This Potato Bacon Soup is rich and creamy and packed with smoky bacon!
A creamy broth, chunks of potato, and of course it wouldn’t be a bacon soup without lots of bacon. This dish is easy to make and will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites!
Savory Potato Bacon Soup
This is a great soup recipe. We love it because:
- this soup is fast enough for a weeknight meal
- most of the ingredients are things I usually have on hand
- we love the rich flavors
- it keeps for about 4 days and reheats well for lunches
Ingredients
BACON A bacon soup needs bacon and lots of it! We prefer a thick cut bacon.
If you don’t have bacon, you can use pre-cooked bacon crumbles. Brown them in a pan with a bit of oil before cooking the onion. This crisps the bacon and flavors the oil at the same time.
DAIRY I use a bit of heavy cream in the broth. If you’d like you can substitute either light cream or a bit of evaporated milk. Regular milk can be used but the soup won’t be as creamy and you’ll need to increase the cornstarch a little bit.
BROTH Use low sodium so the soup isn’t too salty, or make your own homemade chicken stock for use in lots of recipes.
POTATOES Baking potatoes (russets or Idaho potatoes) are nice and starchy and for great flavor and texture.
Variations
- We like to add sliced leek, cheddar cheese, cooked sausage, or even leftover chicken.
- A dollop of sour cream is great on top!
- Feel free to add other mix-ins like jalapenos, green chilis, sundried tomato, chopped basil, or even sliced black olives.
How to Make Potato Bacon Soup
This delicious soup is really easy to put together!
- Cook & drain bacon. Sauté onion, garlic, & celery in bacon grease per printable recipe below.
- Stir in broth, potatoes, thyme, & simmer, then stir in cream.
- Thicken with a cornstarch slurry to desired texture and stir in half the bacon.
Season, serve immediately with Parmesan, bacon, & sliced green onions on top.
Recipe Perfection
- For a thicker soup, mash or blend a portion (or all) of the soup.
- If using a thin skinned potato (red or Yukon gold) you can leave some of the peels on the potatoes for a rustic look and a bit more fiber.
- Adding shredded cheddar cheese will make the soup extra creamy.
- Stir in some of the bacon for flavor but reserve some for the top so it stays nice and crispy.
Leftovers
- Keep leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 days. The flavor will actually improve!
- Reheat soup on the stovetop or in individual servings in the microwave.
- Freeze potato soup in zippered bags with the date labeled on the outside and it will keep for about 3 months. When it’s thawed, it may be grainy because cream and potatoes don’t freeze well, but that can be remedied by adding fresh potatoes, a dash of cream, and fresh seasonings.
More Rich Soups We Love
- Easy Cauliflower Soup
- Broccoli Soup – 20 minute meal
- Split Pea Soup
- Crock Pot Potato Soup
- Fresh Tomato Soup – reader favorite
- Italian Sausage Soup
- Crockpot Split Pea Soup
Did you love this Potato Bacon Soup? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Creamy Potato Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- ½ onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 3 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 16 ounces baking potatoes peeled and diced ½-inch, about 2 medium potatoes
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch cayenne pepper
- shredded Parmesan cheese and sliced green onions, for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add onion, garlic, and celery to the bacon fat and cook 3-4 minutes or until onion softens slightly.
- Stir in chicken broth, potatoes, and thyme. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in cream and simmer for 5 minutes longer.
- Combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry. Whisk into the simmering soup and simmer 1 minute. Stir in half of the bacon. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.
- Spoon into bowls, top with parmesan cheese, remaining bacon and green onions.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
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Thank you! I’ve tried lots of potato soup recipes, but this is my favorite so far.
Very good. I normally do not keep whip cream in my home because I WILL, with much guilt, put it on my bran flakes at breakfast -so – I used a can of evaporated milk (sorry). Grated cheese on top before serving.
Made spicy cheese biscuits to go with it. We loved this soup.
That sounds like a delicious twist, Bev! Using evaporated milk is such a clever substitute, and I bet the grated cheese on top added a great touch. Spicy cheese biscuits to go with the soup? Yum! So happy to hear you loved it.
I’m looking forward to making this soup. What do you think about swapping out the heavy cream for whole milk?
I haven’t tried it and while the soup won’t be as rich, it should work. You can add a little bit of extra cornstarch if needed.
I make this soup once a week, I’m obsessed. It’s so comforting and easy to eat. I suffer from gastro issues and I have a really weak appetite because of it. This soup is great because it’s got lots of calories and I can always stomach it.