What is your idea of comfort food?
This Loaded Potato Soup screams comfort food. It’s a bowl of rich creamy soup loaded with bacon and Irish cheddar cheese. This is the kind of soup that makes it hard to stop after just one bowl.
Loaded with crispy bacon and Irish cheddar cheese, this soup warms you, heart and soul. It’s not a light soup in any way. It’s a hearty, stick to your ribs kind of soup filled with real food ingredients. Some people shy away from bacon saying it’s not good for you. I say, “Enjoy it! But, everything in moderation.” Look for nitrate free bacon that isn’t filled with artificial ingredients. You’d be surprised at what is on some bacon products. (But I digress). Splurge on the good quality bacon for this soup. It makes a world of difference.
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The key to this recipe is adding Irish Cheddar. I like Kerrygold Blarney Stone in this soup. It’s slightly salty to me. It adds a rich flavor and creamy texture to the soup. If you can’t get this cheese, look for a Dutch Gouda or an aged sharp cheddar. Both with add a deeper flavor than other cheeses.
If you can make real mashed potatoes, you can make Loaded Potato Soup. It’s a simple recipe that takes less than 20 minutes. Some people like really creamy potatoes, other chunky. The outcome is all in your technique. My family likes a smoother texture, so I’ll mash my potatoes really well.
If you want chunkier soup:
- Cut the potatoes smaller prior to cooking
- Skip mashing the potatoes
- Stir the soup just until combined
Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups peeled, cubed potatoes, about 6 medium sized potatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 3 tablespoons salt, divided
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup Irish Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 6 sliced of bacon
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions
- Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add garlic and 1 teaspoon of salt to the water. Bring to a boil and cook covered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Drain water from potatoes.
- While potatoes are cooking, cook bacon in a large skillet. Cook until crispy then remove from pan to cool slightly. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings for soup. Chop bacon into smaller pieces. Set aside.
- Return cooked potatoes to the pot. Mash potatoes. Add milk, remaining salt, sour cream, 1/2 cup of cheese, 1/2 of the chopped bacon, 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings, and black pepper. Stir until well combined.
- To serve: Ladle soup into bowls. Top with remaining cheese, bacon, and green onions.
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1377Total Fat: 89gSaturated Fat: 56gCholesterol: 275mgSodium: 22818mgCarbohydrates: 65gSugar: 47gProtein: 78g
So how do you like your potato soup?
If you are looking for more soup recipes, be sure to check out these:
Bacon and potatoes, 2 of my faves. This sounds so good.
This sounds so good! I haven’t tried that Kerrygold yest, but I have seen it in the store. I’ll have to give it a go. Potato soup is one of my favorites! Thanks for the recipe. I’ve pinned it for later.
I prefer Kerrygold. Their cows are grass fed and you can taste the difference
Yep – This is going on my “to-make” list for sometime very soon!!
This is everything I love in comfort food! Looks perfect and the Blarney Stone cheese is a personal favorite.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a definite favorite in my house. Great tips on cheese choices.
The cheese makes all the difference.
Your potato soup looks very welcoming! I will add it on my “must try” list
I’m sure you are going to love it Elena
Mmmmmmm, Irish Cheddar, your soup looks amazing!!
Thanks Tara. Irish Cheddar and bacon, how could I go wrong? 🙂
I couldn’t agree more. Kerrygold is one of my favorite cheese companies.
I try to bring y’all the best. 🙂
You could always try it with Turkey bacon. But even without the bacon, it’s delicious.
This loaded potato soup sounds like pure comfort! I love how it’s all about real, hearty ingredients. The tip about nitrate-free bacon is spot-on. I once made a similar soup and used regular bacon, and it didn’t taste as good. Can’t wait to try the Kerrygold cheese. Do you think using low-fat milk would still work, or would it change the texture too much?