Loaded Baked Potato Soup
A thick, creamy potato soup built on milk and butter, topped with crisp bacon, sharp cheddar and sour cream. Cozy, onion-free and ready in about 45 minutes.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Serves
- 6
Russets break down beautifully and thicken the soup on their own, so there is no need for broth. Keep the heat low once the cheese and sour cream go in, since boiling can make the soup grainy. It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and thickens as it sits, so thin it with a splash of milk when reheating.
Method
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Cook the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for , until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
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Add the butter to the pot and melt it over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for , until it smells lightly toasted.
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Slowly whisk in the milk and water until smooth. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and smoked paprika.
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Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook, stirring often so nothing sticks, for , until the potatoes are very tender.
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Mash about half of the potatoes right in the pot with a potato masher, leaving the rest in chunks for a thick, rustic texture.
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Turn the heat to low and stir in 1 cup of the cheddar and the sour cream until melted and smooth. Do not let the soup boil. Taste and add more salt if needed.
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Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar, the bacon, a spoonful of sour cream and the parsley.
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