Loaded Potato Soup
Loaded potato soup is a thick, creamy vegetarian soup made from soft white potatoes simmered in vegetable stock, milk, and cream, then finished with sour cream and piled high with grated cheese, chopped green onion, and a pinch of chili flakes. It tastes like the inside of a fully loaded baked potato in bowl form, and it comes together in about 45 minutes in a single pot. If you want one cozy soup to keep on repeat all through the cold months, this is the one.
The trick that sets this version apart is blending only half the pot. You get a silky, velvety base while still keeping plenty of tender potato cubes to bite into, so every spoonful has texture. Below you will find the ingredient notes, the tips that make it foolproof, easy swaps (including how to take it fully vegan), and what to serve alongside.
What You Need to Make It
Nothing here is fussy, and most of it is likely already in your kitchen. A few notes on the ingredients that matter most:
- White potatoes: Six large ones, peeled and cubed. Starchy white or russet-style potatoes break down beautifully and give the soup its natural creaminess as they simmer.
- Olive oil and butter: The two fats together build flavor. Butter adds richness, while the oil keeps it from browning too fast.
- Onion and garlic: The aromatic base. Softening the onion slowly before anything else goes in is what gives the soup its depth.
- Flour: Whisked in after the aromatics to make a quick roux. This is what thickens the soup and keeps it luxuriously smooth rather than watery.
- Vegetable stock, milk, and liquid cream: The cooking liquid. Stock brings savoriness, milk lightens it, and cream makes it plush.
- Sour cream: Stirred in near the end for a gentle tang that balances all the richness.
- Salt, black pepper, and cayenne: The cayenne is subtle but important. It wakes everything up without making the soup spicy.
- Toppings: Grated cheese, chopped green onion, and chili flakes. This is the “loaded” part, so do not be shy with them.
How to Make It Perfectly Creamy
The method is simple, but a few small moves make the difference between a good soup and a great one.
- Cook the flour before adding liquid. Once you whisk the flour into the butter and onion, let it cook for a moment. This removes any raw flour taste and helps it thicken evenly.
- Add the liquids gradually and whisk. Pouring in the stock, milk, and cream while stirring keeps the base smooth and lump-free.
- Blend only half. Once the potatoes are fork-tender, transfer about half the pot to a blender and puree until smooth, then stir it back in. This is the secret to a soup that is creamy and hearty at the same time.
- Keep the heat low after the dairy goes in. Milk, cream, and sour cream can split if boiled hard. A gentle simmer keeps everything silky.
- Stir the sour cream in off a rolling boil. Add it once the heat is low so it melts in smoothly instead of curdling.
If you like a completely smooth, restaurant-style bowl, blend the whole pot instead of half. For a chunkier, more rustic soup, blend just a quarter or mash a few potatoes against the side of the pot with a spoon.
Easy Swaps and How to Make It Vegan
As written, this is a vegetarian soup thanks to the dairy. It is easy to adapt, though, whether you are working around what is in your fridge or want a fully plant-based bowl.
- Make it vegan: Swap the butter for a plant-based version, use a rich plant milk like homemade oat milk in place of the milk and cream, and use a vegan sour cream. Finish with your favorite vegan cheese instead of the grated cheese on top.
- Lighter version: Use all milk instead of the cream, or replace the cream with extra blended potato for body.
- Gluten-free: Swap the wheat flour for a gluten-free all-purpose blend or thicken with a little cornstarch slurry stirred in at the end.
- Extra loaded: Add crispy topping for crunch and smoky flavor. A scatter of vegan bacon is a favorite here.
Storing and Making It Ahead
This soup keeps well, which makes it a smart choice for meal prep or a make-ahead dinner.
- Refrigerator: Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of stock or milk when reheating.
- Reheat gently: Warm it over low heat on the stove, stirring often. Avoid a hard boil so the dairy stays smooth.
- Freezing: Cream-based soups can separate a little after freezing. If you plan to freeze, hold back the sour cream and cream, freeze the potato base, then stir in the dairy fresh when you reheat. Add the toppings only when serving.
What to Serve With Loaded Potato Soup
A bowl of this is a meal on its own, but a little something on the side turns it into a proper cozy dinner. A slab of warm, crusty focaccia is perfect for dunking and mopping up the last of the soup. A crisp green salad on the side cuts through the richness nicely.
If creamy potato soups are your kind of comfort food, you will probably love my cream of potato soup with carrot and this cozy potato and cabbage soup too. For something a little different but just as warming, the creamy sweet potato soup with ginger is another one I keep coming back to on cold days.
If you make this loaded potato soup, I would love to hear how you topped yours. Leave a star rating and drop a comment below to let me know whether you went full-on cheesy or kept it simple. Your feedback helps other readers and always makes my day.
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Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 6 white potatoes large, peeled, cut into cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- ⅓ cup flour
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups milk
- ⅔ cup liquid cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ⅔ cup sour cream
For the topping:
- 6 Tbsp cheese grated
- green onion chopped
- chilli flakes
Instructions
- Begin by heating oil and butter in a pan or deep pot over medium heat.
- Once the butter is melted, add chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Next, stir in crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add flour, whisking well to create a thick base.
- Then, mix in potatoes, broth, milk, cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne, blending until all ingredients are well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Keep the heat low. Carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender, processing until smooth and creamy.
- Return this to the pot, adding sour cream and stirring until well mixed.
- Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes on low heat.
- Serve hot, garnished with grated cheese, chopped green onions, and a sprinkle of chili flakes for an extra kick
Frequently Asked Questions
This version is vegetarian. It uses butter, milk, liquid cream, sour cream, and grated cheese, so it is not vegan as written. You can easily make it vegan by swapping in plant-based butter, a rich plant milk such as oat milk, vegan sour cream, and vegan cheese for the topping.
Starchy white or russet-style potatoes work best. They break down as they simmer and release their starch, which gives the soup its natural creaminess and body. Waxy potatoes hold their shape more and will give you a thinner, chunkier result.
Blending half the pot creates a smooth, velvety base while leaving plenty of tender potato cubes for texture. It is the easiest way to get a soup that feels both creamy and hearty. If you prefer a completely smooth bowl, blend the whole pot instead.
Keep the heat low once the milk, cream, and sour cream go in, and avoid a hard boil, since dairy can split when it gets too hot. Stir the sour cream in off a rolling boil so it melts smoothly. The same rule applies when reheating: warm it gently over low heat.
Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it keeps for up to 4 days. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of stock or milk when you reheat. Warm it slowly on the stove rather than boiling it.
Cream-based soups can separate slightly after freezing. For the best result, freeze just the potato base and hold back the cream and sour cream, then stir the dairy in fresh when you reheat. Add the cheese, green onion, and chili flake toppings only when serving.
Looks amazing! I will try this today.