Description
This ultimate loaded potato soup combines tender Yukon Gold potatoes, crispy bacon, and a rich, creamy base made with half-and-half and chicken broth. Topped with melted cheddar cheese and fresh green onions, it’s the perfect comfort food for cold days and family gatherings.
Ingredients
For the Soup Base:
- 6 medium potatoes, cut into cubes and cooked (Yukon Gold or Russets work beautifully)
- 8 thick-cut bacon slices
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium or no salt added)
- 2 cups half-and-half
For the Toppings:
- Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated
- Green onions, finely chopped
- Extra bacon bits
Instructions
Cut your potatoes into chunks about the size of a grape. Boil them in salty water until a fork goes through easy, maybe 15 minutes. Don’t overthink it. Drain them and set them aside. You could roast them if you want to show off, but boiling works fine and I’m usually too hungry to wait an extra 30 minutes.
Cook your bacon until it snaps when you break it. Seriously, nobody wants chewy bacon in their soup. Crumble it up and save exactly 2 tablespoons of the grease. I used to save more thinking it would taste better, but it just made everything oily.
Put that bacon grease in your soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it stops looking raw, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic for maybe 30 seconds until it smells good. Don’t walk away during the garlic part because it goes from perfect to burnt in about two seconds.
Throw in your herbs and seasonings first, then the flour. Stir it around for a minute or so. It’s gonna look like paste and smell weird, but that’s normal. This is what makes the soup thick instead of just potato water.
Pour the broth in slowly while whisking like crazy. I cannot stress this enough – slowly. Fast equals lumps and lumps suck. Once that’s smooth, add the half-and-half and let it come to a gentle boil. Not crazy bubbling, just gentle.
Add your cooked potatoes and let everything hang out together for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir it occasionally so nothing sticks. The soup will get thick on its own. Add half the bacon bits and taste it. Fix the salt and pepper now because this is your last chance to make it perfect.
Put it in bowls and dump the good stuff on top – cheese, bacon, green onions. The cheese melts into the hot soup and makes everything look fancy even though you basically just threw ingredients in a pot.
Notes
Keep the heat low once you add the cream or it’ll curdle and look gross. When reheating leftovers, go slow and stir a lot. A little separation is normal – just stir it back together. If you want it completely smooth, blend half before adding the bacon back, but I like the chunky bits.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American