On frigid days like today nothing feels better than a bowl of hot soup. I was about to reach for a packet of instant ramen noodles when I saw we had a whole sack of potatoes which we barely made a dent in. They stood there looking at me with judging eyes, asking me “why won’t you cook us” (get it? Potatoes have eyes). Then I realized that there are always two basic food groups in our household which are always in stock: bacon and cheese. The choice was clear. We were making loaded baked potato soup.
Making Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Two large baking potato chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
- One small onion chopped
- 3 tbs butter
- 2 tbs flour
- 2 cups chicken bullion broth dissolved in water
- 3 cups water
- 1 can evaporated milk (12oz)
- 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)
- Cracks of fresh pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of shredded cheese
- Toppings:
- Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
- Chopped cooked bacon (optional)
- Chopped green onions or chives (optional)
- Sour cream (optional)
Steps
- Boil cups of water and add 2 chicken bullion cubes. Stir and dissolve, then set aside.
- In a large pot add three tbs of butter and melt at medium heat.
- When the butter is melted add the chopped onions and cook until clear
- Add the flour to the onions and stir to mix them well. You are going to make a small blonde roux with the butter and flour to add some thickness to your soup. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Next, add the chicken bullion to the pot with another 3 cups of water. Add the chopped potatoes and mix.
- Bring the soup to a boil, cover and let cook for about 15-20 minutes.
- After about 20 minutes, check the potato for softness. You want the consistency of a baked potato which is soft enough to bite through, but firm enough to retain its shape.
- When the potatoes are cooked to the right tenderness, add a full can of evaporated milk and cook for another 5 minutes without the lid. Your soup will reduce a bit but you also want to avoid bubbling over and making a mess.
I like using evaporated milk versus cream or regular cold milk because it is both at a lower temperature and higher concentration since most of the water has been evaporated from the milk itself. Since I originally made this after the holidays, we had a lot of cans left over from our pumpkin pie making. Use them if you got them! - At this point I take an immersion blender and blend the soup to break down some of the chunks of potato. When it comes to incorporating ingredients into silky smooth soups, this is where immersion blenders shine. I have a simple Amazon Basics Immersion Blender that I can put directly into the pot, which is perfect for recipes like this.
Be careful not to break them all down as you want some chunks to build the body of your soup. You just want to blend enough to break down some of the potato so it incorporates evenly into the soup with each spoonful. - Next I add a few cracks of fresh pepper and salt to taste. Then I add a 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and allow it to melt into the soup before serving.
- Remove from the heat, serve, and enjoy with your favorite baked potato toppings.
Stay warm!
