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This loaded baked potato soup is as rich, creamy, and comforting as ever. You’d never tell it’s made without cream! With tender potatoes, crispy bacon, and extra sharp cheddar cheese, you won’t even miss it.
As soon as fall temperatures start dropping, I’ll have classic creamy cauliflower soup bubbling in the crock pot, a batch of butternut squash soup cooking up in the Instant Pot, and this loaded baked potato soup simmering on the stove. This lightened-up soup is creamy, flavorful, and warming, inspired by the wonderful flavors of a loaded baked potato. Hence, this soup is, well, loaded with bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and green onions. Let’s get started!
Why This Loaded Potato Soup Recipe Works
- Cozy flavors. This thick, creamy soup recipe has the ingredients you love in an all-dressed baked potato (bacon, sour cream, green onions, fluffy potatoes), in soup form.
- Thick and creamy, without the cream. This soup relies on nonfat yogurt and the creaminess from the mashed potatoes for its rich, smooth texture. Works like a charm!
- A meal in one. This cozy potato soup is perfect if you’re looking for a light, satisfying meal that’ll warm you up AND fill you up.
- One pot. Preparing soup in one pot does a couple of things. First, all that layering of ingredients equals FLAVOR! Second, it makes cleaning up a breeze.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I make the creamy broth in this potato soup low-cal with plain yogurt (my secret to lightening up everything from chicken alfredo to potato salad). All the ingredients are easy to come by. I’ve included notes below, and be sure to scroll to the printable recipe card below the post for the full list, recipe amounts, and details.
- Olive Oil – For sautéeing. You can also use another cooking oil, like canola or avocado oil.
- Bacon – Thinner slices of bacon usually cook faster, so that’s what I generally use. Feel free to use thick-cut bacon, pancetta, or even leftover ham.
- Onion – Diced. I used a yellow onion, but shallot or white onion also work here.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic. Substitute 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder per clove if needed.
- Potatoes – I like to use russet potatoes, peeled and diced. Red potatoes are a good substitute.
- Broth – I recommend low-sodium, fat-free chicken broth or vegetable stock to keep it light. That being said, full-fat chicken broth will work, too.
- Yogurt – Nonfat plain yogurt or Greek yogurt is best. If you aren’t making a lighter soup, you can substitute yogurt with heavy cream or half-and-half.
- Sour Cream – I like to use reduced-fat sour cream (again, regular will work, too).
- Cheese – Extra-sharp cheddar cheese or another melty variety, like Swiss or Gouda. Freshly grated cheese will melt more smoothly in the soup.
- Green Onions – You could also use chives.
Recipe Tips
- Leave the bacon drippings in the pan. After you’ve finished cooking the bacon, leave the drippings in the pan. They offer GREAT flavor to the soup.
- Mash the potatoes to your liking. You can do this by hand using a potato masher or a fork, or use a blender for a super silky and smooth soup.
- Boil the potatoes to save time. Sometimes, it saves time/is easier to boil the potatoes in water, mash them, and add them into the soup instead of cooking them in the broth. Note that this will slightly reduce the soup’s overall cooking time. Make sure to mash the potatoes while they’re hot, so they don’t become gluey.
Serving Suggestions
This easy loaded potato soup is filling, so it doesn’t need much in terms of sides. Serve it with a green Mediterranean salad, with dinner rolls for dunking.
My favorite thing about loaded potato soup? The toppings! Sprinkle extra cheese and green onions on top, crumble over some bacon, or serve this potato soup Tex-Mex style with tortilla chips, sweet corn kernels, and sour cream.
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Lighter Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 6 slices NatureRaised Farms Uncured Bacon
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 4 cups low sodium, fat-free chicken broth
- 1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Cook the bacon. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, turning occasionally, to a desired crispness, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove bacon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Leave bacon drippings in the pan.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add remaining olive oil; stir in onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for an additional minute.
- Add potatoes and broth. Stir in potatoes and add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer half the potatoes to a bowl and mash until almost smooth. Return the mashed potatoes to the soup pot.
- Finish the soup. Add yogurt, sour cream, and 1/4 cup of cheese. Cook and stir until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and taste for seasonings; adjust accordingly.
- Garnish and serve. Crumble the previously prepared bacon. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with bacon crumbles, remaining cheese, and green onions.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded baked potato soup is ready in under an hour. There’s very minimal prep (and for those of you who own an Instant Pot, I also have an Instant Pot potato soup recipe). Here’s what you’ll do to prepare this soup on the stove:
- Cook the bacon. First, add the bacon to a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Cook in a little olive oil, turning occasionally, for 4-5 minutes until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pot (leave those drippings!) and transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Sauté the onions and garlic. Next, cook the onions in the leftover bacon drippings for 2 minutes, just enough to soften. Add a little more olive oil if needed. Then, stir in the garlic.
- Add the potatoes and broth. Now, stir in the potatoes. Pour in the chicken broth and bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Mash the potatoes. Scoop half the potatoes into a bowl using a slotted spoon. Mash them until they’re almost smooth, and then return the mashed potatoes to the soup pot. Alternatively, you can use a handheld immersion blender to blend half the potatoes right inside the pot.
- Finish the soup. Lastly, add the yogurt, sour cream, and 1/4 cup of cheese. Stir while the cheese melts into the soup and everything heats through.
- Garnish and serve! To serve, crumble the prepared bacon over the soup, and ladle it into bowls. Garnish with extra bacon crumbles, more cheese, and a sprinkle of green onions.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Soup
- Refrigerate. This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days in an airtight container.
- Reheat. When it comes time to reheat, microwave the soup in 30-second to 1-minute intervals, until warm. You can also return it to a pot on the stovetop to heat until it’s warmed through.
I’d put it into a quiche with cheese and veggies.
Well, I think I would make THIS soup of yours! Looks scrumptious, and I haven’t had a potato soup of any kind in sooo long. I would also love to put this bacon in my mom’s egg casserole recipe.