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Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Creamy, hearty soup loaded with crispy bacon, ham, cheese, and tender potatoes. Perfect comfort food for cold days that's ready in just 45 minutes.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 485 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked until crispy and crumbled
  • ⅓ pound ham diced into cubes and fried in butter until lightly browned
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • ⅓ cup yellow onion diced
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3⅓ cups whole milk
  • 1 clove garlic minced or pressed
  • 3 large Russet baking potatoes peeled and diced
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
  • 1⅓ cups shredded cheddar cheese divided
  • ½ cup sour cream or more to taste
  • 2 green onions thinly sliced

Instructions
 

  • Sauté the base: Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, add diced onion, and cook for 5 minutes until soft and fragrant.
  • Make the roux: Whisk in flour continuously until golden brown, then slowly add milk while whisking for 2-3 minutes until smooth and slightly thickened.
  • Add main ingredients: Stir in minced garlic and diced potatoes, raise the heat to high, and bring to a brief boil, scraping the bottom of the pot.
  • Simmer soup: Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender but not mushy throughout.
  • Finish and serve: Remove from heat, add cubed ham, salt, pepper, sour cream, and half the cheese, then ladle into bowls with remaining toppings.

Notes

  • For smoother texture: Mash tender potatoes with a potato masher before adding the final ingredients for your preferred consistency.
  • Prevent curdling: Always remove soup from the heat before stirring in sour cream to maintain a smooth, creamy texture throughout.
  • Storage tip: Soup thickens when refrigerated, so add extra milk when reheating to restore original consistency and creaminess.
  • Cheese melting: Hand-grate cheese from a block rather than using pre-shredded for the smoothest, creamiest melting results.
  • Bacon preparation: Cook bacon until very crispy and drain on paper towels before crumbling for the best texture contrast.