Loaded Potato Soup

Prep 40 min
Total 40 min
Servings 15

A rich broth. Baked potato toppings. Indulgent spoonfuls. What more could you want in a Loaded Potato Soup? This soup is a time-tested recipe that helps you put comfort food on the table in just 40 minutes total. Once your potato soup is thick and bubbly, top it with bacon, cheese and green onions for a restaurant-worthy meal right at your kitchen table.

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Updated December 23, 2020

Make with

Gold Medal Flour

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

Steps

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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.

Jump to Video

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.
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.
Because of the millk and sour cream used in this recipe, it's not a candidate for freezing.
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.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving

Calories: 362

% Daily Value

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.

Imagine you’re at your favorite steakhouse, ready for an indulgent dinner. While you know the steak will be great, you have to admit that you’re most looking forward to the sides, which often turn out to be the stars of the meal. What, for example, could be better than the ultimate comfort food—a freshly baked potato, loaded with all the extras that make it such a special occasion treat? Now that once-in-a-while steakhouse experience can happen every day, with a loaded baked potato soup that’s wonderfully hearty and supremely satisfying. This recipe for potato soup includes bacon, onion, ham, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions—and plenty of potatoes, of course. Use a high-starch variety of baking potato, also known as a russet, for this recipe, to ensure that your loaded potato soup has a hearty body and a creamy texture. If you’d like to try more soup suggestions, there are plenty of stick-to-your-ribs favorites in Betty’s best soups collection.