Baked Potato Soup
Comforting and hearty Baked Potato Soup is loaded with potatoes, bacon, veggies, and cheese and is the perfect soup to warm the family!
Servings 8
Calories 615kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and finely diced (about 1 cup)
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 4 pounds Russet potatoes peeled and diced (about 7 cups)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chicken base (see note)
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
Garnish
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chives or green onion sliced
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Cut the bacon into ½-inch pieces. Add enough bacon to cover the bottom of a large pot or Dutch oven. Cook the bacon until it's crispy, and then remove it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat until all the bacon is cooked.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot. (Keep that extra grease for frying up yummy things later.)
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, chicken broth, chicken base, dried parsley, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot leaving room for the steam to escape, and simmer for 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Turn off the heat.
- Mash some of the potatoes with a potato masher. (This will help thicken the soup.) Add the cheese and stir until melted into the soup. Add ⅔ of the cooked bacon and stir to combine. Add the half-n-half and stir until mixed.
- Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the remaining bacon, some cheese, sour cream, and chives before serving warm.
Notes
- We use chicken base in this recipe for the extra flavor it imparts. Our favorite is the chicken-flavored “Better than Boullion.” If you are sensitive to salt, use low-sodium chicken broth and omit the additional salt listed in the ingredients.
- Store the soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The soup will thicken once cooled and can be thinned by adding a little chicken broth when reheating the soup. Reheat the soup on the stovetop until warmed through or microwave for 1 minute at a time, stirring in between, until hot.
Nutrition
Calories: 615 kcal | Carbohydrates: 49 g | Protein: 21 g | Fat: 38 g | Saturated Fat: 16 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14 g | Trans Fat: 0.1 g | Cholesterol: 84 mg | Sodium: 1496 mg | Potassium: 1273 mg | Fiber: 4 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 3193 IU | Vitamin C: 16 mg | Calcium: 303 mg | Iron: 3 mg