Loaded Potato Soup
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Aug 24, 2026 
I’ve made countless pots of potato soup over the years, and this easy potato soup recipe is still one of my favorite cold-weather dinners. I load the rich, creamy soup with plenty of cheese, crispy bacon, and sour cream so every bowl tastes like my favorite loaded baked potato. I love that I can make this loaded potato soup on the stovetop when I need dinner quick, or let the crockpot do the work when I want an easy, hands-off meal.
Loaded Potato Soup
Is there anything cozier on a chilly night than a warm bowl of rich, satisfying soup? In my opinion, the best soups arefilling, but still leave you craving more with every spoonful. My family and I agree that nothing quite scratches that comfort food itch like this fully loaded potato soup! When the weather finally recognizes that it’s fall and winter’s time to shine, I turn to tried-and-true classics like crockpot soup recipes. However, this creamy loaded baked potato soup recipe, made with all the ingredients you might find on a baked potato, is super cozy, simple to make on the stovetop, and hearty enough to be a main dish. And PS… It can also be made in the slow cooker. I’ll show you how below!
Jacqueline – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Just made this. The whole house smells so good. The soup came together fast and tastes amazing. I will definitely make this again.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Simple ingredients – This soup features simple and wholesome ingredients, many of which are basic pantry staples. I tend to keep most of these items in stock in my kitchen so I can make this soup as a last-minute dinner option!
Customizable – I like to top this soup with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and green onions, but you can give it your own spin with your favorite loaded baked potato toppings. The possibilities are truly endless!
Uncomplicated – Similar to my old fashioned potato soup recipe, this easy potato soup recipe has all the yummy flavors you know and love, without being complicated to make. Enjoy in less than an hour when made on the stovetop, or make it in the crock pot. Bonus, there’s no need to peel or bake the potatoes beforehand!
Ingredients and Tips
- Russet potatoes – I prefer russet potatoes in this recipe, but you can use Yukon Golds. Red potatoes can be used as well, but the taste and texture of the soup will be slightly different!
- Bacon – I use traditional pork bacon, but feel free to use turkey bacon if you prefer to lighten things up a bit.
- Aromatics – Classic soup staples like white onion, fresh garlic (can there be too much?), salt, pepper, and chopped scallions for that *pop* of fresh flavor.
- Creamy soup base – To make the richest, most drool-worthy soup base, you’ll need half & half, shredded cheddar, cornstarch, and chicken broth (or chicken bouillon and water).
- Sour cream – A baked potatoes tangy, creamy BFF… The “icing on the potato” if you will.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with detailed instructions, storage tips, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Cook the bacon – First, I set a large 6+ quart saucepot over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. I cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s nice and crispy. Then I scoop out the bacon and set it aside for sprinkling on top of the soup later. If you can, try not to snack on all of it while you cook!
Sauté the aromatics – I drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pot to use as the fat for cooking. Then I add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté for 2-4 minutes, until the onions are soft and sweet. I keep an eye on the garlic here so it doesn’t brown or burn. Burnt garlic creates a weird bitter flavor, so watch it close.
Add the potatoes – Meanwhile, I wash the potatoes and chop them into roughly ¾-inch cubes. I like to leave the skins on for extra texture (and because it saves time). Also, keeping the potato pieces similar in size helps them cook fast and even. Then I add them to the pot and pour in the broth.
Simmer until tender – I cover the pot and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are completely fork-tender. If a fork slides easily into the center of the potatoes, then they’re ready to mash. If not, simmer for another 3-5 minutes and test it again.
Make the creamy mixture – While the potatoes cook, I whisk the half & half and cornstarch together until completely smooth. (This is called a slurry.) Make sure there are no little cornstarch clumps hiding in the bottom; you want this mixture silky before it goes into the soup. The only acceptable clumps here are potato clumps. *wink*
Mash and make it creamy – Once the potatoes are soft, I use a potato masher right in the pot to mash about half of them. I purposely leave plenty of chunky pieces because I love a thick, creamy soup with lots of chunky potato texture. Then I stir in the half & half mixture, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and ⅓ cup of scallions. I like to add the cheese gradually so it melts smoothly into the soup, and doesn’t stick to the bottom and burn.
Thicken the soup – I let everything simmer for another 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thick and creamy. I avoid a hard boil once the dairy is added, which helps keep the soup smooth. (Boiled dairy can turn granular in texture.) Then I taste and season generously with salt and pepper, to my preferences.
Load it up and serve – Finally, I ladle the soup into bowls and pile on the good stuff: extra shredded cheddar, crispy bacon, sour cream, and fresh scallions. This is definitely a more-is-more situation when it comes to the toppings!
Recipe Variations
- Smoother texture – If you want a completely smooth texture, I suggest using an immersion blender to blend the soup until no chunks remain. I like a few potato chunks in my soup, but it would be delicious either way!
- Without cornstarch – If you don’t have cornstarch on hand, you can use all-purpose flour to thicken the soup instead. Add about 2 tablespoons of flour with the bacon grease and cook along with the onions and garlic before adding the broth and potatoes.
- Vegetarian – Skip the bacon and instead use 1 tablespoon of butter for cooking the onions and garlic. Swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth. And then ta-da! You’ve got a delicious meat-free (and still gluten-free) potato soup!
- Spicy – Want to add a kick to your baked potato soup? Try using half cheddar and half spicy pepper jack cheese! You can also throw in a good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes if, like me, you also want a little more spice.
Serving Suggestions
Loaded baked potato soup is a satisfying meal on its own, especially with all of the delicious toppings! But soup + bread = love, so my Cheddar Bay biscuits, homemade breadsticks, or garlic bread are always a welcome addition.
You can also amp up the veggies with my roasted root vegetable salad, or go the soup-and-salad route with this wedge salad or Big Mac salad. When feeding a crowd, I find side dishes can definitely help round out the meal!
Storage Notes
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave (or on the stovetop) and it again top with all of your favorite toppings!
To freeze, place the cooled potato soup in a freezer-safe bag and lay it flat in the freezer. You can stack the bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is! Because this recipe uses potatoes and cornstarch as a thickening agent, all of the ingredients are gluten-free. If you need to swap with all-purpose flour, then you’ve added gluten.
This slow cooker potato soup is already thickened with a cornstarch slurry, and should be pretty thick! However, if you need to thicken up your soup towards the end of the cooking process, you can mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water and then add it to the soup. Let it simmer for a few minutes and you will see it start to thicken up!.
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More Fabulous Potato Soup Recipes
Loaded Potato Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bacon chopped
- 1 small onion peeled and chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ½ pounds russet potatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups half & half
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese divided
- 2/3 cup chopped scallions divided
- ½ cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Set a 6+ quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon. Stir and brown for 5 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Scoop out the bacon and reserve for later use.
- Remove the bacon grease, leaving just 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté for 2-4 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, wash the potatoes and chop them into ¾ inch cubes, leaving the skins on. Add the chopped potatoes to the pot. Pour in the broth.
- Cover the pot and simmer for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Mix the half & half with the cornstarch, stirring until all clumps have dissolved.
- Once the potatoes are soft, use a potato masher to mash about half of the potatoes, leaving plenty of large pieces. Then stir in the half & half mixture, 1 cup shredded cheese and 1/3 cup scallions.
- Simmer 3-5 minute to thicken the soup base. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve warm with shredded cheddar, crispy bacon bits, sour cream, and scallions on top.
Notes
- Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon. Stir and brown for 5 minutes, or until brown and crispy. Scoop out the bacon and reserve it for later use.
- Remove the bacon grease, leaving just 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the chopped onions and garlic. Sauté for 2-4 minutes to soften.
- Meanwhile, wash the potatoes and chop them into ¾-inch cubes, leaving the skins on. Mix the half & half with the cornstarch, stirring until all clumps have dissolved.
- Pour the onions and garlic into a large 6+ quart slow cooker. Pour the potatoes into the crock. Then add in the broth and half & half mixture.
- Cover and slow cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours, or on LOW for 7-9 hours.
- Once the potatoes are soft, use a potato masher to mash about half of the potatoes, leaving plenty of large pieces. Then stir in 1 cup shredded cheese and 1/3 cup scallions.
- Storing Leftovers – Store any leftover baked potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Reheating – Reheat in the microwave and top with all of your favorite toppings!
- Freezing – Place cooled potato soup in a freezer-safe bag and lay it flat in the freezer to freeze for up to 3 months.
I “cheeat” by using the breakfast hash from Walmart as it has already chopped potatoes, onions cooked bacon and sweet bell peppers, I keep an extra bag in my freezer. I also “cheat” by instead of using a potato masher I use my immersion blender to break up the potatoes.
My previous “cheat was to use McCain hashbrowned potatoes and ready crop real bacon bits (I hate the smell of bacon cooking).
Just made this. The whole house smells so good. The soup came together fast and tastes amazing. I will definitely make this again.
Has any one used frozen “hash brown” style potatoes instead of baking them? If so what is the measurement of potatoes??
Absolutely and ready crisp bacon, I use the potatoe bacon hash from Walmart.
Made this yesterday. Had to make a few tweaks. I only had red potatoes. I added leftover smoked ham on top of the bacon. Was out of broth, so I used Better than Bullion. A extra cup of mild cheddar and besides the white onion, I put in the scallions. A bunch of Broccoli. And last but not least, I put cilantro for my garnish. 4 hours in the crockpot on high. Then two more on low after I smashed 1//2 the potatoes and put in the cheese and broccoli. Turned out great!
Scrumptious!!! I’ll be making this again and again!!!! YUM!!!
Mycleaning lady said it was a 10!
Simple, filling, and tasty! Perfect for a cold night
This potato soup is sooooo good!!!
Can milk be substituted for the half and half ?
Hi Alicia!
Yes, but I would use whole milk. :)
Recipe looks amazing and I’m about to try this right now!!!😋
I make this every time we need comfort food, it is so satisfying!!
This was really amazing!! Such a comforting meal! My family loved it!
This soup is full of amazing ingredients! love it!