Amazing 55-Min Loaded Baked Potato Soup

There is nothing in this world quite like curling up with a hug in a bowl, right? When the weather turns crisp or you just need a moment of absolute comfort, this creamy, hearty comfort food reigns supreme. I’m talking about incredible toppings, smoky bacon, and a texture so lush you won’t believe it came from a simple pot. I still remember the very first time I made Loaded Baked Potato Soup on a chilly fall evening. I hadn’t planned anything fancy—just wanted something warm after a long day of work. But as the pot simmered and the aroma of bacon and buttery potatoes filled the kitchen, it instantly became one of those unexpectedly perfect comfort meals. I ended up scribbling the recipe down so I could make it again—and now it’s one of my most requested dishes whenever friends come over. I’m Clara, and as someone who focuses on digital strategy and food photography, I promise you this soup looks as good as it tastes!

There is nothing in this world quite like curling up with a hug in a bowl, right? When the weather turns crisp or you just need a moment of absolute comfort, this creamy, hearty comfort food reigns supreme. I’m talking about incredible toppings, smoky bacon, and a texture so lush you won’t believe it came from a simple pot. I still remember the very first time I made Loaded Baked Potato Soup on a chilly fall evening. I hadn’t planned anything fancy—just wanted something warm after a long day of work. But as the pot simmered and the aroma of bacon and buttery potatoes filled the kitchen, it instantly became one of those unexpectedly perfect comfort meals. I ended up scribbling the recipe down so I could make it again—and now it’s one of my most requested dishes whenever friends come over. I’m Clara, and as someone who focuses on digital strategy and food photography, I promise you this soup looks as good as it tastes!

Why This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is Your New Comfort Food Favorite

I know you have a million soup recipes saved, but trust me on this one! This isn’t just any canned potato soup that tastes like glue. This recipe delivers everything you want in a true comfort meal, but without needing all day to make it happen. It’s unbelievably satisfying, especially once you pile on the toppings. As someone who loves showcasing amazing meals through photography, I can tell you this is one winner that looks just as good as it tastes!

• It’s a true comfort food dinner—less washing up means more time curled up on the couch!
• The flavor is deep because we start by rendering crunchy bacon right in the pot. You can’t beat that smoky base.
• It’s quick! You’re looking at less than an hour total, which is a miracle for something this rich.

Quick Prep and Cook Times

Seriously, we get this on the table in about 55 minutes total. If you start chopping while the bacon is cooking, you’ll be amazed how fast this Loaded Baked Potato Soup comes together. It cooks up beautifully right on the stovetop, making it perfect for a busy weeknight when you crave something substantial. It’s a fantastic *Soup Recipes easy one pot* option!

Incredibly Creamy Texture

This is where we beat the restaurants. We only blend about half the soup! That little trick keeps that lovely structural bite of potato here and there, even though the base is smooth and velvety. It’s that perfect contrast—creamy, yes, but still satisfyingly chunky. It’s exactly what you want when embracing *comfort food*.

Gathering Ingredients for Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Since this becomes the ultimate indulgent meal, we need to make sure we have the right players at the table, right? Don’t stress about finding fancy items; most of this is sturdy pantry and fridge stock. The important thing here is preparation, especially with those potatoes. You want everything sized consistently so it cooks evenly throughout the stovetop portion of the cooking time. Once you have these gathered, the hard part is over, I promise! You can peek at my one pot pasta recipe if you need another quick win this week, but for now, let’s focus on soup perfection.

Soup Base Ingredients

The magic starts with the bacon. Cook those 6 strips until they are perfectly crisp, and then that leftover fat? That’s pure gold. Keep it! That fat is the foundational flavor for coating our onions and the flour that thickens the soup. We need 3 cups of gold potatoes—and this is key—they must be peeled and diced into pieces no bigger than one inch. Consistency matters here! We’ll also use aromatics like onion and garlic, our thickeners (flour and milk), and the rich stuff: heavy cream and sour cream toward the end. Remember, that reserved bacon fat helps make this the best *Loaded Baked Potato Soup* you’ve ever had.

Optional Toppings for Serving

If you don’t load it up, is it really baked potato soup? Nope! The toppings are non-negotiable for the full effect. Make sure you have plenty of sharp, shredded cheddar cheese so it melts beautifully. Of course, you need extra bacon bits—save some of the ones you just cooked for this! Then, we bring in the fresh green of chives and a dollop or two of cool sour cream. These finish the look and bring that perfect temperature contrast to the hot, creamy soup.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Okay, this is the fun part where we turn simple ingredients into that lush soup you’ve been dreaming about. Since this is a stovetop recipe, we need one big pot—a Dutch Oven is perfect—and we’ll keep everything moving right along. The total active cooking time is quick, around 25 minutes before we let it settle. Just follow these steps closely, and you’ll have that amazing, velvety texture of a homemade *Loaded Baked Potato Soup* every single time. We’ll get this glorious sheet pan supper style meal simmering in under an hour!

Rendering Bacon and Sautéing Aromatics

First things first: get those bacon pieces sizzling in your Dutch oven over medium heat. We want them beautifully crisp and browned, so make sure you stir them occasionally. Once they are done, use a slotted spoon to scoop them out and set them aside—but listen to me, don’t throw away that gorgeous rendered fat! That’s flavor! Now, pop in 3 tablespoons of butter along with your chopped yellow onion. Cook those until they soften up, which takes about 3 to 5 minutes. They should look translucent, not brown.

Building the Base and Simmering Potatoes

Next, toss in your minced garlic and cook until you can really smell it—that’s only about 30 seconds, so don’t wander off! Now, sprinkle in that 1/3 cup of flour right over the bacon fat and onions. Whisk this mixture—it’s basically a quick roux—until it looks smooth so we don’t end up with lumps! Once smooth, slowly stir in your chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream. Season generously with salt, pepper, and that pinch of ancho chili powder. Finally, add all those diced gold potatoes. Bring the whole pot up to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it simmer until those potatoes are fork-tender, which is usually right around 10 minutes.

Achieving Creaminess and Finishing the Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Here comes the magic trick for texture! Once the potatoes are soft, we need to blend. You can carefully transfer about half the soup to a regular blender and puree it, or (my favorite tip since it’s easier and safer!) just use an immersion blender right in the pot. Pulse until you get that perfect balance—I like leaving some chunks behind. Once it’s mostly smooth, turn the heat down to low. Stir in that 2/3 cup of sour cream and the reserved bacon pieces. Be sure the heat isn’t too high when you add the sour cream so it doesn’t curdle! Let the whole thing gently simmer for the final 15 minutes so all those flavors really marry together before you ladle it out and top it!

Tips for Making the Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Look, this recipe is designed to be foolproof, honestly, but every great cook has a few little tricks up their sleeve to ensure success. Since we want this Loaded Baked Potato Soup to be restaurant-worthy, let’s talk about getting the small details just right, especially around texture and seasoning. Building on the notes my fellow food strategist took, these little adjustments make all the difference between a good soup and the best *comfort food* you’ve ever made!

Potato Preparation and Thickness Control

The size of your diced potatoes is actually a huge deal! If they are too big, some pieces will be hard while others turn to mush before you even start blending. That’s why I emphasize cutting them into cubes no larger than one inch. This ensures everything cooks through evenly in that rapid 10-minute simmer time. And remember my texture debate? I genuinely prefer only blending half the soup. That slight chunkiness against the ultra-creamy base is what makes this feel homemade and special. If you want pure smoothie-like heaven, go ahead and blend it all, but trust me, leaving some potato pieces makes it feel closer to a real baked potato experience!

Flavor Adjustments: Salt and Spice

This is a crucial kitchen rule for any soup using broth: always taste before you fully salt it! Broth brands vary wildly in how much sodium they pack in. I list 1.5 teaspoons in the recipe, but start with just one teaspoon, bring the soup to a simmer, and taste it once the potatoes are tender. You can always add more salt, but taking it out? Forget about it! The same goes for the ancho chili powder. It adds a beautiful, smoky depth that complements the bacon so nicely, but it’s potent. If you’re worried about heat, start with just 1/4 teaspoon, stir it in, taste, and then bump it up to that full 1/2 teaspoon if you want that extra warmth. You don’t want to overpower the delicate potato flavor, just enhance it. If you want more savory depth without extra salt, you could check out my ideas for budget friendly dinners that focus on herbs!

Storage and Freezing Tips for Loaded Baked Potato Soup

One of the best things about making a big batch of this creamy soup is knowing you have delicious leftovers ready to go! It definitely holds up well, which is why it’s such a fantastic recipe if you are looking for something freezer friendly. Store any leftovers in airtight containers in the fridge for up to four days.

If you plan to freeze it, which you absolutely should, wait until after the final 15-minute simmer but *before* you stir in the sour cream and bacon. Dairy doesn’t always freeze perfectly when heavily mixed. Freeze the base soup portion in freezer-safe bags or containers. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge, then gently warm it on the stovetop, adding the heavy cream and sour cream right at the end as you normally would.

And here’s the most important rule for any loaded soup: toppings are for plating only! Never freeze them with the soup. Bacon gets soggy, and cheese gets weird. Keep all your cheddar, chives, and extra bacon separate until you are ready to serve those cozy bowls.

Serving Suggestions for Your Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Honestly, once you see how rich and dense this Loaded Baked Potato Soup is, you’ll realize it doesn’t really need much else! This is definitely a main-event soup—a full, satisfying dinner all by itself, especially when you dump on generous amounts of cheese and bacon. It fits right into that ‘easy meal’ category, even if it tastes like you fussed over it for hours. It’s perfect comfort food that fills you right up!

Pairing with Bread or Salad

However, if you are serving a crowd or just want something to dunk, you need pairings that cut through some of that lovely, creamy fat. Skip the heavy starches! A perfectly crisp, lightly dressed side salad is my go-to. Something with a sharp vinaigrette wakes up the palate and balances the richness beautifully. If you absolutely must have bread—and I get it, sometimes you just need a crusty edge for scooping—go for something simple like French bread or sourdough.

If you’re trying to keep things moving quickly, you might be looking for other quick dinner ideas, but remember that soup and salad keeps cleanup minimal while still delivering a balanced meal. Just make sure that salad is bright and fresh!

Frequently Asked Questions About Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I thought I covered everything, but you guys always have the best questions! Since this is such a fantastic comfort food staple, I want to make sure you feel totally confident making it on your stovetop. Here are a few things folks ask me most often about turning this recipe into a family favorite.

Can I make this Loaded Baked Potato Soup without bacon?

You totally can! If you’re vegetarian or just running low on bacon, don’t worry. The smoky flavor is kind of essential to that “baked potato” vibe, so you need a swap that brings that depth back. My go-to trick is skipping the bacon cooking step entirely, using the 3 tablespoons of butter instead, and then adding about 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika along with the flour. Onions and garlic still go in first, of course! If you use vegetarian bacon bits as a topping, that helps a ton on the flavor front too!

How do I make this a true one-pot soup recipe?

That’s the beauty of using a big Dutch Oven or soup pot! Almost every single step—rendering the fat, sautéing the veggies, making the roux, boiling the potatoes—happens right there in that one vessel, fulfilling that *one pot* promise. The only slight exception is if you choose to use a standard blender instead of the immersion blender to smooth out half the soup. Even then, it’s just a quick transfer back and forth, so clean-up is incredibly minimal. Seriously, it’s less scrubbing than making a big pot of pasta!

What is the best potato to use for this soup?

This is where I get slightly fussy, but I promise it matters! I insist on using Gold potatoes (like Yukon Golds). They are delightfully buttery, and while they break down nicely when simmered, they maintain just a tiny bit more structure than Russet potatoes do. Russets become almost *too* starchy and can sometimes turn a little grainy when you blend them, even if you only do half the batch. Stick to those golden babies for the smoothest, creamiest final product. They just handle the long simmer time better and result in truly amazing homemade *comfort food*.

Estimated Nutritional Information for Loaded Baked Potato Soup

When you are making something this rich and satisfying, you know you’re inviting in some great flavor, and that usually means leaning into the fats and the carbs, which is totally fine sometimes! This is serious comfort food, after all. I pulled the estimates from the recipe breakdown, but I always tell folks to take these numbers with a big grain of salt—pun intended! Your broth brand or the specific amount of cheese you pile on top can change these numbers quickly.

Based on the recipe serving 6 people, here is what we are generally looking at per serving:

• Calories: 521
• Fat: 32g (with 17g saturated fat)
• Carbohydrates: 47g
• Protein: 12g

See? A solid, filling bowl that keeps you satisfied well past dinner. If you are tracking macros closely, I really recommend checking out my thoughts on general diet and nutrition in general, as everything hinges on what toppings you decide to decorate your bowl with! Enjoy it, savor the flavor, and don’t worry too much about the numbers when a bowl of creaminess like this comes along!

Share Your Experience Making This Comfort Food

Wow, we made it! You now have the full blueprint for what I think is the most unbelievably cozy bowl of food out there: my famous Loaded Baked Potato Soup. Seriously, I pour my heart into these recipes, especially the comforting ones that warm you from the inside out, and I truly hope you love making this as much as I do.

Now that you’ve had your culinary adventure, please jump down below and leave a rating for this recipe! Did you change up the toppings? Did you go for the smooth blend or keep some chunks? I love hearing all the variations!

If you snap a picture of that beautiful bowl overflowing with cheese and bacon, tag me on social media so I can see your masterpiece. Seeing your successes really makes my day as I continue creating these recipes here on the site. You can always learn more about my journey and see my latest content over on my About Me page. Happy cooking—I already can’t wait for you to try the next recipe!