Baked Potato Soup
Baked Potato Soup is the perfect soup that starts with a rich and creamy potato soup base all served with a variety of toppings for a journey of flavors and textures. I love to make this on any chilly day to warm up and feel good, I especially love this soup as a make ahead meal for a busy day. I love to use a variety of potatoes for this soup, I find that using a combination of a starchy russet potato along with a creamy red potato or yukon gold results in the perfect blend of a starchy and creamy soup. To serve the soup, I like to use savory and crispy bacon along with cool and cruncy green onions as well as cheese and sour cream. When we make this soup for dinner, we almost always find that one bowl is never enough. Enjoy!
Baked potatoes are a true comfort food with all their gooey textures and creamy fillings. I’ve taken this comfort food up a few notches by turning a classic baked potato into a delicious and hearty soup. I’ve kept the base of this soup incredibly simple to highlight the delicious starchiness of the potato by using simple ingredients like onion, garlic, broth, and potatoes. I have tried many different variations of what potatoes to use, and I found that an equal amount of starchy russet potato along with an equal amount of a creamier potato like the yukon gold hits the spot. Using only russet potatoes left me with a soup akin to eating school glue, and while having only yukon gold potatoes felt as if the soup didn’t have as much body. I also like to start this soup off by rendering my bacon and using the fat from the to saute the onions and garlic so that the delicious bacon flavors are built into the soup from the start. Once the groundwork of cooking the bacon and onions, and garlic is done, you can add your potatoes, broth, cream, and simmer away until it’s time to blend. My blender of choice for soups will always be a hand blender. You can use a standing blender, however the ease and convenience of a hand blender wins every time. The base of this soup is so simple, just like the base of an actual baked potato. And just like a baked potato, the best parts are the toppings. I add chopped bacon, green onions, freshly shredded cheese, and sour cream to my soup for an explosion of flavors and textures. This is great soup to make any time of the year, but I especially love it when the weather is getting chilly and you can really sink into a delicious and warming bowl of soup. Speaking of sinking in, did you know about that time I got stuck in quicksand? My family and I were enjoying a picture perfect day at the beach just before fall settled in. We had just finished a lovely picnic lunch when I decided to go for a stroll down the beach. As I continued to wander further from my family, I spotted a trail that looked as though it went into a marshy area. Since I’m always looking for an adventure, I decided to check out the trail I had stumbled upon. I was immediately submerged into this beautiful glen that was full of tropical plants, flowers, and colorful butterflies. As I stood there dumbfounded at the gem I had just discovered, I noticed that my feet were submerged in sand. Soon enough the sand was up to my knees and then my hips, I had wandered into a pit of quicksand! Lucky for me, I had just watched a documentary on quicksand so I was well armed with the knowledge on how to survive such a thing. I started by taking some deep breaths to stay calm and then very slowly, moved my body towards the top to get into a position so I could float. Just when I had gotten myself to safety, my family appeared and helped me fully escape my sandy trap. As we walked back to our spot, we started to feel a chill in the air, so we decided to go back home and make a cozy pot of Baked Potato Soup.
- 4 Slices Bacon (Suggested amount, use more if you like!)
- 1 cup Onion (Chopped)
- 3 cloves Garlic (Minced)
- 1 Russet Potatoes (Peeled and chopped into 2 inch cubes)
- 2 Yukon Gold potato (Up to 4 depending on size. You want to equal the amount of Russet Potato. Peeled and chopped.)
- 1 /2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
- 6 Cups Chicken Broth
- 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 4 Slices Bacon (Chopped, add more bacon to taste)
- 6 Green Onions (Sliced thinly)
- 1 Cup Cheddar Cheese (Shredded)
- Sour Cream
Start by prepping your veggies and cooking your bacon. Add your bacon to a dutch oven and cook on both sides until done, about 5-7 minutes. Remove your bacon and bacon grease from the pan, reserving 1 Tablespoon of bacon fat to cook your onions and garlic in. While your bacon is cooking, chop your onion and garlic, and peel and cut your potatoes.
Once your bacon is cooked, add your onions, salt, pepper, and thyme to your dutch oven and saute until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add your garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add your potatoes to your dutch oven and add your broth and heavy cream. Continue to simmer over medium high heat until your potatoes are fork tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Once your potatoes are tender, use a hand blender to puree your soup until smooth.
I love a hand blender for all soups, however you can use whatever blender you have on hand to get the job done. You can also choose to leave this slightly chunky if you prefer more texture to your soup.Once your soup is blended, add your toppings and serve immediately. Enjoy!
The amount for the toppings is a suggested amount, if you prefer more or less bacon, cheddar, or green onions, you can adjust to your preferences.
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