Rich and velvety, creamy and flavorful, this Potato Bacon Cheddar Soup is one of my all-time favorite soups. It is silky smooth but hearty at the same time, and it’s an easy soup to make that tastes even better the next day!
Topped with crunchy bacon, pretzels bits, and even more cheese, this pub-style potato cheese soup is about as good as it gets! It’s not too potato-y, and with the right balance of cheese and bacon, it’s full of flavor and richness.
Soups like this are perfect all year long. I don’t care how hot it is out – when I’m craving a bowlful of deliciousness, this soup really delivers. It’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but it’s also great with sides, and I’ve got some suggestions below.
Love bacon? This bacon soup is subtly infused with bacon flavor throughout AND has a topping of even more bacon.
What you’ll love about This Easy Potato Soup Recipe
- It’s an easy 1-pot soup that’s ready in under an hour.
- It’s loaded with flavor, and the garnishes on top are so crazy good!
- Make it ahead of time – it’ll keep a few days in the fridge!
Ingredients
- Butter – I use salted butter, but you can also use unsalted and adjust the seasoning at the end.
- Bacon – Use good-quality bacon.
- Shallots – You can use sweet onion or even yellow onion instead, but shallots have such a lovely mild flavor that won’t overpower this bacon cheese soup recipe.
- Garlic – Fresh is best!
- All-purpose flour – Just a bit to help thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth – Use low or no-sodium added to control the salt.
- Dijon mustard
- Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are perfect for this recipe or use russet.
- Extra sharp white cheddar cheese – The stronger the cheddar, the better the soup. Look for extra sharp cheddar (also called old cheddar).
- Heavy whipping cream – Or milk if you want to cut a bit of fat and calories.
- Salt and pepper
- Chives, chopped pretzels – Optional garnishes but must-haves if you ask me.
How To Make Potato Bacon Cheddar Soup
I haven’t met a cream-based soup I don’t love, and this one is for sure at the top of my list. If you’re looking for a gluten-free potato cheddar bacon soup, omit the all-purpose flour entirely or sub it with your favorite gluten-free thickener.
- Heat the butter in a medium-sized soup pot and cook the bacon strips until crispy.
- Remove the bacon from the pot and leave all the bacon fat and butter.
- Add the shallots and garlic and saute over medium heat until the shallots are soft.
- Turn off the heat and add the flour, mixing well to incorporate it into the fat.
- Whisk in the stock in a slow stream, whisking to break up any lumps.
- Add the potatoes, salt, and Dijon mustard. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Cool a bit, then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth. You can also use an immersion blender.
- Return the soup to the pot and add in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese and the heavy cream. Stir over low heat until the cheese has melted and the soup is hot. Do not boil the cheese!
- Adjust the seasoning in this recipe for this cheesy bacon potato soup and serve topped with chopped bacon, reserved cheese, pretzels, and chives.
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- The sharper the cheese, the more flavor your soup will have. I use extra sharp or aged cheddar for this recipe. It’s worth the pricy cheese, believe me!
- Season with ground white pepper instead of black to avoid unsightly black flecks in your soup.
- Don’t worry about perfect cuts on the potatoes and shallots – they’re all going to get pureed anyway. Just cut the potatoes small enough to cook fairly quickly. 1/2-inch dice are fine.
- A high-powered blender will turn this soup into silky smooth amazingness, but an immersion blender is pretty handy, too.
- Don’t forget the garnishes – they add so much texture and flavor to the soup!
Make It A Meal
This bacon potato soup is hearty enough to be a meal all on its own, but it’s also delicious when paired with fresh buttered bread, a light salad, or just some tasty snacks. I also love serving this soup as an appetizer, a prelude to heartier meals of leftover roast beef, smoked tri tip, or a 1-dish chicken bake.
Storage
This creamy potato soup with bacon will keep fine in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Package the garnishes separately. It tastes better the day after it’s been made!
Are you wondering if you can freeze this potato cheese soup recipe? You can!
Keep food fresh and freezer tidy with odor-proof, space-saving trays. Designed for easy stacking and maximum efficiency, store up to 8 cups in a gallon bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is an easy 1-pot soup. You don’t need a slow cooker or instant pot and can be eating in about 40 minutes.
Yukon Gold (or yellow) potatoes are my favorite, first for their color and second because they cook down so soft. Russets or another floury potato would also work, but skip waxy potatoes like red potatoes as they won’t puree smoothly.
The soup is made from bacon fat and then topped with crispy bacon. If you put the bacon in the soup, it wouldn’t puree quite as finely, but you could add cooked bacon to the soup before pureeing.
Potato Bacon Cheddar Soup
Equipment
- Blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted
- 6 strips bacon
- 1 cup sliced shallots
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 4 cups low or no sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cups diced yellow potatoes
- 2 cups shredded extra sharp cheddar
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and white pepper to taste
Garnishes
- 1/4 cup chopped pretzels
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a medium-sized soup pot and cook the bacon strips until they're crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the bacon from the pot and leave behind all the bacon fat and butter. Set the bacon on paper towel to drain, then roughly chop it.
- Add the shallots and garlic and saute over medium heat until the shallots are soft, about 4 minutes. Don't let them brown.
- Turn off the heat and add the flour, mixing well to incorporate it into the fat.
- Whisk in the chicken broth in a slow stream, whisking to break up any lumps.
- Add the potatoes, salt, and Dijon mustard. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft.
- Cool a bit then transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth. You can also use an immersion blender. Be careful if blending – hot liquids can explode out of the blender. Cover the top of the blender with a kitchen towel to be safe.
- Return the soup to the pot and add in all but 1/2 cup of the cheese and the cream. Stir over low heat just until the cheese has melted and the soup is hot. Do not boil the cheese!
- Adjust the seasoning and serve topped with chopped bacon, reserved cheese, pretzels, and chives.
Notes
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- The sharper the cheese, the more flavor your soup will have. I use extra sharp or aged cheddar for this recipe. It’s worth the pricy cheese, believe me!
- Season with ground white pepper instead of black, to avoid unsightly black flecks in your soup.
- Don’t worry about perfect cuts on the potatoes and shallots – they’re all going to get pureed anyway. Just cut the potatoes small enough that they cook fairly quickly. 1/2-inch dice are fine.
- A high-powered blender will turn this soup into silky smooth amazingness, but an immersion blender is pretty handy, too.
- Don’t forget the garnishes – they add so much texture and flavor to the soup!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
When do you add the cream?
Hi! You add the cream in step 8, when you add the cheese. In cream soups, the cream almost always goes in at the end. Enjoy! ~Jenn