Loaded Baked Potato Soup

One of the few meals I could stomach during my first trimester of pregnancy was a baked potato topped with nothing more than a pat of butter and some salt and pepper. As the nausea receded in the following months, I began garnishing my potatoes with more and more toppings. I loaded up my spuds with sour cream, chives, bacon bits, cheddar, and, if I was feeling extra fancy, bolognese sauce. Baked potatoes are still a staple in my home today, but with sweater weather upon us, and just feeling the desire to switch things up, I decided to create my own soup-ified version that tastes just like the humble baked potato. 

Most loaded potato soup recipes are pretty similar: They have you brown the bacon, drain some of the fat off, then cook the aromatics in the remaining fat before adding the milk and potatoes. The potatoes simmer in the milk until tender, you blend the soup until it’s smooth, then you garnish it with crispy potato skins and an assortment of toppings. I’ve used some of those techniques (like using the bacon fat to cook the aromatics) in my recipe, but I’ve also incorporated some other tricks for a silky-smooth soup that is loaded with baked potato flavor.

How to Make a Better Loaded Potato Soup

Skip Blending, If Possible

While puréeing the soup in a powerful blender is certainly a quick and easy option—and one I’ve provided instructions for in the notes below in case you're in a rush—it often results in a soup with a gluey texture. That’s because puréeing potatoes causes their starch granules to burst, turning the spuds into a sticky mess.

To avoid that pasty texture, I took a technique from Kenji’s leek and potato soup recipe, in which he simmers potatoes with stock and aromatics until they’re tender, then passes them through a ricer for a velvety soup.

Like Kenji, I chose to use a ricer—but I streamline the process slightly. Instead of fishing out the cooked potatoes from a pot of simmering milk and onions, I decided to microwave the potatoes—which happens while you get a head start on crisping up the bacon and sautéeing the onions—until they’re soft enough to rice. Ultimately, texture is a personal preference, and you can skip the ricing and just purée the whole soup—it will still be slightly gluier, but still delicious.

Load Up on the Sour Cream and Toppings

This soup is not for the faint of heart or lactose intolerant. For an ultra-creamy soup, I whisk in an entire cup of sour cream. This gives the soup pleasant tanginess and, along with chopped chives, shredded extra-sharp cheddar, and crispy bacon bits, recreates the flavors of a classic loaded baked potato topped with sour cream.

For Extra Crunch, Garnish With Potato Chips

I also decided to skip the hassle of crisping up a potato-skin garnish in the oven and opted to garnish the soup with store-bought potato chips instead, a decision inspired by contributor Pat Tanumihardja, who tops her Indonesian chicken noodle soup with lightly salted potato chips. I recommend using salt and vinegar potato chips, as they provide a nice burst of acidity to cut through the heaviness of the soup, but feel free to use plain salted, cheddar, or sour cream and onion potato chips, too.