Easy Potato Soup Recipe

This easy potato soup starts with baked potatoes, so every spoonful tastes like a loaded baked potato. Pile on your favorite toppings and make your bowl exactly the way you like it.

When soup weather rolls around, I'm always looking for something warm that doesn't take all day. If you feel the same way, you'll also want to try my White Cheddar Poblano Soup and my Ham and Bean Soup!

Potato soup is one of those things you'd have to be crazy not to like. What makes our version different is that we start with baked potatoes instead of boiling cubed ones. Baking gives the potatoes a fluffy texture and more of that true baked potato flavor. It also means there's no peeling or dicing. You just scoop out the insides and mash them right into the soup.

Let's be honest. The only reason most of us order a baked potato with dinner is the toppings. Are you a cheese-only person? Butter and sour cream? If you're like me, you go all the way. This easy potato soup recipe works the same way, so set out lots of options and let everyone build their own bowl.

Why You'll Love It

• It tastes like a loaded baked potato. Bacon, cheddar, and green onions are cooked right into the soup.
• It uses ingredients you probably already have. Potatoes, milk, butter, flour, bacon, and cheese do all the work.
• It's a great use for leftover baked potatoes. If you have some in the fridge, the soup is ready in about 30 minutes.
• It makes about 8 bowls. That's plenty for a family dinner with leftovers.

Ingredients Needed

• Baking Potatoes - I always use russets. They're starchy and fluffy once baked, so they mash right into the soup and thicken it. Yukon Golds will work too, but the soup will be a little less thick.
• Bacon - I cut it into lardons (small strips) before cooking. Some goes into the soup and the rest is saved for topping.
• Green Onions - The white and light green parts get cooked in the bacon grease. Save the tops for garnish.
• Butter and Flour - These make the roux that thickens the soup.
• Milk - I use whole milk, but 2% works fine. Start with 5 cups and add more if you like a thinner soup.
• Sharp Cheddar Cheese - Shred it yourself if you can. Pre-shredded cheese has an anti-caking coating that can keep it from melting smoothly.
• Salt and Pepper - Taste before adding salt, since the bacon and cheese bring plenty.

How to Make Easy Potato Soup

1. Bake the potatoes. Scrub the potatoes, poke them a few times with a fork, and bake at 400°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until a fork slides in easily. Let them cool enough to handle, then scoop out the insides.
2. Cook the bacon and green onions. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven until done, then set it aside on paper towels. Sauté the chopped green onions in a little of the bacon grease until they're soft.
3. Make the base. Melt the butter, stir in the flour, and slowly whisk in the milk until it starts to thicken.
4. Mash in the potatoes. Add the scooped potatoes and mash them right in the pot with potato masher, leaving a few lumps for texture.
5. Finish and serve. Stir in most of the cheese, the green onions, and half the bacon. Ladle into bowls and top it however you like.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you click on an affiliate link and buy something, we may receive a very small commission.  It does NOT result in additional charges to you or cost you anything extra. Click here for our full privacy and disclosure policy. As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Topping Ideas

This is where the fun happens. Start with the classics: extra cheddar, crumbled bacon, sliced green onion tops, and a big spoonful of sour cream. Then branch out if you want to get creative:

• Pimento cheese. A spoonful of classic pimento cheese melted on top is about as Southern as it gets.
• Pulled pork. Got leftover barbecue pork? Put it on there.
• Pickled jalapeños or a few dashes of hot sauce. Good for anyone who wants some heat.
• Steamed broccoli florets. They turn it into broccoli cheddar potato soup!
• Crushed crackers or oyster crackers. To add some crunch.
• French fried onions. Yes, the green bean casserole kind. Don't judge me.
• Pepper jack or smoked Gouda. Use either in place of some of the cheddar.

Pam's Expert Tips

• Bake the potatoes ahead. Bake them a day or two before and keep them in the fridge. That turns this into a 30-minute dinner.
• Microwave in a pinch. Poke the potatoes, microwave them on high for 10 to 12 minutes (flipping halfway), and check that they're soft all the way through.
• Don't over-mash. Leave some small lumps of potato. They give the soup that baked potato texture instead of making it taste like thinned-out mashed potatoes.
• Keep the heat moderate after adding cheese. If it boils hard, the cheese can turn grainy. Stir it in and let it melt gently.
• Save some bacon for the top. Bacon stirred into the soup softens up, so the bacon on top is what gives you that crunch.

Storage Information

Store leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It thickens up quite a bit in the fridge, so add a splash of milk or broth when you reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Stir often so it doesn't scorch on the bottom.

I don't recommend freezing this one. Soups made with milk and flour tend to separate and turn grainy once they've been frozen and thawed.

Recipe FAQs

Want more potato recipes?

• Roasted Cajun Potatoes
• Gouda Potatoes Au Gratin
• Homemade French Fries with Creole Aioli
• Loaded Cast Iron Skillet Potatoes
• Air Fryer Home Fries
• Ham and Potato Frittata

📖 Recipe

Easy Potato Soup Recipe

Pam

This easy potato soup starts with baked potatoes and tastes just like a loaded baked potato. Top it with all your favorites.

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 8 bowls

Calories 318 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 4 baking potatoes baked and scooped out
• 5-6 cups milk
• 10-12 strips bacon cut into lardons
• 1 bunch green onions
• 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese shredded, divided
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup all purpose flour
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the potatoes, pierce each several times with a fork, and bake directly on the oven rack for 50-60 minutes, until fork tender. Let cool slightly, then cut in half and scoop out the insides. Discard the skins or save them for another use.
• Cook the bacon pieces (lardons) over medium high heat in a Dutch oven until done. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Spoon out any bacon grease in excess of approximately 2 Tablespoons.
• Dice the bottom ⅓ of the green onions and sauté in the bacon grease until limp. Set aside. Slice the green onion tops for garnish.
• Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Stir in the flour. Gradually add the milk, whisking for 4-5 minutes until slightly thickened.
• Add the scooped potatoes and mash with a potato masher or large spoon until most, but not all, of the lumps are mashed out.
• Add 1 cup of the cheese, the cooked green onions, and ½ of the bacon. Stir until the cheese is melted. The soup can simmer on low for a while at this point or is ready to eat.
• Garnish with the remaining bacon, sliced green onion tops, and remaining cheese.

Notes

Using leftover baked potatoes brings the total time down to about 30 minutes.

To microwave the potatoes instead, pierce them with a fork and microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway, until soft.

The number of servings depends on bowl size and ranges from 6 large servings to 12-14 small ones.

Topping ideas: sour cream, extra cheddar, pimento cheese, pulled pork, pickled jalapeños, hot sauce, steamed broccoli, crushed crackers, or French fried onions.

Leftovers thicken in the fridge. Add a splash of milk or broth when reheating. Freezing is not recommended.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 13gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 227mgPotassium: 704mgFiber: 2gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 578IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 355mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Easy potato soup recipe

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!