Loaded Potato Soup

There are few foods as comforting on a Southerner's table as a bowl of creamy potato soup. Perfect for chilly nights, busy weekdays, or even an after-church lunch, this easy potato soup recipe puts the slow cooker to work. You won't need to keep an eye on the stove; the simmering and cooking all happens in a few hours.

Plus, this loaded potato soup gets even tastier with toppings like shredded Cheddar cheese, crispy pieces of bacon, and fresh green onion. Set out toppings, and let guests pick and choose themselves; you won't have any complaints with this thick, hearty potato soup!

Ingredients for Loaded Potato Soup

The ingredients for this soup mirror what you would need to make loaded baked potatoes, with the addition of chicken broth and half-and-half to create the soup base.

Treat this recipe as a starting place from which you can add other flavors and toppings. Add garlic and chopped chiles to the soup base for savory and spicy notes. Mix up the toppings with chopped tomatoes, pickled jalapeños, chives, broccoli, or even black beans. 

How to Make Loaded Potato Soup

Thanks to a slow cooker, this recipe couldn’t be easier. Start by layering the potatoes in a greased six-quart slow cooker. Add the chopped onion on top. Stir together the chicken broth, salt, and pepper, then pour the mixture over the potatoes and onion. It won’t completely cover them, but that’s okay. Cover and cook on high for three to five hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Mash the mixture with a potato masher and stir in the half-and-half. Cover and cook for 20 more minutes or until heated through. If desired, use an immersion blender to smooth out any lumps. Ladle into bowls, and serve with a sprinkling of shredded Cheddar, bacon bits, and green onion. 

How to Store Loaded Potato Soup 

Leftover soup will last up to three days in the fridge in an airtight container or up to one month in the freezer. You’ll want to store the soup separately from the toppings. 

How to freeze potato soup

To freeze, you’ll need to cool the soup down completely. To do this safely, we suggest using an ice bath and stirring frequently, which will rapidly cool it down. Refrigerators and freezers alone don’t cool soups quickly enough to be food safe.

Transfer the soup to dated and labeled gallon-sized zip-top bags. To do this, cuff the bags over the edge of a bowl and ladle the soup in, then let out any excess air and seal. Lay the bags flat in a single layer on a baking sheet in the freezer; when frozen, stack bags to save space.

To reheat, it’s best to thaw the soup overnight in the fridge. In case of leaks, place the bag inside a bowl. Then reheat on the stove top over low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you thicken Loaded Potato Soup?

Combine about one tablespoon of cornstarch or better yet, potato starch if you have it on hand, with a little bit of water or some of the broth from the soup in a small bowl. With the soup still simmering, add in the cornstarch mixture. The soup should thicken almost immediately. Blending the soup with an immersion blender will also help thicken the soup. 

What goes well with Loaded Potato Soup?

Bread is always nice with soup, from our Buttery Yeast Rolls to our Hurry-Up Homemade Crescent Rolls, both of which can be made while the soup cooks. For a lighter and fresher option, you can try one of our many side salad recipes, or a sandwich. We suggest doubling down on the bacon and serving with a BLT. 

How do you fix bland Loaded Potato Soup?

A lot of the flavor of this soup comes from the toppings: The bacon that adds salt, the green onion adds a savory bite, and the sharp Cheddar cheese lends richness, but you can punch up these toppings as well as the soup base to add flavor.

While layering the potatoes in the slow cooker add your favorite spices, from curry powder to ancho chile powder. In addition to onion, add leeks, carrots, and celery to bulk up the aromatics in this soup. You can also add bouillon to your broth to intensify its flavor and blend in heavy cream instead of half-and-half for extra richness.

Finish the soup with plenty of fresh herbs, like chives, for an extra boost of flavor and as mentioned before, get creative with the toppings and really pile them on! 

Editorial contributions by: Alana Al-Hatlani.