베이크드 포테이토 수프
All the pleasures of a loaded baked potato — crispy bacon, sharp cheddar, sour cream, and scallions — folded into a thick, velvety soup. Baking the russets first (instead of boiling) drives off moisture and concentrates their earthy, toasty flavor, so the soup tastes like an actual baked potato rather than watered-down mash. A quick roux plus partially mashed potato flesh gives it body that's creamy but never gluey.
Bake 4 large russets at 200°C (400°F) for about 55 minutes until a knife slides in easily, then let them cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, crisp 8 slices of chopped bacon in a Dutch oven and set it aside, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot. Soften a diced onion in that fat with 3 tablespoons of butter, add garlic, stir in 30 g (1/4 cup) flour and cook 1 minute, then gradually whisk in 720 ml (3 cups) milk and 480 ml (2 cups) chicken broth until smooth. Simmer gently until slightly thickened, scoop the potato flesh into the pot, and mash roughly half of it against the side, leaving the rest in chunks. Off the heat, stir in 120 ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream, 115 g (1 cup) shredded cheddar, and 120 g (1/2 cup) sour cream; season with salt and pepper and serve topped with the bacon, more cheddar, scallions, and a dollop of sour cream.
- Bake the potatoes instead of boiling them — dry oven heat concentrates flavor and keeps the soup from tasting watery.
- Add cheese and sour cream off the heat; a hard boil after they go in can make the soup grainy or curdled.
- Mash only about half the potato flesh so every spoonful has both creamy body and soft baked-potato chunks.
Equipment
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (5 qt / 5 L)
- Whisk
- Chef's knife and cutting board
- Potato masher or sturdy spoon
- Box grater
- Ladle
재료
Soup
- 1.1 kg russet potatoes, scrubbed and dried; skins left on for baking
- 225 g thick-cut bacon, cut into 1 cm (1/2 in) pieces
- 45 g unsalted butter
- yellow onion, finely diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 720 ml whole milk, room temperature if possible, to prevent lumps
- 480 ml low-sodium chicken broth
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 115 g sharp cheddar cheese, freshly grated melts smoother than pre-shredded
- 120 g sour cream, full-fat
- 5 g fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 g freshly ground black pepper
Toppings
- 55 g sharp cheddar cheese, for sprinkling
- scallions, thinly sliced
- 60 g sour cream, a dollop per bowl
- reserved crispy bacon, hold back about half for topping
조리법
- 단계01
Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Prick each russet a few times with a fork, set them directly on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until a paring knife slides to the center with no resistance, 55-60 minutes. Skipping the foil lets the skins dry out and the flesh get fluffy.
- 단계02
Let the baked potatoes sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Start the bacon during this window to save time.
- 단계03
While the potatoes rest, cook the chopped bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat.
- 단계04
Add the butter to the bacon fat over medium heat. Stir in the onion with a pinch of salt and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, then sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute to cook off the raw taste.
- 단계05
Pour in the milk in three additions, whisking until completely smooth after each, then whisk in the broth. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring often and scraping the bottom, until the base lightly coats a spoon, 6-8 minutes. Do not let it boil hard.
- 단계06
Halve the potatoes and scoop the flesh into the pot; save one skin, chop it, and crisp it with the bacon if you like. Mash about half the potato against the side of the pot and leave the rest in bite-size chunks. Simmer gently for 5 minutes so the starch thickens the soup.
- 단계07
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the heavy cream, then the cheddar a handful at a time until melted, and finally the sour cream. Season with the salt and pepper, then taste — potatoes absorb a lot of salt, so adjust confidently. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of warm broth or milk.
- 단계08
Ladle into warm bowls and load each one up: reserved bacon, a sprinkle of cheddar, sliced scallions, and a dollop of sour cream. Serve hot.
Make ahead
Bake the potatoes and crisp the bacon up to 2 days ahead; refrigerate both (potatoes whole, in their skins). You can also make the full soup base through the simmering step a day ahead, then reheat gently and stir in the cream, cheddar, and sour cream just before serving so the finish stays silky. Prep toppings the morning of and keep them covered in the fridge.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low, stirring often and adding a splash of milk or broth to loosen — a rolling boil can break the dairy. Freezing is not ideal: the milk base can separate and the potatoes turn grainy. If you must freeze, do it before adding the cream, cheese, and sour cream, then stir those in fresh after thawing and reheating (up to 2 months frozen).
Variations
Vegetarian Baked Potato Soup
Skip the bacon and use vegetable broth. Cook the onion in 2 extra tablespoons of butter and add 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika with the garlic to bring back the smoky note. Top with crispy fried shallots, toasted pepitas, or smoked almonds for crunch.
Lighter Version
Swap the heavy cream for more whole milk and use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream (stir it in fully off the heat so it doesn't split). Use 4 slices of bacon instead of 8, reserving all of it for topping. You keep the loaded flavor at roughly two-thirds the calories.
Broccoli-Cheddar Loaded
Stir 200 g (about 2 cups) of small broccoli florets into the pot when you add the broth and simmer until just tender. Bump the cheddar to 170 g (1 1/2 cups) in the soup. It eats like a steakhouse baked potato with all the fixings.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
자주 묻는 질문
Can I use leftover baked potatoes to make this soup?
Absolutely — leftover bakers are one of the best shortcuts for baked potato soup, and they actually work beautifully because day-old potatoes are drier and hold their shape well. You'll need about 900 g (2 lb) of cooked potato flesh, roughly 4 large potatoes. Start the recipe at the bacon step and add the scooped flesh straight from the fridge; just simmer a few extra minutes to heat it through.
Why bake the potatoes instead of boiling them?
Boiled potatoes absorb water, which dilutes flavor and can make the soup taste flat and thin. Baking does the opposite: the dry oven heat evaporates moisture, concentrates the potato's earthy sweetness, and gives you that unmistakable fluffy, roasted flavor that makes baked potato soup taste like the loaded spud it's named after. If you're truly short on time, microwave the pricked potatoes 10-12 minutes, flipping halfway — it's closer to baking than boiling is.
How do I keep the soup from getting gluey or grainy?
Two culprits cause trouble. Gluey texture comes from over-mashing — potato starch turns to paste when it's worked too hard, so mash only about half the flesh and never use a blender on russets. Graininess comes from overheated dairy: add the cheddar and sour cream off the heat, and when reheating leftovers, warm the soup gently without letting it boil.
What are the best potatoes for baked potato soup?
Russets, without question. Their high starch and low moisture make them fluffy when baked, and that starch is what naturally thickens the soup to a creamy, spoon-coating consistency. Yukon Golds work in a pinch and give a slightly denser, buttery result, but waxy potatoes like red or fingerling stay firm and won't break down enough to thicken the pot.
My soup came out too thick (or too thin) — how do I fix it?
This soup thickens as it sits because the potato starch keeps absorbing liquid, so a thick pot is easy to rescue: whisk in warm broth or milk a splash at a time until it ladles the way you like. If it's too thin, mash in more of the potato chunks, or simmer uncovered for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Avoid adding raw flour at the end — it needs cooking time and can leave a pasty taste.
Cooked this? Rate it.
Real ratings from real cooks. We only show a score once enough of you have weighed in — no fabricated stars.