This cozy, incredibly cheesy Baked Potato Soup combines carby Russet potatoes and melty cheddar cheese with zesty jalapeno for a comforting soup guaranteed to banish chills on cold days.
This Potato Soup is easily one of my top 10 favorite soups. It’s simple, uses ingredients that are easy to acquire, and has a comforting, rustic vibe. Baking the potatoes beforehand adds a beautiful texture to the soup that cannot be achieved by simply cooking the potatoes in the soup. The texture is crumbly yet firm, eagerly soaking up the flavors of the soup while also acting as a thickening agent. No bite is uniform, offering a texturally interesting and tasty experience.
And cheese + potatoes is a no-brainer. Cheddar cheese makes the perfect addition here, lending umami and creaminess to make it the best Baked Potato Soup.
As good as this soup is without jalapenos, I love spicing it up. In keeping the soup simple, adding canned green chiles and jalapenos bring an effortless heat to this easy soup. And it pairs perfectly with two of my favorite soup toppers - shredded cheese and bacon bits.
This is a great fall soup and pairs well with Mini Naan Pizzas and these Chorizo Sausage Balls.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's cheesy. As the name suggests, it's cheesy and carby and wonderful. Go ahead and add more cheese than called for if you want it super extra cheesy. If you love cheese, you'll want to check out this Baked Goat Cheese Dip.
- It's a great way to use up potatoes. Sometimes I forget about those Russet potatoes in my pantry until they inevitably start to sprout. In those cases where I need to cook a lot of potatoes at once, I reach for this recipe.
- It's a great way to use up leftover baked potatoes. Leftover baked potatoes almost always get set aside for this baked potato soup!
Ingredients
As you may have inferred, the key ingredient and preparation are derived from the name of the dish.
- Russet potatoes - The first step is to bake 2 pounds of Russet potatoes (about 5 or 6 potatoes). Or you can even use leftover baked potatoes from last night’s dinner.
- Onion - Go with either white or yellow, red onions don't look the prettiest in this soup.
- Chicken or vegetable stock - Go with vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.
- Canned green chile and canned diced jalapeno - I use both for heat and to add some pepperiness throughout the soup.
- Seasonings - I usually just toss in some garlic powder, white pepper, and salt. But of course you could add in some herbs, like basil or thyme.
- Cream or sour cream - Opt for heavy cream or go with sour cream to add some tang; both ingredients lend creaminess to the resulting soup.
That’s it! The seasonings are, of course, negotiable :).
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
Suggested Substitutions and Variations
- Fresh instead of canned. If you have access to fresh roasted green chiles and fresh jalapenos, use 'em instead of canned for an even more flavorful soup.
- Season it further. I tend to keep the seasonings simple, but you could also consider adding onion powder, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, thyme, sage, red pepper flakes, etc.
How to Make Cheesy Baked Potato Soup - Directions
Scoop the baked potato from the skins and set aside.
Add butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat and let melt.
Add finely diced onion. Cook until onions are softened, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add chicken or vegetable stock, canned diced green chiles, canned diced jalapenos, garlic powder, and white pepper to the Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low and buzz with a stick blender or use a potato masher. I don’t go for perfectly smooth as I like it a little rustic.
Add shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
Bring the heat back up to medium (a gentle simmer) and add the baked potatoes. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and stir in cream or sour cream.
Serve. Garnish with shredded cheese or bacon bits.
Top Tips for the BEST Baked Potato Soup
Tip 1. Taste the soup before adding salt. You may not need to add salt depending on the amount of sodium in the chicken or vegetable stock you use.
Tip 2. If you want chunky soup. Use a potato masher or a stick blender to incorporate the potatoes into the soup, but use restraint!
Tip 3. If you want a smoother soup. Use a stick blender or a blender to blend the soup in batches until you get a smoother consistency.
Recipe FAQs
Glad you asked! If you’re looking for accouterment for your soup, I highly recommend shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.
You may also want to tame the heat with an additional drizzle of cream or a dollop of sour cream.
And if it’s not hot enough for you, add a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.
You can also brighten it up with some freshly chopped chives.
Since there is dairy in this soup, store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days. If you're looking for an even easier potato soup recipe, try this simple potato soup recipe that only uses four ingredients.
They say chili is better the next day. I believe this to be true for this soup as well. Plus, the heat from the jalapenos intensifies overnight. Keep this in mind when deciding how much jalapeno to add.
For me the heat from 2 (4-ounce) cans of hot jalapenos was perfect. But I like it hot so you may want to use restraint and only use one can. Sour cream and crema only take the edge off so much if you overdo the heat.
I don't see why not! To make this soup in a crockpot you will want to saute the onions in a pan on the stovetop first. Then add all the ingredients, giving it a good stir to combine. Then add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook, covered, on high for 2-4 hours.
What protein should I pair with Potato Soup?
Try one of these meaty mains with this soup:
If you tried this Baked Potato Soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Cheesy Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, baked (or 5-6 potatoes)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 2-3 tablespoons butter (I used salted butter)
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 3 4 ounce cans diced green chile
- 1-2 4 ounce cans diced jalapeno
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- ½ cup cream or sour cream
- salt* to taste
Instructions
- Scoop the baked potato from the skins and set aside.2 pounds Russet potatoes, baked
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of butter to a large Dutch oven over medium heat and let melt.2-3 tablespoons butter
- Add finely diced onion. Cook until onions are softened, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.1 large yellow onion, diced
- Add 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 3 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles, 1-2 (4 ounce) can(s) diced jalapenos, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, and ¼ teaspoon white pepper to the Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 3 4 ounce cans diced green chile, 1-2 4 ounce cans diced jalapeno, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Reduce heat to medium-low and buzz with a stick blender (or use a potato masher). I don’t go for perfectly smooth as I like it a little rustic.
- Add 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese and stir until melted.1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Bring the heat back up to medium (a gentle simmer) and add the baked potatoes. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.2 pounds Russet potatoes, baked
- Reduce heat to low and stir in ½ cup cream or sour cream. Taste and add salt, if necessary.½ cup cream or sour cream, salt*
- Serve. Garnish with shredded cheese or bacon bits.
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