Creamy Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Soup

The BEST ever creamy, comforting loaded potato soup with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onion!

a bowl of potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, bacon, sour cream and sliced green onion.

This quick and easy potato soup with cheddar and bacon is one of my all-time favorite comfort food meals! This time of year I could eat a bowl of this soup every day. Luckily, it’s very easy to make, is ready in less than an hour, and can be made all in one pot!

Serve this soup with one of these great salads:
Kale Caesar
Tomato Salad
Green Panzanella
The Everday Dinner Salad

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s everything you need to make this soup: russet potatoes, chicken stock, butter, cream, bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions (green onion), and sour cream to garnish.

recipe ingredients in individual bowls, chopped onion, bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, potatoes

Recipe Step by Step:

Step 1. Sauté the Bacon

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Leave about 2-3 tbsp of bacon fat in the pot.

two beige dutch ovens, one with bacon frying the other with potatoes cooking in soup base.

Step 2. Simmer the Soup

Next, sauté the onion in the bacon fat until translucent and soft then add in the diced potato. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.

two dutch oven pots one with chunky potato soup the other with smooth, blended potato soup.

Step 3. Add the Cream and Blend

When the potatoes are tender, pour in the cream and half the shredded cheddar cheese. Turn off the heat then use an immersion blender (or, a regular blender, working in batches) to blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt if needed. Divide the soup between bowls, top with shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, chopped green onion, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately!

FAQs and Expert Tips

What is the best way to blend creamy soups?

I use an immersion blender whenever I blend soups. It’s honestly one of my all-time favorite kitchen tools! You can also use a regular blender however I don’t recommend blending hot soup that way so be sure to let it cool down a bit first then blend in batches.

Can I make this recipe in advance?

Yes! This soup will last in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. 

How do I reheat this soup?


To Microwave: Cover loosely with a paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until hot. Stir halfway through.
For Stove Top: Pour soup into a pot or saucepan. Heat on medium/low, stirring frequently until hot. Do not boil.

two bowls of cheesy potato soup topped with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits and sliced green onion.

Check Out More Great Recipes:

I love to hear from readers and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. If you make this recipe be sure to leave a comment and/or give it a rating! Don’t forget to follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all the latest updates!

Creamy Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Soup

The BEST ever creamy, comforting loaded potato soup with cheddar cheese, bacon, and green onion!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 631kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 medium russet potatoes peeled and diced
  • 8 oz bacon roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 c chicken stock
  • 1 c heavy cream
  • 2 c grated cheddar cheese divided
  • 3 green onions thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • sour cream for serving optional

Instructions

  • Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the bacon and cook until crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels. Leave about 2-3 tbsp of bacon fat in the pot.
  • Next, sauté the onion in the bacon fat until translucent and soft then add in the diced potato. Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
  • When the potatoes are tender, pour in the cream and half the shredded cheddar cheese. Turn off the heat then use an immersion blender (or, a regular blender, working in batches) to blend the soup until it is smooth and creamy. Taste and season with salt if needed. Divide the soup between bowls, top with shredded cheese, bacon, sour cream, chopped green onion, and freshly cracked black pepper. Serve immediately!

Notes

 
How to Purée Soup – With or Without an Immersion Blender:
  • By far the easiest way to purée a soup is with an immersion blender. Place the blade end of the immersion blender into the bottom of your soup pot and puree until smooth. To avoid splatters, be sure the blade is completely submerged while blending. My immersion blender or “stick blender” is one of my holy grail kitchen appliances. It’s perfect for quickly blending together soups, sauces, salad dressing, aioli.. etc. It’s compact and easy to clean, if you don’t have one already I highly recommend this one by Kitchen Aid.  
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender you can use a regular countertop blender but you need do so carefully and in small batches. Before getting started allow the soup to cool off on the stove, uncovered for 5-10 minutes. In batches, transfer the soup to you blender filling it no more than halfway, then place the lid on loosely leaving it slightly ajar so steam can escape then blend on the lowest/slowest setting until smooth and creamy. Repeat as needed until all of the soup is puréed.
 
Reheating Instructions: 
  • To Microwave: Cover loosely with a paper towel and microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until hot. Stir halfway through.
  • For Stove Top: Pour soup into a pot or saucepan. Heat on medium/low, stirring frequently until hot. Do not boil.
 
Storing Leftovers: This soup will last in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen up the soup as needed.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 631kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 769mg | Potassium: 797mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1153IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 326mg | Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe?Share a picture on Instagram and tag me: @Craving_California and use the hashtag: #CravingCalifornia!

Similar Posts

5 from 3 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    This was sooo good. Husband and I had it for dinner and then lunch the next day. Next time I’ll double the recipe so we’ll have some for the freezer. Great recipe – thanks!