Loaded with tender potatoes and lots of cheddar, this potato cheddar soup is perfectly creamy and amazing topped with crispy bacon and green onions.
Soup season is incomplete unless you have this loaded potato soup on the menu!
We’ve got cheese, we’ve got potatoes, and no shortage of crispy bacon bits so there’s really zero chance of things going wrong here.
Only way you could go wrong is if your bowl isn’t big enough.
The real selling point about this soup is that it’s very minimal on the ingredient list and so easy to whip up at a moment’s notice on a weeknight.
This Potato Cheddar Soup features…
- A rich and creamy texture with chunks of soft potatoes
- Crispy bacon and lots of gooey cheddar cheese
- Ready in 40 minutes with only 8 ingredients
Making the Potato Cheddar Soup
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Bacon
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Yellow potatoes
- Chicken broth
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Green onions
Choosing Your Potatoes
We recommend using a mild, creamy potato for this soup such as Yukon golds, baby golds, or yellow potatoes.
For best results, we recommend peeling the potatoes so they blend up super creamy.
Tips for Perfect Potato Cheddar Soup
- Use bacon drippings as soup base – we’re going to cook the bacon bits and then use the drippings to saute the onion and build the soup base. This adds a lot of flavor to the soup.
- Peel potatoes and cut into uniform cubes – peeling the skin makes for a smoother soup and cutting them in uniform 1/4-inch cubes will help them cook evenly.
- Puree half of soup – this helps you get that rich and creamy soup texture, yet you’ll still have a little bit of texture from the cubed potatoes that aren’t pureed.
- Add cheese and sour cream at end of cooking – this prevents the cheese from burning and the sour cream from separating.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this soup.
- Try a different cheese – try shredded gruyere, sharp cheddar, smoked gouda, or Monterey jack in place of the mild cheddar. Don’t be afraid to try a few different kinds of cheeses too!
- Skip the bacon – for a vegetarian-friendly soup, skip the bacon and instead sauté the onion in a little vegetable oil.
- Add vegetables – try adding a handful of diced carrot, celery, mushrooms, or sweet pepper to soup before simmering.
Storing and Freezing Soup
This soup stores well in refrigerator up to 6 days. You can reheat individual servings in the microwave or larger quantities on the stovetop.
To freeze soup, allow to cool completely, pour in a freezer-safe container, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator and reheat via microwave or stovetop.
There’s no way around it, this soup is going to become an absolute staple on your soups lineup! It’s so rich and creamy and the little kick of fresh green onion and crispy bacon bits takes it over the top.
Big bowls only of this goodness!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
Watch this soup made step-by-step on Google web stories.
More cozy, creamy soups to try next!
- Sausage Pumpkin Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Mushroom Wild Rice Soup
- Broccoli Cheddar Spaghetti Squash Soup
Creamy Potato Cheddar Soup
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Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 3 lbs yellow potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 4-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1-1/2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sliced green onion and additional cheddar for topping
Instructions
- In a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
- In same pot over medium-high heat, cook onion in bacon drippings until tender. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add potatoes and chicken broth to pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and allow to simmer 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Transfer half of soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to pot and stir in cheddar, sour cream, and crispy bacon bits until cheese is melted. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve soup warm with green onion and cheddar on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 10/4/23.
Betsy says
Could you do this in a slow cooker?
Sarah says
Yes you can! Follow the instructions through Step 2, then add the potatoes and chicken broth and transfer to a slow cooker. Cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-6 hours until potatoes are tender, then proceed with blending the soup and adding remaining ingredients.