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Best Potato Soup

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  • Prep 40 min
  • Total 40 min
  • Servings 15
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How can a soup this fantastic take only 40 minutes to make? This is our best potato soup; and hundreds of fans agree! Velvety, thick, and rich…it really is loaded …with an entire package of bacon, ham, sour cream, sharp Cheddar cheese and green onions.
Updated Mar 11, 2024
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What is Loaded Potato Soup?

Potatoes and onions are cooked until very tender and when mixed with a thickened milk mixture, it becomes like a thinned mashed potato soup base. The “mashed potato” soup gets topped with favorite loaded baked potato ingredients; bacon, ham, sour cream, cheddar cheese and green onions.

How Do I Serve Loaded Potato Soup?

This rich, hearty soup can be paired with a sandwich for lunch, or a dinner salad and crusty French bread slices for a cozy dinner.

Ingredients

  • 1 package (12 oz) bacon
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 6 cups Progresso™ chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)
  • 2 lb baking potatoes, peeled, cubed
  • 2/3 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
  • 4 cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham
  • 1 container (8 oz) sour cream
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (10 oz)
  • 3/4 cup sliced green onions
Make With
Gold Medal Flour

Steps

  • 1
    In 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat 6 to 7 minutes or until crisp; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Cook onion in bacon drippings over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until almost tender.
  • 2
    In 6-quart Dutch oven, mix onion, broth and potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
  • 3
    Meanwhile, in same skillet, melt butter over low heat. Stir in flour with whisk until smooth. Cook and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir in 2 cups of the milk. Pour milk mixture into potato mixture. Add remaining 2 cups milk, the salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with whisk, until mixture is thickened and bubbly.
  • 4
    Stir in ham, half of the bacon, the sour cream, 2 cups of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the green onions. Cook until thoroughly heated and cheese is melted. Evenly top individual servings with remaining bacon, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 cup green onions.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    A classic baking potato is the russet, which is one of the most starch-filled in the world of spuds. That starch is released as the potatoes cook in the broth, becoming part of the underpinning of a rich, thick soup.
  • tip 2
    Think outside of the bowl for serving up soup. Serve in mugs for an extra cozy feel, or hallow out a round loaf of bread to create a bread bowl.
  • tip 3
    A quick route to uniformly crisp pieces of bacon is to cut the slices crosswise into 1/2 inch pieces. Scrape them into the large skillet (cast-iron is an especially good pan for cooking bacon) and fry them over medium heat until deeply golden brown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to mash the potato before adding the other soup ingredients?

No, we’ve simplified the process for by cooking the potatoes to the point they are very tender, so when the milk is added, the potatoes will break apart. Making it easier is just one of the ways we’ve made this our best potato soup!

How much soup does this recipe make?

Our loaded potato soup recipe makes 15 (1-cup) servings.

Can I make this soup in a slow cooker?

We haven’t tested it in a slow cooker…but there is a genius way to use the slow cooker when serving a crowd. If you make the soup a day in advance (but don’t top the soup with the remaining bacon, cheese, and green onions). It can be reheated the next day in a pan on the stove and held in your slow cooker on Warm setting for two hours. Set out the remaining toppings for everyone to top their own! Making the potato soup in advance will actually make the flavor even more indulgent (as if that were possible!)

Nutrition

362 Calories, 25g Total Fat, 13g Protein, 20g Total Carbohydrate

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
362
Total Fat
25g
0%
Saturated Fat
14g
0%
Sodium
863mg
0%
Total Carbohydrate
20g
0%
Dietary Fiber
1g
0%
Protein
13g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
0%
0%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
0%
0%
Iron
0%
0%
Exchanges:
1 1/2 Starch; 1 1/2 High-Fat Meat; 2 1/2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • We adore this indulgent soup on a cold day with a sandwich on the side! Try our tuna salad or chicken salad sandwiches with it, for an easy-yet-so- satisfying meal.
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