Yield
6 generous servings or 8 smaller servings
Timing
- Preparation: 20 minutes
- Cooking: 40–45 minutes
- Total: About 1 hour
🛒 Ingredients
Main ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Potatoes | 6 medium, about 900 g–1 kg |
| Yellow onion | 1 large |
| Carrots | 2 medium |
| Celery | 2 stalks |
| Garlic | 3 cloves |
| Butter | 3 tbsp / 42 g |
| All-purpose flour | 3 tbsp / about 24 g |
| Chicken broth | 4 cups / 950 ml |
| Whole milk | 2 cups / 480 ml |
| Heavy cream | 1 cup / 240 ml |
| Cheddar cheese | ½ cup / about 50 g |
| Salt | 1 tsp, then adjust |
| Black pepper | ½ tsp |
| Dried thyme | ½ tsp |
| Paprika | ½ tsp |
| Fresh parsley | 2 tbsp |
For the loaded topping
- 5–6 strips bacon
- ½–1 cup additional shredded cheddar
- 2–3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
- A little paprika
- Sour cream, optional
- Chopped green onions, optional
👩🍳 Detailed Instructions
1. Prepare the potatoes
Wash and peel approximately 900 g–1 kg of potatoes.
Cut them into cubes approximately 2–2.5 cm in size.
Try to make the pieces similar A short in size.
This is important because potatoes that are different sizes will cook at different speeds—some may become mushy while larger pieces remain hard.
Place the cut potatoes in a bowl of cold water while you prepare the other ingredients.
Why soak them?
You don’t need to soak potatoes for this soup for a long time. A short soak simply prevents them from discoloring while you prepare everything.
Before adding them to the soup, drain them well.
2. Prepare the vegetables
Finely chop:
- 1 large onion
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
Mince 3 cloves of garlic.
Keep the garlic separate from the other vegetables because it cooks much faster.
3. Prepare the bacon
If you’re using bacon, cook it before making the soup.
Place 5–6 bacon strips in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook until the bacon is deeply browned and crispy, turning occasionally.
Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Let it cool, then crumble it into small pieces.
Don’t throw away the bacon fat.
You can use 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat together with the butter when sautéing the vegetables. This gives the soup an extra savory, smoky flavor.
If you prefer a cleaner flavor, simply discard the bacon fat and use butter.
4. Start the soup base
Place a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- Optional: 1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat
Allow the butter to melt.
Add the chopped onion, carrots, and celery.
Stir everything together.
Cook for approximately 5–7 minutes.
What you’re looking for:
The onion should become translucent and soft.
The carrots and celery should begin to soften.
You don’t necessarily want deeply browned vegetables. The goal at this stage is to develop a sweet, savory vegetable base.
5. Add the garlic
Add the minced garlic.
Cook for approximately 45 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly.
The garlic should become fragrant.
Be careful here.
Don’t let the garlic become dark brown.
Burnt garlic can make the entire soup taste bitter.
6. Make the roux
Reduce the heat slightly to medium-low.
Add:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Stir the flour into the vegetables and butter.
Cook for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
The mixture should look like a thick paste coating the vegetables.
This mixture is called a roux.
Why make a roux?
The flour will help thicken the chicken broth and dairy later, giving the soup its thick, creamy consistency.
Cooking the flour briefly also removes the raw flour flavor.
7. Gradually add the chicken broth
This is one of the most important steps.
Slowly pour in approximately 4 cups / 950 ml chicken broth while stirring constantly.
Don’t dump all the broth in at once.
Add approximately ½ cup at a time, stirring well after each addition.
At first, the mixture will become very thick.
Keep stirring.
As you gradually add more broth, the mixture will become smooth and liquid.
Once all the broth has been incorporated, scrape the bottom and sides of the pot with a wooden spoon.
This helps incorporate the flavorful cooked vegetables and flour mixture.
8. Add the potatoes
Drain the potatoes.
Add them to the soup.
Stir gently.
Add:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Stir again.
9. Bring the soup to a boil
Increase the heat to medium-high.
Bring the soup to a gentle boil.
You don’t need an aggressive rolling boil.
Once you see consistent bubbling around the surface, immediately reduce the heat to low or medium-low.
10. Simmer the potatoes
Cover the pot partially with a lid.
Simmer for approximately 20–25 minutes.
Stir every 5 minutes or so.
This prevents the bottom from sticking and allows you to check the potatoes.
Test the potatoes
Insert a fork into one of the larger potato pieces.
It should slide in easily.
If the potato is still firm in the center, continue cooking for another 3–5 minutes.
11. Create the creamy texture
Once the potatoes are tender, reduce the heat to low.
Now add:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
Stir gently.
Allow the soup to heat for approximately 5 minutes.
Important:
Don’t let the soup boil aggressively after adding the milk and cream.
A gentle simmer is sufficient.
High heat can cause dairy to separate and can give the soup a less smooth texture.
12. Partially mash the potatoes
This is the secret to getting the texture shown in your picture.
You want the soup to be creamy but still chunky.
Take a potato masher and gently mash some of the potatoes directly in the pot.
Mash approximately 25–40% of the potatoes.
Leave the remaining potatoes in chunks.
The result should be:
- Smooth creamy broth
- Small pieces of potato throughout
- Some larger tender potato chunks
- Soft carrots and celery
Don’t completely mash everything.
13. Add the cheddar
Turn the heat to very low.
Add approximately:
½ cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Stir gently until the cheese has completely melted.
For a stronger cheese flavor, you can use ¾ cup instead.
Best cheese choice
Sharp cheddar works particularly well because its stronger flavor stands up to the potatoes and cream.
Avoid adding a large amount of cheese at once because too much cheese can make the soup greasy or overly thick.
14. Taste and adjust
Now taste the soup.
This is where you finish the seasoning.
If it tastes flat, add a little more salt.
If it needs more warmth, add black pepper.
For more color and mild smokiness, add a small pinch of paprika.
If it’s too thick, add:
¼ cup milk or chicken broth at a time
until you reach your preferred consistency.
If it’s too thin, simmer uncovered for several minutes.
15. Prepare the final toppings
For the loaded version, prepare:
Crispy bacon
Crumble the cooked bacon into small pieces.
Cheddar
Shred another ½–1 cup cheddar.
Parsley
Finely chop fresh parsley.
Optional green onions
Slice green onions very thinly.
🥣 16. Assemble the soup
Ladle the hot soup into a bowl.
Don’t fill the bowl completely—leave enough room for toppings.
Add a small handful of shredded cheddar.
Add crispy bacon.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Finish with freshly cracked black pepper and a tiny sprinkle of paprika.
For an extra-rich version, add a small spoonful of sour cream.
🔥 Restaurant-Style Version
If you want the soup to look particularly close to the image, use this topping combination:
Creamy potato soup
↓
Shredded sharp cheddar
↓
Crispy bacon
↓
Fresh parsley
↓
Black pepper
↓
Tiny sprinkle of paprika
Serve immediately while the cheese is beginning to melt.
🍞 What to serve with it
This soup is excellent with:
- Crusty French bread
- Garlic bread
- Toasted sourdough
- Dinner rolls
- Cheesy toast
- Homemade croutons
A particularly good combination is warm crusty bread + loaded potato soup, because the bread can be dipped into the thick creamy broth.
⭐ Important Tips for Perfect Potato Soup
1. Don’t boil after adding the cream
Keep the heat low once the milk and cream go in.
2. Don’t over-mash the potatoes
For a restaurant-style chunky soup, mash only part of the potatoes.
3. Shred your own cheese
Freshly shredded cheddar generally melts more smoothly than packaged pre-shredded cheese.
4. Use enough seasoning
Potatoes absorb a lot of salt and seasoning, so the soup may initially taste under-seasoned. Always taste it after adding the potatoes and again after adding the dairy and cheese.
5. Let the soup rest
After turning off the heat, let the soup sit for 5 minutes before serving.
It will thicken slightly as it rests.
6. Control the thickness
For thinner soup: add milk or broth.
For thicker soup: mash more potatoes or simmer uncovered for a few minutes.
For very thick loaded potato soup: mash approximately half the potatoes.
🥔 Make-Ahead & Storage
Allow leftover soup to cool before refrigerating.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for approximately 3–4 days.
When reheating, use low to medium-low heat and stir frequently.
If the soup has become too thick in the refrigerator, add a splash of milk or broth while reheating.
Avoid bringing the soup to a vigorous boil when reheating because the dairy can separate.
🌶️ Optional Flavor Upgrades
For an even more flavorful version, you can add:
- ½ teaspoon onion powder for extra savory flavor
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder for stronger garlic flavor
- ¼ teaspoon chili flakes for gentle heat
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard for a subtle sharpness
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika for a smoky loaded-potato flavor
- A few drops of hot sauce for heat
- Green onions for freshness
For the closest loaded baked potato flavor, I’d use sharp cheddar + crispy bacon + green onions + sour cream + black pepper.