This quick and easy baked potato soup can be on your table in under 30 minutes. Load it up with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions for a hot and hearty meal the whole family will adore!
Quick and Easy Baked Potato Soup
'Tis the time of the year to break out my favorite BIG Dutch Oven, along with my favorite soup recipes, and it just doesn't get much better than this delicious and easy loaded baked potato soup...
It's packed with all of the creamy, bacon-y flavor of a loaded baked potato, but it can be on your table in a fraction of the time. We're talking under 30 minutes!! Served with a simple salad and a fresh loaf of bread, this is definitely one of our favorite quick, easy and simple weeknight meals.
Keep reading for my favorite tricks that will help you make loaded potato soup and have it on the dinner table in under half an hour!
"We’ve made this recipe at least once a week since finding it!"
It’s delicious and also so easy and quick to make on a school night. Thank you for sharing this!
Best Potatoes For Quick Potato Soup
The first tip for speeding up the preparation of this loaded baked potato soup is to use a very thin-skinned potato, like these honey gold potatoes that I picked up at Walmart. Notice how the bag actually calls out the "delicate skin".
Think about it — peeling potatoes adds precious minutes to your prep time before cooking. Not only are these honey gold potatoes a flavorful choice, but the thin skin means there's no need for peeling.
Simply cube them up as is, then cover and cook in some chicken broth. In almost no time at all, you'll be able to easily mash them up with a potato masher!
Make Loaded Potato Soup Easy
The second most time-consuming aspect of a typical baked potato soup recipe is cooking the bacon. I took a little shortcut and picked up a package of Oscar Mayer Thick Cut Fully Cooked Bacon.
Yes, precooked bacon is slightly more expensive... But compared to what a trip through the drive-thru costs our family, it's still quite a bargain in my eyes!
One last tip is to start chopping and slicing the bacon and green onions while the potatoes are cooking. If you finish that and still have a few spare minutes, work on measuring out the milk, sour cream and cheddar cheese, as well.
By keeping busy while the potatoes are cooking, you're shaving valuable minutes off of your total prep time!
Don't Forget The Toppings
Top off this easy loaded baked potato soup with your favorite baked potato toppings. For me that means an additional dollop of sour cream, plus plenty of shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.
Serve this soup with a simple salad and a fresh loaf of bread for a hot and hearty meal any day of the week! Or for days when you want to be a little extra, try my 15-minute easy garlic bread.
Souper Cubes 2-Cup Freezer Trays with Lids
If you like to freeze leftover soup for later, you NEED these sturdy silicone trays with lids!! These are the perfect size for freezing and reheating individual servings. AND they're easy to use and clean like a dream, with no residual odors!
Printable Recipe ↓
Quick and Easy Baked Potato Soup
Key Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (2.5-pound) bag gold potatoes - leave peels on, cubed
- 1 (32-ounce) box chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup sour cream - plus extra for topping
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese - plus extra for topping
- 2 green onions - sliced, plus extra for topping
- 8 slices bacon - precooked or cooked and crumbled (divided)
- kosher salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
- If you need to cook your bacon, the easiest way to do this is to bake it in the oven while the potatoes are boiling. (See: oven baked bacon)
- Placed cubed potatoes in a large pot and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook until fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from heat, and do not drain the stock. Let cool slightly, then lightly smash the potatoes with a potato masher, leaving the mixture a bit chunky.
- Stir in milk, sour cream, cheddar cheese, green onions, and half of the bacon. Place the soup back on stove and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve warm, topped with additional sour cream, cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onions, as desired.
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Did you make this recipe?
I'd love to see how your loaded potato soup turns out... Tag me @Unsophisticook on Instagram or use the hashtag #Unsophisticook so I can check it out. Enjoy!
Laine Lightsey says
We’ve made this recipe at least once a week since finding it. It’s delicious and also so easy and quick to make on a school night. Thank you for sharing this.
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy to hear this, Laine! It's been a bit since I've made this myself. Now I'm craving it!
Dahena morales says
So fast, easy, and delicious!! Amazing recipe thank you.
Cari Weiffenbach says
Do you drain the potatoes before mashing?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Cari! No, the broth stays in the pot and becomes the base of the soup. I'll add a note to the recipe to clarify this.
Coty says
It says to stir in milk but I don't see an amount?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Coty! It's 1 cup of milk, as listed in the recipe card ingredients.
Lindsey Mckenzie says
Absolutely delicious! So easy! So yummy. Thank you!!
Tara Kuczykowski says
So happy you loved it, Lindsey! I haven't made this in awhile — need to fix that ASAP.
Leslie says
I just finished making you loaded potato soup, and I had to let you know how fabulous it is! Thank you for sharing, and you were right in that it is simple yet packed with flavor! I am excited to try other recipes you've shared. Thanks again!
Shelly Mac says
This Loaded Baked Potato Soup is delicious, Tara. Thanks!!! I found your Chicken Tortilla Soup recipe about a year ago and it was a huge hit with my family. When it gets really cold here in northeast Ohio my hubby asks for Chicken Tortilla Soup. It is the perfect food for below zero weather. Now I will make Loaded Baked Potato Soup too. My picky eater hubby is a fan of your recipe's.
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
So glad you love it, Shelly! I was surprised at how well it went over with my whole family. Thinking I need to match another big batch this weekend with the snow we have forecasted!
Samina says
Thank you for this. I tried another baked potato soup recipe & it ended up tasting way to floury from the roux. I'm eager to try this one. I expect it'll be as fantastic as your other recipes I've tried!
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Oh yeah, no worries about a floury taste with this one! The mashed potatoes make it naturally thick without a lot of fuss.