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Creamy Potato Soup With Bacon

Creamy potato soup with bacon made with a bacon-drippings roux for a thick, silky texture. Russet potatoes simmer until tender, then half are mashed to create a creamy body and finished with melted cheddar and crisp bacon.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Bacon
  • 10 strips thick-cut bacon Divide for cooking and topping: 6 strips for the soup, 4 reserved for garnish.
Potatoes
  • 3 lb russet potatoes Peel and cube; reserve in-pot potatoes for mashing.
Aromatics
  • 1 onion Dice finely.
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
Broth
  • 4 cup chicken broth
Creamy dairy
  • 1.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Thickener
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
Cheese
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar
Seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp pepper
Garnish
  • 1 chives For garnish, as needed.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

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

Notes

For the creamiest texture, mash only about half the potatoes so you keep tender chunks. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat to prevent the dairy from breaking. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in cream-based soups. For a lower-fat option, use half-and-half plus an equal amount of additional chicken broth, but keep the cheddar for melt and flavor.