Since Fall is here with a vengeance I’ve been craving soup type foods. I made about 18 quarts of chili and 10 quarts of pasta e fagioli but I wasn’t into them. They are awesome and but I wanted creamy soup. Recently I’ve boarded the sweet potato bandwagon however even they got to be a bit much. I’m a regular old tater girl I guess. Then it dawned on (duh!) Thick ‘n Creamy Loaded Potato Soup! I love this soup but it can be pretty fattening normally with all the heavy cream and butter. That’s not me; well it hasn’t been me for years. I wanted a healthier version without sacrificing any of the flavor.
Now this soup can be made 2 ways – on the stove or in the crock pot. Today since I had some errands to run I opted for the slow cooker. God I love those things! They are seriously like the best kitchen invention ever! After running my errands (and skipping breakfast – I know that’s bad and I never do that but I honestly kinda forgot to at), I was STARVING! I ran around the house like a mad woman putting my stuff away so I could concentrate on finishing up the soup. About 10 minutes later I was at my table, spoon in hand and my tummy was getting completely satisfied!
See fortunately the day before I whipped up a bunch of Crusty Sourdough Bread Bowls. I make about 6 of these at a time and then freeze them for when I need a bread bowl fix!
This soup is super creamy and thick and what I love most about it is that it actually tastes like potatoes! I’ve had some ‘potato soups’ that literally taste like just cream and fat with some type of potato mush in it. It just wasn’t flavorful. This soup is potato first then a whole ton of YUM to back it up! Now on it’s own it’s an amazing creamy potato soup however I wanted more. I wanted this puppy loaded up! We’re talking shredded cheddar, crispy bacon and green onions! I’ve even topped this with a dab of fat free sour cream and it tasted exactly like a baked potato!
This is one of those soups where you NEED that chilly Fall day or wintery snowy day to just make it ‘fit’. Now I’ll confess, I’ve made this in the middle of the summer when it’s 95F out with 876% humidity (thank you Pittsburgh) and it’s just as awesome! However soups, especially thick and creamy soups like this, I find need that cold day to just warm you to your soul. This is that soup that curls your toes, makes you smile while you’re eating it and just hugs you from the inside out.
Plus one thing about this soup is that you get to have BACON in it and like bacon makes EVERYTHING perfect!
Now of course you can have this in a bread bowl like I did.
Twice…
Or you can cut back on the carbs and have it in a bowl like I did…
Twice…
However you have this soup – bowl or bread bowl, you just need to have it!
Now I’ll be honest it took me quite a while to decide whether or not I wanted to share this but this soup is just too amazing to not share!
This soup makes me smile. It’s comforting and soothing. It’s delicious and yummy and unlike most traditional fat laden potato soups it’s more healthier.
Plus you get to control what you put into it – you can choose how thick or thin you want it. This soup also lends really well to ingredient change-ups.
Try putting on some broccoli or cauliflower florets in the soup and cook that with the potatoes. The flavors are amazing!
… come to think of it I’m off to make a cup of this for lunch
Oh Oh Oh.. one more thing!!! This soup freezes BEAUTIFULLY! Now when you take it out and it starts to heat up, it will separate a little but it will come back together when you stir it and it becomes hot.
PrintThick ‘n Creamy Loaded Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes, washed but not peeled
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, cut into small pieces
- 1 1/2 Tbl minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1–2 tsp fresh black pepper
- 1–2 tsp salt
- 2–3 cups shredded sharp cheddar
- 8 slices crispy bacon, crumbled
- 3–4 green onions, chopped (white and green parts)
- Sourdough Bread Bowls
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into 1/2” cubes.
- In a 5 quart or large crock pot add in the cubed potatoes, onion, garlic, stock, 1 tsp pepper and 1 tsp salt.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. I tested my potatoes around 3 ½ hours (high temp) and they were almost done.
- Ladle out half of the mixture, potatoes and all into a large bowl OR into a blender.
- Add in the softened cream cheese and cream.
- Blend until the mixture is pureed and thick.
- Add this back to the crock and stir to combine.
- Add in 1 cup of shredded cheddar and stir.
- Ladle into bread bowls, garnish with cheese, bacon and green onions.
This is our new favorite potato soup recipe. So yummy! My husband and 11 year-old ask for it all the time!
Yeah! Thank so much Amanda!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Question: can this be made on a stove top rather than a slow cooker?
Hi Victoria!
Of course! Boil the potatoes, and puree with the cream and cream cheese. Then put that and the rest of the ingredients in the pan. Stove top should take about 30 minutes max.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
OMG so amazing! Loved it!
★★★★★
It’s good, isn’t it? I love this soup so much! Thank you so much!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
This potatoe soup tastes, wonderful .
★★★★★
Thank you so much!!!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
So this soup was pretty good, but not thick at all. Very runny. Any thoughts on how to correct this?
Hmmm… That’s odd to be honest. When you ladle out half of the potatoes mixture from the crock and blend that with the cream cheese and cream that is what thickens the soup to really thick. The pureed mixture is uber thick, almost paste-like so when you add that to what’s in the crock, the stuff that’s in the crock pot loosens the puree and then you have a thick and creamy soup.
If you didn’t do that you could make a roux of flour/butter then add in some milk/cream until it’s thick and creamy. Add that to the warmed soup – that should thicken it.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
Mine was pretty runny too. I just added potato flakes and a tbs of cornstarch. Viola! Super yummy.
4 stars…wouldn’t let me pick.
I read through the whole thing and it sounds like an absolutely delicious recipe! I’m supposed to be making a soup for a group of people, and I want to try out this recipe. How many servings does this recipe yield? Please let me know! Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi Kristen!
This is one of my all time favorites soups! It fills the 5qrt crock pot up almost all the way. This makes enough for 6-8 servings.
Best Kitchen Wishes!
★★★★★
I made this soup for tonight. It was absolutely DELICIOUS !!! So So good (:> Thanks for sharing this recipe. Ed is right~ it IS the best potato soup I’ve ever tasted (:>
Thank you so much Kathy! This has been my go-to soup this winter. With sub-artic temps, this warms you to the soul!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
★★★★★
I made this soup on Sunday. I put it all in the crock, went out hunting for the day and by the time I came home the soup was done. Now my Ma always made the best potato soup however she’s long gone and I had been craving it. Canned soup is just crap however your pictures drew me in. Plus you seem like my Ma; genuine, sincere and one hell of a cook.
Lady this was the best potato soup I have ever had in my life and I’m 63 years old! This was better than Ma’s and that’s saying a lot! She won countless ribbons for her foods. You’re amazing and I can not wait to make more of your stuff!
You have an amazing talent and will truly be successful!
Thank you!
★★★★★
Ed you just put the biggest smile on my face! To be told something is better than a Mom’s recipe is priceless! Thank you!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
★★★★★
I made this to warm our tummies on this very cold day in North Florida. My husband said, “Honey, you’ve made some great soups in the past, but this is the very best.” Yah – this means it is REALLY good. The flavor of potatoes is the main star. I pureed almost all of the potatoes but let it stay slightly chunky. BEST POTATO SOUP EVER!!!
★★★★★
Debi that means the world to me! Thank you and your husband! I’ll be posting recipes similar to this with other ingredients. Try it with shredded (cooked) chicken and roasted corn… it’s amazing!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
★★★★★
What a beautiful picture. The soup sounds awesme. Thanks for sharing. I would have to forgo the bread bowl, though. Yummy!
Linda @ Tumbleweed Contessa
★★★★★
Thank you Linda! This soup fits perfectly right now as it’s pretty cold here now with rumors of snow flurries this weekend. Looks like I need to make another batch!
Best Kitchen Wishes!
★★★★★