If you love soup just as much as me and love them to taste as if they have tons of butter and heavy cream, but not actually have all of that in it, then you have found the perfect recipe. This soup is creamy, flavorful, and taste just like a loaded baked potato. The toppings are also customizable to how you would load your bake potato.
Soup during the winter is a necessity in our home. I make a pot of soup once a week and then we eat that throughout the week for lunches. It’s my favorite thing to eat at work, probably because I am always freezing (the heat is never turned up enough and my hands are half frozen from working on a computer all morning). It is amazing how much rewarming a bowl of soup warms me up for the afternoon. I love that feeling even more when it is a lighter soup, like this soup, and I can feel satisfied without feeling too guilty.
The soup is super simple to make and adjustable to the consistency that you want. I like to make my baked potato soup thicker, but if you want it to be thinner, simply add more milk. I also did not peel my potatoes, which is also my preference in texture. If you do not like the skin of potatoes, make sure to peel them before adding them to the pot.
- 1½ lbs red potatoes, peeled and diced into cubes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups low-fat milk
- ½ cup reduced-fat sour cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 bacon slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes. Next, add the broth, cut up potatoes and, salt, and pepper.. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- In a large measuring cup, whisk the flour and milk. Gradually bring back up to a boil, make sure to stir often. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes inside the pot or use an immersion blender for a smoother texture.
- Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.
- Pour the soup into bowls and top with crumbled bacon, cheese, green onions, and more sour cream if desired.