This Loaded Baked Potato Soup has a sweet surprise ingredient that elevates the flavors and results in a perfectly balance bowl of comforting deliciousness. Easy and economical, this is one of our top five 30-Minute Meals!

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What Makes this Potato Soup so Special?
Loaded Baked Potato Soup is one of our top five favorite 30-minute Meals - and this one I'll even serve to company!
Oh, you'll be here in half an hour? And you're starving? No problem!
The first time I made this soup was when my girls were young and they unexpectedly brought home a few extra friends for dinner. We never turn away a hungry kid, but I had barely enough potatoes to begin with, and so I wasn't sure we would have enough soup to go all around. I did, however, have a sweet potato, so I threw that into my baked potato soup instead.
Oh, my! What a difference that little sweet potato made! I'll never make baked potato soup without one again!
Fast, economical, and straightforward, this delicious, easy-to-make Baked Potato Soup has a chowder-like consistency and a sweet surprise on the ingredient list. Check it out!
What Goes into this Recipe
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
★ Russet Potatoes: It is important to use Idaho Russets or other high-starch potatoes for this soup. Russet have a neutral flavor and high starch content, which gives them a creamy, soft texture that breaks down easily. This all makes them the perfect choice for making a creamy soup like this one.
I have also successfully made this Baked Potato Soup with Yukon Gold potatoes, but the soup required a little more mashing than usual to achieve the desired consistency.
DO NOT USE waxy potato varieties (e.g., red potatoes, new potatoes, fingerling, etc.) for this recipe. Waxy potatoes have a low starch content and have a creamy, firm flesh that holds its shape well after cooking. They do not break down easily when cooked, resulting in a thin, bodiless soup.
★ Sweet Potatoes: Use white sweet potatoes for this recipe.
What's the difference between orange and white sweet potatoes anyway? (And my Gramma told me the orange ones were yams. Are you contradicting my Gramma?)
I don't know about you, but I grew up calling orange fleshed sweet potatoes "yams." However, as I have since learned, it is nearly impossible to find true yams is the United States. Most of the tubers we were fed as children and told were yams were really sweet potatoes. It's true.
OK, now that we've cleared that up, here's the scoop on the differences between orange and white sweet potatoes.
While sweet potatoes around the world come in many different colors - brown, red, yellow, white, even purple - in the United States, nearly all of our sweet potatoes fall into two categories: [1] golden skin with creamy white flesh, and [2] brown or copper skin with an orange flesh.
Orange sweet potatoes are the heroes of holiday side dishes everywhere. They have a sweet, smooth, soft texture. White sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have a milder flavor and crumblier texture when cooked.
★ Garlic: This is for all you cooks who habitually double the garlic in a recipe (I see you). You (i.e., We) are the reason this recipe recipe only calls for one clove of garlic instead of two. One large or two average-sized cloves are perfect, but if I put "2 cloves of garlic" in the ingredient list, someone is going to make this soup with four cloves instead, which is way too much - it simply overpowers everything.
All that being said, if you like a garlicky soup, you can safely add one more clove. Or two.
For real garlic lovers only: Try this making potato soup recipe with a handful mashed, roasted garlic cloves. So good!
Serving Suggestions
Baked potato soup is is delicious served as is, but if you're feeding a crowd, you can set up an easy soup bar.
Topping ideas include:
- bacon bits
- sliced green onions
- chopped tomatoes
- slice jalapeños
- grated cheese
- sour cream
- pepitas
- oyster crackers
- hot sauce
Expert Tips
FYI Classroom Teachers: While I was preparing this post, I ran across these nifty (and free) Sweet Potato related STEM resources offered by the The North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission.

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Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet onion chopped ¼"
- 4 ounces raw bacon chopped into ¼" pieces
- 1 ½ - 2 pounds russet potatoes about 3 large, peeled and cubed ½"
- 8 ounce white sweet potato peeled and cubed ½"
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 cup half & half
- dash hot sauce
- freshly ground pepper
Garnish | Serve on Side
- additional bacon bits
- sliced green onions
- freshly chopped tomatoes
- grated cheddar cheese
- sour cream
Instructions
- Heat a cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy stockpot over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on the surface. Add the chopped bacon pieces and stir with a wooden spoon to distribute in the pot. Cook bacon pieces over medium heat until bacon pieces are crispy. Turn off heat. Remove bacon from pot using a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Turn heat up to medium-high. Add the chopped onions to the hot bacon fat and sauté until translucent. Add minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add chicken broth, chopped potatoes, salt, ground pepper, and hot sauce (optional). You should have just enough liquid to barely come to the top of the potatoes. (Add a little more broth or water if you need to.)
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender but not mushy.
- Add half & half and reserved bacon bits. Stir over low heat until soup is heated through. Remove from heat.
- To thicken the soup slightly, use a potato masher to break up potatoes just a bit. Remember though, this is Baked Potato Soup, not Mashed Potato Soup, so don't get carried away!
- Serve with green onions, grated cheese, bacon bits, grated cheese and sour cream on the side.
Notes
- + 2 Butter (for bacon)
- + 3 cup vegetable broth (for chicken broth)
Nutrition
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
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Originally published November 9, 2012. The post has been updated with new content, images, and recipe instructions to improve reader experience.
Peachy @ The Peach Kitchen says
We love Baked Potato Soup ! Your version looks delicious!
Renée ♥ says
Thank you!
Shana Sutton says
This recipe sounds amazing! I love all your extra fun facts including the STEM activity link. I'm definitely going to check that out for my kids. Also--I JUST discovered purple sweet potatoes last week. And unlike regular purple potatoes, the inside is not purple! I's white! I bet it would be perfect for your soup recipe!
Clair says
Oh my word! This potato soup looks so delicious, especially with all those toppings! I have got to make some of this over the weekend since the weather decided to finally cool off around here!
All That I'm Eating says
Your soup looks so warming and comforting. I like all the extra bits you've put on top as everyone can make it their own!
Renée ♥ says
It's one of those meals you can dress up or dress down, depending on your mood. ??
Serena says
I love baked potato soup but didn't think to add in sweet potato. Great addition to the recipe!
Kushigalu says
What a delicious looking soup. Perfect for the season. Yum!
Ashley @ Sweetpea Lifestyle says
Yum!! Finally we have the perfect weather for potato soup! This was the perfect warm comfort food I needed!
Alyssa says
Saving this for winter when I will be ready to eat soups EVERY DAY. This is the perfect recipe for a chilly day in front of the fireplace.
Paula @ I'm Busy Being Awesome says
Such a yummy recipe, I'll have to give it a try
Stephanie says
I love loaded potato soup. I never thought to add sweet potato though. I will be trying this soon.
Renée ♥ says
Thanks, Stephanie! Let us know how it turns out if you do!