Name: Ultra Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces; 1 small onion, finely diced; 1 medium carrot, finely diced; 1 celery rib, finely diced; salt and pepper, to taste; 2 tbsp butter; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp smoked paprika; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp dried thyme; 1/2 cup flour; 6 cups chicken stock; 5 cups red potatoes, chopped into 1/4” pieces ((about 4-5 potatoes) ); 1 1/2 cups heavy cream; 8 oz shredded smoked gouda cheese or cheddar ((or a combo)); 1/2 cup sour cream; sliced scallions; additional shredded cheese; reserved crisp bacon

This Ultra Creamy Loaded Potato Soup recipe is velvety, luxurious, and ready in a flash! Loaded with plenty of soft and creamy red potatoes, cheddar, smoked gouda, and bacon!

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Creamy, dreamy, smokey loaded potato soup!

If you love a hearty and delightful bowl of stick-to-your-ribs potato soup, you’re going to go nuts over this Ultra Creamy Loaded Potato Soup recipe with Smoked Gouda! Loaded with rich and smokey flavor, and topped like a decadent baked potato- this soup packs a serious flavor punch.

What goes into this creamy potato soup recipe?

To make this smokey and delicious potato soup, you will need:

6 strips bacon, cut into small pieces. You can use regular or thick cut bacon, cut make sure it’s full crisp before removing it from the pot.
1 small onion, finely diced. Yellow or white are both fine for this recipe.
1 medium carrot, finely diced.
1 celery rib, finely diced.
Salt and pepper, to taste. Taste the soup for seasoning throughout cooking, and add salt and pepper accordingly.
Butter. This will work along with the cooked veggies and bacon fat to help you make a roux to thicken the soup.
Smoked paprika, garlic powder and dried thyme.
4 cloves garlic, minced.
All purpose flour, for making the roux which will thicken the soup.
5 cups chopped red potatoes. You want these small and uniform so that they cook evenly. About 1/4″ is perfect.
6 cups chicken stock.
1 1/2 cups heavy cream. This gives the soup it’s luxurious creaminess.
8 oz shredded smoked gouda cheese or cheddar. You can also use a combo of both!
1/2 cup sour cream. This stirs in right at the end, and adds the perfect tang to the finished soup.

Cooking the bacon

This Potato soup recipe can be done start to finish in one large stockpot. You’ll start with crisping up some bacon in the pan. Once it’s crisp, remove it to a plate to drain, and remove most of the fat, leaving a couple tablespoons of the bacon fat to cook the veggies in.

Starting the soup base

Reduce heat to medium-low and add celery, onion, and carrots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, until slightly softened. Add butter to the pot and melt. Next, add the spices and garlic, stir and cook 1 minute. Add flour and stir well until fully combined. Slowly whisk in chicken stock, and add the potatoes.

Cooking the potatoes

Turn heat to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are soft, 15-20 minutes. Check and stir occasionally so potatoes don’t stick. Once potatoes are easily pierced with a fork, stir in heavy cream and cheese until well combined.

Gently mash potatoes with a masher, until some are mashed, and some remain whole.

Stirring in the sour cream

Turn off the heat, and stir in the sour cream right at the end for an extra flavor boost and tangy taste. Taste, and season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.

Serving the loaded potato soup

While this smokey potato soup recipe is perfect as-is, it is next level with some loaded potato toppings. I like to top my soup with the reserved crispy bacon, some grated cheddar (or more smoked gouda) and some thinly sliced scallions. A little dollop of sour cream never hurt anybody, either. Once you’ve added the toppings, it’s heaven in a bowl!

What are the best potatoes for potato soup?

For this potato soup recipe, I prefer a red potato, or Yukon gold. Both give a silky texture to the soup. They also both DO NOT require peeling, which is a big deal to me. If you want to work with what you have on hand, you could use peeled russet potatoes, or even a combination of red and russet, or a medley.

Tools for a great soup

A large dutch oven or soup/stockpot.

A potato masher or immersion blender. prefer to use a hand masher, but if you like a soother soup, try an immersion blender instead!

A slotted spoon, for easy bacon removal.

A good ladle, for serving the soup.

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