Why does it work?
- An optional step of passing the potatoes through the strainer bowl prevents the soup from developing a sticky consistency.
- Using bacon fat to cook off the aromatics results in a more flavorful soup.
- Topping the soup with store-bought salt and vinegar potato chips instead of homemade potato peels adds a crunchy, refreshing flavor.
One of the few meals I ate during the first trimester of pregnancy was a baked potato with nothing more than a knob of butter and some salt and pepper. As the nausea subsided in the following months, I began topping the potatoes with more and more toppings. I loaded the potatoes with sour cream, chives, bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and if I’m feeling extra fancy, bolognese sauce. Baked potatoes are still a staple in my house today, but with the bad weather upon us, and feeling like changing things up, I decided to create my own version of the soup that tastes just like the humble baked potato.
Most loaded potato soup recipes are pretty similar: They ask you to brown the bacon, drain some of the fat, then cook the aromatics in the remaining fat before adding the milk and potatoes. Cook potatoes in milk until tender, blend the soup until smooth, then garnish with crispy potato skins and a variety of toppings. I’ve used some of these techniques (like using bacon fat to cook off the flavors) in my recipe, but I’ve also included a few other tricks to get a soup that’s silky smooth and full of baked potato flavor.
How to make loaded potato soup better
Skip blending, if possible
While pureeing soup in a powerful blender is certainly a quick and easy option — and I’ve provided instructions for it in the notes below in case you’re in a rush — it often results in a soup with a sticky texture. This is because mashing potatoes causes the starch granules in them to explode, turning the stains into a sticky mess.
To avoid that doughy texture, I took a technique from Kenji Leek and potato soup recipewhere he boils potatoes with broth and aromatics until they are tender, then passes them through a rice bowl to obtain a velvety soup.
Like Kenji, I chose to use a strainer, but I simplified the process a bit. Rather than fish out cooked potatoes from a pot of boiling milk and onions, I decided to microwave the potatoes — which is what happens when you start chopping bacon and frying onions — until they’re soft enough for rice. Ultimately, texture is a personal preference, and you can skip the rice and puree the entire soup – it will still be a little gummy, but still delicious.
Load up on sour cream and toppings
This soup is not for the faint of heart or those who suffer from lactose intolerance. For a very creamy soup, whip up a full cup of sour cream. Added chopped chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and crunchy bacon bits give this soup a nice tangy flavor, recreating the flavors of a classic baked potato topped with sour cream.
For extra crunch, garnish with potato chips
I also decided to skip the hassle of preparing potato skins in the oven and opted to garnish the soup with store-bought potato chips instead, a decision inspired by contributor Pat Tanumiharja, who fronts it Indonesian chicken noodle soup With lightly salted potato chips. I recommend using salt and vinegar potato chips, as they provide a nice boost of acidity to cut through the heaviness of the soup, but feel free to use salt, cheddar, or sour cream and onion potato chips as well.