This is an easy and delicious creamy dutch oven potato soup recipe that can be made in just one pot! This is my family’s ultimate comfort food, loaded baked potato soup that is thick and creamy!
This loaded potato soup recipe is packed with tender potato chunks and cooked in a creamy sauce of whole milk, chicken stock or broth, and heavy cream.
Add in sour cream, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and bacon for the best, loaded dutch oven potato soup recipe.
When the winter months set in, I love to make homemade soup, and potato soup is definitely on the menu! This is the perfect stove top soup recipe to warm up on a cold day!
This is a simple and easy recipe loaded with all my favorite toppings. A filling and hearty soup, I think you’ll love this creamy potato soup as much as we do.
Tips for Making Loaded Dutch Oven Potato Soup
- Cut your potatoes into bite-size pieces no larger than ¾″ and try to keep them around the same size. This will help avoid having some raw potatoes while others are cooked to fork-tender perfection.
- Grate a block of cheese and avoid using bagged pre-shredded cheese as it contains cellulose, which keeps it from melting smoothly.
- I love using an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Dutch Oven to make this soup, but you can use a slow cooker or large soup pot.
- I like leaving the peel on the potatoes, so I use organic Yukon Gold potatoes. If you are not using organic, I recommend peeling the potatoes.
- I like using minced onion and minced garlic in my recipe, but you can substitute garlic powder and onion powder.
- This creamy potato soup is just that – creamy soup! There is no need to puree part of the soup with an immersion blender to thicken it. However, if you don’t want the chunks of potatoes, use a potato masher and gently mash the potatoes, leaving very small chunks.
Which Potatoes Hold Up Best in Soup?
The best potatoes for potato soup are Russet potatoes or Yukon Gold. In my recipe, I use Yukon potatoes as I love the texture, the way they hold their shape, and the extra buttery flavor.
- Yukon Gold: These are slightly starchy, all-purpose potatoes. They contain more moisture than high-starch potatoes and hold their shape, so they don’t fall apart as quickly, resulting in a chunky soup.
- Russet: These are high in starch and low in moisture with a light mealy texture. They soak up liquid quickly and lose their shape, so they are not the best for soups.
Let’s Make Potato Soup – Video
Dutch Oven Potato Soup Ingredients
One thing that I love about this recipe is that it has such simple ingredients! I recommend using wholesome ingredients to make this easy dutch oven potato soup recipe.
- Butter: this is the base of the roux to thicken the soup. You can also use the leftover bacon grease or a combination of the two. Either way, it will be delicious!
- Flour: You will use flour to make a roux to thicken the soup.
- Milk, Heavy Cream, and Chicken Broth: These form the soup’s broth. You can use whatever kind of milk you prefer. I use whole raw milk. Use room-temperature cream cheese cut into small chunks to make it easier to incorporate into the soup.
- Spices: Nobody wants bland potato soup, so don’t skip out on adding the delicious flavors in the minced garlic, minced onion, parsley, thyme salt, and black pepper.
- Potatoes: The best potatoes for potato soup are Yukon Golds.
- Cream Cheese, Sour Cream: Did I mention that this was a creamy loaded potato soup? Seriously creamy. Seriously delicious with cream cheese and sour cream added to the recipe!
- Cheese: For the best flavor, use a block of good sharp cheddar cheese for maximum flavor. Skip the pre-shredded cheese, as it does not melt as well into the soup.
- Bacon: Any kind of bacon will work for this recipe. Instead of using butter, you can use the leftover grease to form the roux that thickens the soup.
And finally, potato toppings! This cheesy bacon potato soup is great all by itself, but why not add a little more toppings? Here are some classic options:
- Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, crispy bacon crumbles, a dollop of sour cream, green onions, jalapenos, and fresh chives. And, for a bit of spice, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
How to Make Potato Soup in a Dutch Oven
Get your dutch oven or large stock pot because most of the cooking for this savory recipe happens in one pot.
Fix some sweet rolls or rosemary garlic dinner rolls in the oven to prepare a complete meal for dinner.
This recipe makes a large pot of soup! It fills my Le Creuset 5.25 Qt. Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven and provided leftovers for our family of five the next day.
Fry the Bacon
Step 1: In a large cast iron skillet, fry the bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Then transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Once the bacon has cooled, break or cut it into small pieces.
Make the Roux
Step 2: Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add 10 tablespoons of butter or reserved bacon grease to the dutch oven. Whisk the flour into the butter and saute for 2 minutes to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Then, gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Whisk continually until slightly thickened. Gradually add the chicken broth and whisk to combine.
Add Potatoes
Step 4: Add diced potatoes to the roux mixture and bring to a low gentle boil, stirring the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn.
Step 5: Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. (The smaller you dice the potatoes, the faster the soup will cook)
Add Remaining Ingredients
Step 6: Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the spices, small chunks of room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
Step 7: Simmer the potato soup for another 10 minutes or until the cream cheese has completely melted.
Step 8: Add cooked bacon pieces. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve
Step 9: Ladle into bowls or large mugs with handles and serve warm, garnished with desired toppings.
FAQs
How to Store Leftover Potato Soup
Allow the soup to cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
More Soup Recipes
It is the time of the year when our family enjoys a delicious bowl of soup. These are some of the best soup recipes here at Rocky Hedge Farm!
- Old Fashioned Vegetable Soup
- Dutch Oven Chili
- Dutch Oven Beef Stew
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup From Scratch
- Southwest Chicken Soup
Dutch Oven Potato Soup Recipe
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Dutch Oven Potato Soup
This is an easy and delicious creamy dutch oven potato soup recipe that can be made in just one pot! This is my family’s ultimate homemade comfort food, loaded baked potato soup that is thick and creamy!
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons Butter
- 2/3 Cup Flour
- 4 Cups Whole Milk
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 4 Cups Chicken Broth
- 5 Pounds Potatoes, Yukon Gold
- 2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
- 1 Pound Bacon, Cooked and Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Onion
- 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Pepper
- 1 1/2 Tablespoon Parsley
- 1 Teaspoon Thyme
Instructions
Fry the Bacon
Step 1: In a large cast iron skillet, fry the bacon until it’s nice and crispy. Then transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels. Once the bacon has cooled, break or cut it into small pieces.
Make the Roux
Step 2: Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 10 tablespoons of butter or reserved bacon grease to the dutch oven. Whisk the flour into the butter and saute for 2 minutes to cook the flour, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: Then, gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Whisk continually until slightly thickened. Gradually add the chicken broth and whisk to combine.
Add Potatoes
Step 4: Add diced potatoes to the roux mixture and bring to a low simmer, stirring the soup every few minutes so that the bottom does not burn.
Step 5: Reduce heat to low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 minutes. (The smaller you dice the potatoes, the faster the soup will cook)
Add Remaining Ingredients
Step 6: Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the spices, small chunks of room-temperature cream cheese, sour cream, and shredded cheese.
Step 7: Simmer the potato soup for another 10 minutes or until the cream cheese has completely melted.
Step 8: Add cooked bacon pieces. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve
Step 9: Ladle into bowls or large mugs with handles and serve warm, garnished with desired toppings.
Notes
- Cut your potatoes into bite-size pieces no larger than ¾″ and try to keep them around the same size. This will help avoid having some raw potatoes while others are cooked to fork-tender perfection.
- Grate a block of cheese and avoid using bagged pre-shredded cheese as it contains cellulose, which keeps it from melting smoothly.
- I love using an Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven or Cast Iron Dutch Oven to make this soup, but you can use a slow cooker or large stock pot.
- I like leaving the peel on the potatoes, so I use organic Yukon Gold potatoes. If you are not using organic, I recommend peeling the potatoes.
- I like using minced onion and minced garlic in my recipe, but you can substitute garlic powder and onion powder.
- This creamy potato soup is just that – creamy! There is no need to puree part of the soup to thicken it. However, if you find that you don’t want the chunks of potatoes, use a potato masher and gently mash the potatoes, leaving very small chunks.
I just made it this morning for lunch – OHHHH MYYYYY too delicious!!!! the only thing I changed was about 2 T of very diced celery – I am freezing lots of soup!!!!