Loaded Baked Potato Soup That Feels Like a Warm Hug

Cold, grey evenings call for the sort of dinner that warms the kitchen as much as it warms you, and this loaded baked potato soup does exactly that. It takes everything lovely about a generously topped baked potato, including crisp bacon, mature cheddar, soured cream and spring onions, and turns it into a thick, creamy bowlful that feels wonderfully comforting.

This isn't a delicate soup, and it isn't trying to be. There are tender pieces of potato, smoky bacon and ham in every spoonful, all held together by a properly creamy cheddar base. It is rich enough to make an ordinary winter supper feel special, yet every ingredient is easy to find in a UK supermarket. Serve it in warmed bowls with a little extra cheese and bacon scattered over the top, and it looks every bit as good as it tastes.

It is also a useful recipe for feeding a tableful without making several different dishes. Add warm crusty bread and a crisp green salad if you like, although a generous bowl is satisfying all by itself.

Why You'll Love This Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• It is proper comfort food. Creamy potatoes, smoky bacon and mature cheddar make this exactly the sort of dinner you want when the weather turns cold.
• It makes a generous batch. The recipe serves eight, making it useful for a family supper, casual gathering or planned leftovers.
• You can prepare parts ahead. Cook the bacon, onion and potatoes earlier in the day, then finish the creamy base when you are ready to eat.
• It uses familiar ingredients. Everything is available from an ordinary UK supermarket, with no specialist shopping required.
• The toppings make it feel special. A bowl finished with crisp bacon, good cheddar, soured cream and spring onions has that everyday-luxury quality without adding much work.
• It is easy to adapt. You can make it thicker, smoother, vegetarian or slightly lighter without losing the character of the soup.

What You'll Need for Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The ingredient list is generous because this makes eight filling portions. Set aside a little bacon, cheddar and spring onion before you begin so the finished bowls have plenty of colour and texture.

Note: American recipes often call for russet potatoes, but they are not always easy to find in UK supermarkets. Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes are ideal alternatives because they soften beautifully and help thicken the soup. American sour cream is sold as soured cream in Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and M&S.

• 250g (9 oz) smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• 225g (1½ cups) onion, finely chopped
• 1.4 litres (6 cups) good-quality chicken stock
• 900g (2 lb) floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm (¾-inch) cubes
• 150g (⅔ cup) unsalted butter
• 95g (¾ cup) plain flour
• 950ml (4 cups) whole milk
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 150g (1 cup) cooked ham, diced
• 225g (8 oz) full-fat soured cream
• 250g (2½ cups) mature cheddar, freshly grated
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced

Whole milk and full-fat soured cream give the smoothest result. Pre-grated cheese often contains anti-caking starch, so grating a block of mature cheddar yourself will help it melt more evenly.

Equipment You'll Need

• A large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole
• A large frying pan
• A whisk
• A sharp knife and chopping board
• A potato masher, optional for adjusting the texture
• Digital kitchen scales for accurate metric measurements

Nothing specialist is necessary, although a heavy casserole such as a Le Creuset holds the heat evenly and is lovely for taking straight to the table.

How to Make Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Step 1: Crisp the Bacon

Place the chopped bacon in a large frying pan over a medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp. Lift it onto a plate lined with kitchen paper, leaving around one tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan. Reserve roughly one quarter of the bacon for serving so every bowl gets a crisp finish.

Step 2: Soften the Onion

Add the chopped onion to the bacon fat and cook gently for about 6 minutes, until soft and translucent but not deeply browned. Stir regularly and scrape up the savoury bits from the base of the pan. This quiet bit of cooking builds the flavour underneath all that cream and cheese, so give the onion time to soften properly.

Step 3: Cook the Potatoes

Tip the softened onion into a large saucepan and add the chicken stock and cubed potatoes. Bring everything to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes. The potatoes should be completely tender when pierced with a knife, but you still want plenty of pieces to hold their shape.

Step 4: Make the Creamy Base

While the potatoes cook, melt the butter in the clean frying pan over a medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, then add the milk a little at a time, whisking well after each addition. Continue cooking and stirring for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce is smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adding the milk gradually is what prevents lumps, so don't rush this stage.

Step 5: Add the Cheese, Ham and Bacon

Turn the heat to low and stir the soured cream, 200g (2 cups) of the cheddar, the diced ham and most of the bacon into the sauce. Season with the salt and black pepper, then stir until the cheese has melted. Keep the mixture below a simmer once the soured cream is added, as fierce heat can make the dairy split.

Step 6: Bring the Soup Together

Pour the creamy mixture into the saucepan of potatoes and stock, then stir gently to combine. Simmer over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the soup is thick and piping hot. For a thicker texture, lightly mash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan while leaving plenty of tender chunks intact.

Step 7: Finish and Serve

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and finish with the reserved bacon, remaining cheddar and sliced spring onions. A small spoonful of soured cream and a final twist of black pepper make it look especially inviting. Serve straight away while the cheese is melting and the bacon is still crisp.

Tips for the Best Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Choose floury potatoes. Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes soften at the edges and naturally thicken the soup while leaving satisfying pieces in each bowl.

Use a stock you genuinely like. Stock makes up a large part of the soup, so a good-quality chicken stock pot or homemade stock gives a noticeably fuller flavour.

Grate the cheese from a block. It melts more smoothly than pre-grated cheese and gives the soup a silkier finish. An extra-mature cheddar adds plenty of character without needing a huge amount.

Keep the heat gentle. Once the milk, cheese and soured cream are involved, a low heat is your friend. Boiling can make the soup catch on the bottom or cause the dairy to separate.

Hold back the toppings. Reserved crisp bacon, cheddar and spring onions provide contrast against the creamy soup and make a simple supper feel much more considered.

Scale with care. A half batch works well in a medium saucepan. If doubling, use two pans rather than overcrowding one, as the milk base is easier to control that way.

Prepare ahead without losing texture. Cook the bacon and potatoes in advance, but make the dairy base and combine everything shortly before serving for the smoothest finish.

Make It Your Own

Make it vegetarian. Leave out the bacon and ham, use vegetable stock and soften the onions in a tablespoon of olive oil. A teaspoon of smoked paprika adds some of the warmth you would otherwise get from the bacon.

Add leeks. Replace half the onion with finely sliced leek for a softer, slightly sweeter flavour that works beautifully with potatoes and cheddar.

Give it a blue-cheese finish. Crumble a little Stilton over each bowl instead of the final cheddar. It is particularly lovely around Christmas when there always seems to be a small piece left in the fridge.

Make it smoother. Blend roughly one third of the cooked potato and stock before adding the creamy base. You will get a velvety soup that still has enough potato pieces to feel substantial.

Add extra vegetables. Stir in a handful of sweetcorn or finely chopped steamed broccoli with the ham. Both add colour and work naturally with cheddar.

Lighten it slightly. Use semi-skimmed milk and reduce the butter and flour to 100g (7 tablespoons) each. The soup will be a little less indulgent but still creamy and satisfying.

Frequently Asked Questions About Loaded Baked Potato Soup

How to Store and Reheat Loaded Baked Potato Soup

In the fridge: Cool the soup promptly, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to three days. Store any toppings separately so the bacon stays crisp and the spring onions remain fresh.

To reheat: Warm the soup slowly in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring often until piping hot. Add a splash of milk or stock to loosen it, as the potato will thicken the soup further in the fridge. Individual portions can be microwaved in short bursts, stirring between each one.

In the freezer: Freeze cooled portions in airtight containers for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently with a little fresh milk. The texture may be less silky than when freshly made, so freezing is useful but not the first choice.

Share Your Soup

If you make this loaded baked potato soup, leave a comment or share your bowl with me on Instagram. For another cosy dinner idea, have a look through the recipe collection.