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Loaded baked potato soup has a smooth, creamy base, soft potatoes, topped with cheese, bacon, green onion, and whatever else you like. It is hands down the best potato soup I have ever had. It is creamy and delicious, with all the goodness of a baked potato, made right in your slow cooker!
Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe
- Convenient: Slow-cooker meals are my favorite! My house smells amazing, and I don’t have to think about dinner!
- Customizable: The great thing about this recipe is the base is delicious on its own, but you can customize it to suit your tastes with a variety of toppings!
- Comfort Food: This loaded baked potato soup is rich, creamy, and hearty. It’s the perfect comfort food to come home to on a chilly day!
Baked Potato Soup Ingredients
Loaded baked potato soup only needs a few basic ingredients, but it is loaded with flavor! If you like this recipe, you should make my loaded baked potato dip! Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Potatoes: You can use russet, yellow, golden, or red potatoes for this soup. They hold together and don’t become mushy in the slow cooker.
- Onion: Chop up to your size preference. I like mine smaller so I can have a little bit of that flavor in every bite!
- Chicken Broth: Add in for a smooth, flavorful broth. You can also use vegetable broth or beef broth if that’s what you have on hand.
- Butter: I used unsalted butter in this recipe.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works best for this soup. It helps thicken the base.
- Sour Cream: This adds a delightful flavoring that creates a rich, creamy broth.
- Heavy Cream: Adds the rich, velvety texture and flavor that will make this the best soup you’ve ever tasted!
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance all of the flavors in the soup!
- Optional Toppings: Bacon, cheddar cheese, and green onions are what make this turn from potato soup into delicious baked potato soup!
How to Make Baked Potato Soup
This loaded baked potato soup recipe is perfect for an easy dinner meal. Once it’s done cooking, you can add the best part, the toppings! Your family will love how they can make it their own. For another hearty, cheesy soup, try my Cheeseburger Soup next.
- Combine and Cook: Add potatoes, diced onions, and chicken broth to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or high for 3-4 until potatoes are tender.
- Make the Roux: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan about 30 minutes before it is done. Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly.
- Stir: Slowly add heavy cream and sour cream. The mixture should be thick.
- Combine: Add the butter and cream mixture to the crock pot and stir. Continue to cook for 20-30 minutes.
- Serve with bacon, cheese, and green onion on top and enjoy!
Additional Toppings
It is fun to add toppings to make soup just the perfect combination. Mix and match your favorite toppings to make the best and ultimate slow cooker loaded baked potato soup recipe.
- Bacon bits: If you prefer to buy the bacon bits instead of cooking your bacon beforehand, you can! It’s a great way to simplify the recipe.
- Shredded cheese: Instead of cheddar, you could try Colby Jack, American or even mozzarella!
- Sour cream: Add an additional drop of sour cream to the top of your soup. It’s delicious!
- Diced avocado: This is perfect for adding that extra texture and flavor.
- Cooked Corn Kernels: Such a fun way of adding a southern twist to the soup.
- Croutons: These add in a delicious crunchy texture. You can even make them at home with this recipe!
- Chives: Green chives never looked so good on this creamy baked potato soup.
Tips for Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Check out a few ways that you can make substitutions in this soup to make it work better for you and your family.
- For a creamy potato soup: Cook the potatoes ahead of time until they are tender. Once they are tender, blend or mash the potatoes until smooth and creamy. Add to the slow cooker.
- Mashing potatoes: Use a fork, blender or a potato masher to blend potatoes together.
- Gluten-Free: This loaded baked potato soup can be made gluten-free by substituting the flour mixture with cornstarch to thicken it.
- Less salt: To control the amount of salt in the soup, substitute low-sodium chicken broth and bacon as a topping.
- Low Fat: Instead of using heavy cream, you can substitute half and half for a low-fat option.
- How to thicken soup: Using flour and butter to make a roux helps thicken the potato soup at the end of its cooking time. Simply add the roux to the soup and let it cook for another 20 to 30 minutes to thicken.
Storing Leftovers
This loaded baked potato soup makes fantastic leftovers! You can even double the batch and freeze some for a later day!
- In the Refrigerator: Once your soup has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 3-4 days.
- In the Freezer: You can make this soup ahead of time and freeze it for later! Once it has cooled, then you can place it in a ziplock bag and lay it flat. It will last for about three months!
- To Reheat: If you are reheating from frozen, then take your soup out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge overnight. Then, you can either reheat it on your stove or in your slow cooker until it is warmed through
More Delicious Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
Cooking soup in a slow cooker is the way to go! They are great for any party or gathering because they are easy to transport, keep warm and feed a lot of people! Here are some more favorites that I love!
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Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Loaded baked potato soup has a smooth, creamy base, soft potatoes, topped with cheese, bacon, green onion, and whatever else you like. It is hands down the best potato soup I have ever had. It is creamy and delicious, with all the goodness of a baked potato, made right in your slow cooker!
Equipment
- 1 6-8 quart slow cooker
- 1 medium saucepan
Ingredients
- 4 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces about 4-5 large potatoes
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 small onion, or half a large onion
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup sour cream additional for topping, if desired
- 1 ½ cup heavy cream or half & half
- salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- cooked and crumbled bacon for topping
- shredded cheddar cheese for topping
- sliced green onions for topping
Instructions
- Add 4 cups russet potatoes peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces, 1 cup diced onion, and 3 cups chicken broth to a 6-8 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- About 30 minutes before serving, melt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in ¼ cup all-purpose flour and cook until frothy.
- Slowly whisk 1 ½ cup heavy cream and ¼ cup sour cream into the butter and flour. The mixture should thicken up quite a bit as you whisk.
- Stir the cream mixture into the slow cooker. Replace the lid and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes, until thickened.
- Taste and season with salt and ground black pepper to your liking before serving. Serve with cooked and crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions on top.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: Once the soup has cooled, you can store it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 3-4 days.
- In the Freezer: You can make this soup ahead of time and freeze it for later! Once it has cooled, you can place it in a Ziploc bag and lay it flat in the freezer. Store for up to 3 months. Before reheating from frozen, let the soup thaw at least 24 hours in the refrigerator, either reheat it on your stove over medium heat, stirring frequently, or in the slow cooker until it is warmed through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a splash of cream or chicken stock if necessary to thin it down.
- To Reheat: Reheat it on your stove over medium heat, stirring frequently, or in the slow cooker until it is warmed through to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Add a splash of cream or chicken stock if necessary to thin it down.
- Make Ahead: You may add the potatoes, onion, and broth to the slow cooker the night before cooking it and store it covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it the next day. The potatoes may oxidize and turn brown in that time. This won’t change the flavor and will be perfectly fine to eat, but it will change the final color of the soup. If the potatoes are fully covered in the broth, the risk of oxidation will be minimized.
Nutrition
Calories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 4gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 347mgPotassium: 415mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 879IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Realized I was out of flour right when this is about to be done. What can I use instead?
You could skip making the roux and add a cornstarch slurry to thicken instead. Use 2 tablespoons cornstarch, stirred into 2 tablespoons cold water, and stir it into the potato mixture along with the sour cream.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! We dont have a O’Charleys around here anymore and I was really craving this soup. It was fantastic..the 7 year old super picky eater even gave it 2 thumbs up! Only minor change i made was to add half of the cooked bacon bits to the soup while it was in the crockpot and save the other half for topping!
I come back to this all the time!! Only recipe I use for potato soup now but I also do it on the stove top all the time!
Great recipe. My favorite
It came out so good!
Should the brother cover the potatoes and onions?
Yes, always put the lid on when cooking in the slow cooker.
Want to make this for work but not sure if it will be ok in crockpot for hrs without making the potatos to soft. I leave for work at 3 am but lunch isnt until 830. What time should i start it so i can have the sauce added before i got to go to work? Would i be able to leave it on keep warm at work or would i need to put it on low?
It will be totally fine if you set it on LOW before work and get to it for lunch at 8:30! Thanks Sarah and good luck! Your co-workers are lucky!
This soup was perfect! I used whole milk instead of cream because that is what I had on hand and it was delicious, thick and creamy! I will definitely make this again!
Seriously SO GOOD!! I make this at least once a month as everyone loves it. Definitely a fall/winter staple!!
Can you use frozen hashbrowns?
Hi Katherine, thank you for your question. Yes you can, you will probably need about 1.5 pounds and it won’t take as long to cook. Probably only need 3-4 hours. Let me know how it turns out!
Definitely need an immersion blender for this and i did cook the potatoes before in an Instant pot. A fork or potato masher wasn’t suitable equipment for a “creamy smooth” soup. Needs less onion and add garlic in my opinion.
Am I missing something here? I am following the recipe to a T. 1 & 1/2 cups of heavy cream is making my butter/flour mixture SO thin. Nothing like the video. This soup turned out so watery, I’m going to toss it.
Hi Carrie, the ratio is correct. You need to very slowly add the heavy cream into the flour and butter mixture, stirring constantly. While you are stirring it should thicken while you pour. Not sure what happened with yours.
This was very good and easy to make! My husband hardly ever likes Crock Pot soups, but loved this one! I will be adding to my fall rotation.
These look so good
Can I make a day ahead and refrigerate? DO I just steps 1 to 3 and the rest day of?
Hi Judyann, if you do steps 1-3 the day before, your potatoes might turn brown. They will taste fine, just not look very good. But yes, I think your plan would work.