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Easy Cheesy Loaded Potato Soup
Potatoes are my favorite vegetable. Not because I love French fries (although I do!) but because their hearty, familiar taste warms me up from head to toe, especially when baked or mashed and then combined with butter or olive oil, salt, and pepper. This soup has that buttery baked potato taste and is as creamy as can be.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4-6 1x
- Category: Soups
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 strips bacon, roughly chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large shallot, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1 (20-ounce) bag frozen Southern-style hash browns
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- Fresh basil, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour with 1/4 cup broth. Set aside.
- Cook the bacon in a large soup pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pot.
- Add the celery, shallot, and garlic to the pot and sauté until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the remaining 1 3/4 cups broth, half-and-half, and hash browns. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Slowly drizzle in the flour/broth mixture while stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened and the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese a handful at a time, making sure one handful is combined before adding another. Stir in the bacon and the scallions. Serve, garnished with fresh basil if desired.
