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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 tablespoon minced garlic
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1–2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 1–2 teaspoon 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 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon 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!