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Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon

Creamy potato soup with bacon made with a bacon-drippings onion base and a cheddar-thickened broth. Cubed russet potatoes simmer until tender, then are partially mashed for a silky, spoonable texture.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 10 strips bacon thick-cut; divided (6 for soup, 4 for topping)
Potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes peeled and cubed
Aromatics
  • 1 onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
Soup base
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Dairy and cheese
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar
Seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp pepper
Garnish
  • 1 chives for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook the bacon
  1. Cook the thick-cut bacon in a Dutch oven until crispy, then crumble 6 strips into the pot and reserve 4 strips for topping.
Build the onion-garlic base
  1. Sauté the diced onion in the bacon drippings for 4 minutes, until softened and lightly translucent (visual cue: glossy onions).
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant (visual cue: pungent aroma without browning).
  3. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously until it smells nutty and slightly darkens (visual cue: paste-like roux).
Simmer and thicken
  1. Pour in the chicken broth and add the cubed russet potatoes, then bring to a boil.
  2. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 18-20 minutes, until the potatoes are tender (visual cue: cubes break apart easily with a spoon).
  3. Mash about half the potatoes in the pot to thicken the soup while keeping some chunks (visual cue: creamy swirls with visible pieces).
  4. Stir in the heavy cream and sour cream until the mixture looks smooth and silky (visual cue: lighter, creamy color).
Finish and serve
  1. Stir in the shredded cheddar until melted and fully incorporated (visual cue: thick, glossy cheese sheen).
  2. Fold in the 6 crumbled bacon strips so they’re evenly distributed (visual cue: specks throughout the soup).
  3. Season with salt and pepper to taste (visual cue: flavors round out; no raw flour taste).
  4. Top each bowl with the reserved bacon and chives for a crispy, bright finish.

Notes

For extra-thick soup, mash a little more than half the potatoes, and keep heat at a gentle simmer after adding dairy so the cream stays smooth. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop. Freezing: not recommended, as the dairy may separate after thawing. Dietary swap: for a lighter version, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (texture will be slightly less thick).