20 Genius Loaded Potato Soup for Cozy Nights

A really good loaded potato soup does two things at once: it's silky and rich from cream and cheese, but still hearty enough to be dinner rather than a starter. This round-up gathers 20 versions of it — the classic bacon-and-cheddar base plus slow-cooker, Instant Pot, budget, spicy and leftover-mashed-potato spins — so there's one for every night of the week. Every recipe uses metric-first measurements and real cook times, tested against several of the best-rated versions online. Whichever you pick, expect crisp bacon, melted cheddar and a spoon that basically stands up in the bowl.

This is the base recipe every other version on this list builds from: diced russet potatoes simmered in chicken stock, thickened with a quick butter-and-flour roux, then finished with whole milk, double cream and a generous handful of mature cheddar. Crisp bacon, extra cheese, soured cream and spring onions go on top rather than into the pot, so every spoonful still has crunch and cold-cream contrast against the hot soup. Stick to russet or Maris Piper potatoes here — their starch is what gives the soup its body without needing much flour.

Skip the separate roux and you can have this on the table in well under 30 minutes. Simmer 900 g (2 lb) diced potatoes with a diced onion straight in 950 ml (4 cups) stock until tender, then stir in 240 ml (1 cup) double cream and 115 g (4 oz) grated cheddar off the heat — the starch released by the potatoes thickens it naturally. It's a shortcut worth knowing for nights when a roux feels like one step too many.

Bulk this one out for bigger appetites by doubling the bacon to 450 g (1 lb) and stirring in 200 g (7 oz) diced cooked ham alongside it. The extra meat turns the soup from a starter into a full meal, so serve it in deep bowls with crusty bread rather than as a side. A handful of frozen sweetcorn added in the last 5 minutes of simmering adds sweetness and colour without much extra work.

Lean into warmth here: swap half the milk for extra double cream, and stir a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and a bay leaf into the stock while the potatoes simmer, fishing the bay leaf out before serving. The result is noticeably richer and silkier than the classic version, closer to a chowder than a broth-forward soup. This is the one to make when you actually want leftovers reheated slowly the next evening.

For the silkiest texture, blend a third of the soup with a stick blender before stirring the smooth base back into the chunky remainder — you get body and creaminess without losing all the potato pieces. Use 120 ml (1/2 cup) double cream rather than milk for this version, and add it right at the end over low heat so it never comes close to boiling. Curdled cream is the main way this version goes wrong, so keep the heat gentle once dairy is in the pot.

This pared-back take uses just eight ingredients: potatoes, onion, stock, milk, butter, flour, cheddar and bacon. There's no garlic, no herbs, no extra vegetables — just the essentials cooked well, which makes it a good one to memorise rather than look up each time. It's proof that loaded potato soup doesn't need a long ingredient list to taste properly comforting.

Double up on the cheese here: use 170 g (6 oz) sharp cheddar stirred into the pot plus a further handful melted on top under the grill for 2-3 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned. A few tablespoons of pepper jack mixed in with the cheddar adds a mild kick without overpowering the potato. Add cheese gradually over low heat, stirring between handfuls, so it melts smoothly instead of turning stringy or grainy.

Build extra savouriness into the stock itself: sauté the onion and garlic in the bacon fat with a sprig of fresh thyme and a bay leaf before adding the stock, and leave both in while the potatoes simmer. Removing them just before you add the dairy leaves a deeply flavoured, herby base under all that cheese and cream. It's a small step that makes the soup taste like it's been on the stove far longer than the 40 minutes it actually takes.

Stretch this one further for less money: use standard white potatoes instead of russets, swap the bacon for 150 g (5 oz) diced ham off-cuts or a chopped smoked sausage, and use whole milk in place of double cream throughout. It costs noticeably less to make while still tasting properly loaded once the cheese and any leftover bacon bits go on top. Frozen diced onion works fine here too if that's what's in the freezer.

Use a bag of frozen diced hash browns instead of peeling and chopping fresh potatoes, and this drops to about 25 minutes start to finish. Tip 900 g (2 lb) frozen diced potatoes straight into simmering stock — no need to thaw first — and they'll be tender in about 12-15 minutes. Pre-cooked microwave bacon bits are a fair trade-off here too if you're truly short on time.

Leave the skins on the potatoes for this version — just scrub them well and cut into rougher, slightly larger 2 cm chunks. Mash only a small portion at the end rather than blending anything, so the finished soup stays deliberately chunky and textured rather than smooth. It suits a heartier grated Gruyère in place of cheddar, which holds its shape a little more when stirred through.

This is the version for when 'loaded' should mean maximum toppings, not just extra bacon in the pot. Set up a proper topping bar with crispy bacon, grated cheddar, soured cream, sliced spring onions, chives and even crushed tortilla chips for crunch, and let everyone build their own bowl. It turns a weeknight soup into something that feels like an event, which makes it a good one for feeding a crowd.

Keep this version mild for younger eaters: use a mild cheddar instead of sharp or mature, skip any pepper beyond a light seasoning, and dice the potatoes small so they cook down soft rather than staying chunky. Doubling the recipe to 1.8 kg (4 lb) potatoes fits comfortably in a large stockpot and gives you enough for a family of six with leftovers for lunch the next day. Let kids choose their own toppings at the table — it gets picky eaters to actually eat the vegetables.

This combines the two best tricks from every source we tested: roast a third of the potatoes at 220°C (425°F) for 35-40 minutes until browned before adding them to the pot, then simmer the rest fresh as usual. The roasted potatoes bring a deeper, slightly caramelised flavour that plain-boiled potatoes can't match on their own. Finish under the grill with extra cheddar for 2 minutes until the top is bubbling and just catching colour before serving.

Everything happens in a single Dutch oven here, including crisping the bacon first so its fat becomes the base for the roux — no second pan, no extra washing up. Cook the bacon, remove it, build the soup in the same fat, and stir the bacon back in only at the very end so it stays crisp rather than going soft in the simmering liquid. It's the most practical version for a weeknight when the last thing you want is a sink full of pans.

Add diced potatoes, onion, garlic and 950 ml (4 cups) stock to the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are completely tender. Stir in the milk, cream and cheese only in the last 30 minutes so the dairy doesn't separate over the long cook, then mash a portion of the potatoes right in the slow cooker to thicken it before serving. Bacon still goes on as a topping, not in the pot, so it stays crisp.

Pressure cook diced potatoes, onion, garlic and 720 ml (3 cups) stock on high pressure for 8 minutes, then quick-release the steam. Stir in the milk and cream using the sauté function on low, mash a portion of the potatoes against the side of the pot, then fold in the cheese in handfuls until melted. This version is ready in under 30 minutes total, including the time it takes the pot to come to pressure.

Swap the chicken stock for 950 ml (4 cups) vegetable stock and leave the bacon out of the pot entirely — a teaspoon of smoked paprika stirred in with the onion gets some of that smoky depth back. Top with crispy fried shallots or a shop-bought vegetarian bacon alternative instead of the real thing for crunch and colour. The cheese and soured cream stay exactly the same, so it still tastes properly loaded despite losing the meat.

Add one finely diced jalapeño (seeds removed for less heat, left in for more) along with the onion, and swap half the cheddar for pepper jack so the heat runs through the whole pot rather than just sitting on top. A dash of hot sauce stirred in at the end lets you adjust the heat per bowl without changing the base recipe. Sliced fresh jalapeño and extra pepper jack make good final toppings alongside the usual bacon and soured cream.

This is the one to make the day after a roast dinner: whisk 600 g (about 3 cups) leftover mashed potatoes into 700 ml (3 cups) warm stock until smooth, which thickens the soup almost instantly with no roux needed. Add milk or cream a splash at a time until it reaches the consistency you want, since mashed potato varies a lot in starch and butter content. Stir in cheese and top as usual — nobody will guess it started as leftovers.

Don't skip mashing a portion of the potatoes against the side of the pot — it's the easiest way to thicken loaded potato soup without extra flour, and it's how most of the best versions get their body. Keep the heat low once milk, cream or soured cream go in; a hard boil is the most common reason dairy-based soups split or turn grainy. Add cheese gradually in small handfuls off the heat, stirring until each addition melts before adding more, for a smooth result instead of a stringy one.

Serve loaded potato soup in deep bowls with warm crusty bread or garlic bread for scooping up the last spoonfuls. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness nicely if you're serving it as a main course rather than a starter. For a party, ladle it into small mugs or teacups as a starter course, topped with just a pinch of bacon and chives so it's easy to eat standing up.

Cool the soup completely before transferring to an airtight container and refrigerating for up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring often and adding a splash of milk or stock to loosen it back to the right consistency, since potato soup thickens considerably once chilled. Freezing isn't ideal once the dairy is in, as it can turn grainy on thawing — if you want to freeze ahead, stop before adding the milk, cream and cheese, then stir those in fresh after reheating from frozen.