 6: Serve and Garnish
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls.
- Garnish: Top each bowl with your desired toppings — crumbled bacon, extra cheese, green onions, more Greek yogurt, and sliced jalapeño.
Loaded Potato Soup
This Loaded Potato Soup is easy, delicious, fullof flavour and comes together in around 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 6 strips beef bacon, thinly sliced, substitute pork bacon
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/5 quart water
- Freshly-cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup zero-fat Greek yogurt, plus extra for serving
- 7 ounces Kerrygold Dubliner cheese, coarsely grated
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Add the sliced bacon to a cold sauté pan or stock pot and set it over medium heat. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crispy, around 8 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of rendered bacon fat in the pan and transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess grease. Cover and set aside at room temperature.
- Add the onions to the pan, season with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring and lifting any brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until soft and translucent, around 5 minutes. Add the garlic and arrowroot starch and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant and the starch has turned golden brown, around 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, potatoes, thyme leaves, bay leaves, water and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Stir everything to distribute, raise the heat to medium-high, bring the liquid to a steady simmer and cook until the potatoes are completely fork-tender, around 15 minutes.
- Discard the bay leaves and use an immersion blender to blend roughly ¾ of the soup until smooth, leaving some chunks of potato for texture. If using a regular blender, transfer all but 1 cup of potatoes to the blender and blend until smooth before returning it back to the pan. If the soup is too thick, adjust with more water or chicken broth. If the soup is too thin, blend more of the potatoes to thicken it further or continue to simmer the soup, allowing it to reduce in volume.
- In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt with 1 cup of the hot broth and whisk to incorporate. Pour the yogurt mixture back into the pan and whisk to combine. Add ¾ of the shredded cheese and whisk until just incorporated. Taste the soup for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired.
- To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with shredded cheese, reserved bacon bits, sliced green onion, sliced jalapeño, and a dollop of Greek yogurt. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories: 509kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.05g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 1108mg, Potassium: 1174mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 472IU, Vitamin C: 17mg, Calcium: 323mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe? Leave a comment below!
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
Loved your potato soup!!