Baked Potato Soup
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Baked Potato Soup is rich and creamy and has all your favorite potato fixins cooked right into each bowl. Fully loaded with cheese, bacon, and sour cream, this dinner is utterly life-changing. This simple baked potato soup recipe is incredibly popular — you are going to love it!
Baked Potato Soup
I’m used to hot hot hot in Arizona, which means I usually have to turn the air up and put on a sweater so I can pretend it’s cold. Then, I make soup. Lots and lots of scrumptious soup.
This simple baked potato soup recipe is an old family favorite.
I have made several versions over the years, but this one’s an easy stovetop method using baked potatoes and all my favorite baked potato fixings.
Of course, this recipe is an excellent way to use up leftover mashed potatoes too. It all starts with a pound of bacon, cooked and removed from the pot.
Then, the entire soup is built on the bacon drippings. Needless to say, it is glorious!
Bacon grease makes everything taste better, which is why I use it as the base for German potato salad, jalapeno popper mac and cheese, and my oven baked beans too.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Bacon – Thick-cut bacon won’t get lost as easily as thinner strips.
And go ahead and experiment with different flavors like applewood smoked or black pepper crusted. Just avoid anything too sweet. - Onion – Any yellow onion works great, with white onions as a close second. You could also substitute 2 large shallots in place of one onion.
- Baked Potatoes – You’ll need to make these ahead of time — luckily, I have an easy air fryer and Instant Pot recipes to use!
Once tender, remove the peel and smash with a potato masher or the bottom of a drinking glass.
This baked potato soup recipe is also a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes!
Swap in 5-6 cups of mashed or smashed potatoes instead of making a new batch of baked potatoes. - Flour – When combined with the bacon drippings, this creates a roux that helps thicken the baked potato soup. You can use all-purpose gluten-free flour instead.
- Chicken Stock – Feel free to use chicken broth or vegetable stock if needed.
- Half-and-Half – This is a popular dairy product in the US that’s an equal mixture of heavy cream and whole milk.
You can make your own substitute or simply use one or the other. All cream will make your baked potato soup even richer, while all milk will make it lighter and a bit thinner. - Sour Cream – Tangy, creamy, and thick, this helps add delicious richness to the soup. Swap with plain Greek yogurt if needed.
- Dried Parsley – With plenty of flavor from the bacon and stock, you don’t need much in the way of seasonings.
Feel free to substitute dried rosemary or Italian seasoning, or toss in some cayenne pepper or smoked paprika for heat. And garlic makes everything better!
Tips and Tricks to Make Potato Soup with Baked Potatoes
- Cook the bacon two different ways.
I find it easiest to toss the strips right in and crumble later, but you can chop them ahead of time too!
Do this while the bacon is still cold from the refrigerator. It’s a lot easier to chop into evenly-sized pieces this way.
The only difference is that you’ll need to stir the chopped bacon every so often to prevent it from sticking or burning on the bottom.
- Prevent lumps or curdling.
You’ll get the smoothest results if your ingredients are all at a similar temperature.
Measure out the half-and-half and sour cream and let them sit on the counter while you start this baked potato soup recipe.
Once your soup is just about done, ladle out about a cup of it into a bowl — there needs to be plenty of room for mixing.
Stir the sour cream into the bowl until melted and smooth, then pour that mixture back into the pot.
And when all else fails, an immersion blender will take care of any lumps that may have snuck past you!
- Give it time to simmer.
Not only will this help with thickening, but it allows all of the different flavors to meld together in the best way.
Potato soup with baked potatoes will thicken further once you add the sour cream, so pay close attention to the consistency.
If it already seems quite thick, stir in a little more chicken stock while simmering to balance it out.
Prep Ahead
- Bake, peel, and smash potatoes
- Cook bacon and reserve drippings
- Bring half & half and sour cream to room temp
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Dutch Oven – I love this set and use it all the time. It is perfect for roasts, and I especially love it for my one-pot meals.
- Slotted Spoon – Makes it easy to fish bacon out of the pot but leave that flavorful grease behind!
- Whisk – These have held up for over 10 years and are still as good as the day I bought them. With 3 sizes, there is a whisk for every job!
- Ladle – A must for dishing up homemade baked potato soup!
Serving Suggestions
I know I said all the fixins are cooked right into this homemade baked potato soup, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add some toppings!
Sprinkle extra bacon pieces over each bowl along with chopped green onions or chives. Don’t forget shredded cheese either — cheddar, Colby Jack, and gouda are my top picks.
As far as side dishes go, you can’t go wrong with roasted or steamed veggies and some crusty bread to mop up every last drop.
You can also serve smaller bowls as a cozy side to steakhouse favorites like cast iron ribeye or smothered chicken.
Storing and Reheating Homemade Baked Potato Soup
Refrigerate leftover baked potato soup for 3 to 4 days, stored in an airtight container.
Because it’s positively loaded with dairy, it’s best not to freeze it — the texture will become grainy and unpleasant when thawed and reheated.
Warm leftovers over low heat on the stove, stirring frequently, until warmed through.
Baked Potato Soup Recipe FAQ
Absolutely. Skip right to sautéeing the onion, and use about 2-3 tablespoons of butter or oil to replace the bacon grease. For the best flavor, use butter.
Not at all! I’ve included directions to make this recipe with mashed potatoes, but you can chop and simmer your spuds the old-fashioned way if you’d like. That will require another pot, though.
Baking and smashing them separately just saves some time and reduces the amount of starch, which can create a gluey texture.
Yes, but in that case, just use the slow cooker recipe I already have! It’s a lot cheesier and has loads of garlic, but it’s just as tasty.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Baked Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick cut bacon
- 1 onion, diced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 5 Russet potatoes, baked, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 cups half & half
- 1 cup sour cream
- 4 ounces shredded sharp cheddar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottom pot or Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp; remove bacon from pan with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Crumble bacon and set aside.
- Cook the onion in the bacon drippings until translucent; sprinkle in flour, stir and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
- Gradually whisk in chicken stock. Simmer the soup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and bubbly. Add in the smashed potatoes and bacon; Stir to combine.
- Stir in parsley and half & half, then cook for 10 more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add about a cup of hot soup to a small 4 cup bowl. Add sour cream stir to combine. This step will help the sour cream incorporate into the soup without getting lumpy (a great tip from one of our readers). Pour sour cream soup into the pot. Stir in cheese and taste. Add salt and pepper as desired.
- Serve and enjoy!
Donna’s Notes
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published January 2012, updated and republished January 2025
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It says serves 8
I made this soup tonight. It was wonderful. It's important to note (because some people may not realize it) that when you add the sour cream, it is best to scoop some of the soup out of pot (about one cup) into a bowl and use a whisk to slowly add the sour cream to the soup. If you don't do this one step, your sour cream may curdle when putting it into the hot liquid. A trick I learned from my Granny. Also, I didn't put the skins in the soup, but didn't throw them out. I stacked them and wrapped them up in foil, put them in the freezer. We like potator skins. At a later date, I will defrost them, put some cooked, diced potatoes in them and we will have another meal!!!!!
Potato soup is one of my favorites.
I'll be trying this now that the cooler weather is rolling in this weekend. It sounds amazingly good.
Just made this soup, added 1 cup of shredded sharp cheese and 3/4c of crispy bacon, my husband had 2 bowls it was that good.
The picture of the soups looks really good & i would love to try it but unfortunately when i click on "recipe" it takes me to an "e-bay buying guide" page with no recipe, so sadly i will not be trying your recipe
Hi Colleen! We are working on updating links. Sorry for the inconvenience, the recipe is now posted above. Have a great day!
The best potato soup ever!!! Thank you for sharing! Dang 👍👍
This potato soup is the best I have ever had!
Is there anyway I can have the original recipe when you had sourcream added. Love this recipe!
Hi Landi,
Sorry about that, somehow it was removed from the recipe. It is back now, enjoy!