Loaded Baked Potato Soup with Bacon and Cheddar
Potatoes simmered until they half-collapse into a roux-thickened broth, then loaded with everything that makes a baked potato worth eating.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Written
Method
-
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and leave the fat in the pot.
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Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
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Add the butter and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
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Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly until it smells toasted and coats the bottom of the pot, about 2 minutes.
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Whisk in the chicken broth a little at a time, scraping the bottom of the pot, until smooth.
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Add the potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until they’re fork-tender, 15 to 18 minutes.
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Mash about a third of the potatoes against the side of the pot with a spoon to thicken the broth while leaving the rest in chunks.
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Stir in the cream and cheddar by the handful, letting each addition melt before adding the next, then stir in half the bacon.
-
Season with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls, topping each with the remaining bacon, a spoonful of sour cream, and the scallions.
Notes
The partial mash is what separates this from a purée — smash a third of the potatoes against the pot to thicken the broth, and leave the rest whole so every spoonful still has something to chew on. A blender makes it smooth and forgettable; a spoon against the side of the pot makes it a baked potato.
Boiling the potatoes is the weeknight version. For a deeper, less starchy-water flavor, bake them whole the day before, scoop the flesh into the broth in step 6, and skip the simmer — you’re just heating it through and mashing to texture.