Baked Potato Soup

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Potatoes – I use russet potatoes in this recipe because they are starchy and blend into the soup well. They fall apart easily and soak up liquid. Unlike waxier potatoes which are good for soups like New England clam chowder where they are cubed. 
• Leeks – The addition of leeks complement the potatoes adding a more complex flavor to the soup. 
• Cheddar cheese – Always use sharp Cheddar when cooking. If you use mild or medium Cheddar the flavor will cook out and the recipe will be lacking in that cheesy flavor.
• Bacon – The fat from the bacon is used to sauté the vegetables and create the flavorful base of the soup. The crumbled bacon is served over the soup with Cheddar cheese, chives and sour cream.

How to Make Baked Potato Soup

1. Cook the bacon. Add the bacon to a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve as much fat in the pan as possible.
2. Sauté onions and leeks. Add the butter and allow to melt then add the onion and leeks. Sauté, cooking until the onion is soft and translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the potatoes, milk, chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt.
3. Cook until the potatoes are tender. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Puree the soup. Next, puree the soup with an immersion blender until smooth or let the soup cool slightly then puree in a blender, working in batches if necessary.
5. Serve. Return the soup to the pot then stir in the sour cream and ½ cup of the cheese until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with sour cream, bacon, remaining cheese and chives.

Tips for This Recipe

• Rather than adding cream to thicken the soup later on the potatoes are cooked in a combination of chicken stock and milk until tender then pureed with an immersion blender.
• It’s important to cook the potatoes long enough so that they can easily be pierced with a fork and will puree smoothly.
• Vegetable stock can be substituted and bacon omitted (use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to sauté the onions and leeks instead) for a vegetarian option. 

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this baked potato soup recipe, I recommend giving these a try:

• Roasted Garlic Cauliflower Soup
• Easy Lasagna Soup
• Twice Baked Potatoes