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Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon

Creamy potato soup with bacon made with bacon drippings, tender russet potatoes, and a silky cheddar-cream base. Boil and simmer until soft, mash partially for a thick texture, then fold in crispy bacon and finish with chives.
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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: 685
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 10 strips thick-cut bacon Divide: 6 for soup, 4 for topping.
Potatoes and aromatics
  • 3 lb russet potatoes Peeled and cubed.
  • 1 onion Diced.
  • 4 garlic Minced cloves.
Soup base
  • 4 cup chicken broth
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Cheddar and seasoning
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp pepper
  • 1 chives For garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Cook and build the soup
  1. Cook thick-cut bacon until crispy, then crumble 6 strips into the Dutch oven and reserve 4 strips for topping.
  2. Sauté diced onion in the bacon drippings for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened.
  3. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until fragrant.
  4. Whisk in all-purpose flour and cook for 1-2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.
  5. Pour in chicken broth and add cubed russet potatoes; bring to a boil, then simmer for 18-20 minutes until tender.
Mash, add dairy, and finish
  1. Mash about half the potatoes in the pot to thicken the soup while keeping some tender chunks.
  2. Stir in heavy cream and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
  3. Stir in shredded cheddar until melted, then fold in the 6 crumbled bacon strips.
  4. Season with salt and pepper, then top with the reserved crispy bacon strips and chives before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: Partial mashing gives a thick, creamy texture without turning the soup gluey—aim for a mix of mashed and intact potato chunks. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or cream if needed. Freezing is not ideal because dairy can separate when thawed, but you can try freezing if needed. For a lighter option, swap sour cream and heavy cream for half-and-half and plain Greek yogurt (stir in off-heat to reduce curdling).