Looking for a classic and comforting soup recipe to warm you up on a rainy day? Try this easy and healthier Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe, using chicken broth for most of the milk and lightening up some other ingredients. But don’t worry, just because this recipe is a “better for you” option, doesn’t mean it lacks flavor!
It has been so rainy here the past week or so. Not really cold, although some days it has been rainy and gloomy AND chilly, but mostly just rainy. Because of the rain and dreary days, I haven’t been in the mood to cook much, and what I want to cook I want to photograph to share with you later on, and since I only use natural light for my photos, it’s not the best photo taking weather. But we do have to eat and work does have to get done, so I recently remade this favorite family dinner, this healthy Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe.
This soup is comforting and classic and is perfect for lingering winter days or those rainy spring days.
But most versions of Loaded Baked Potato Soup, are not that healthy for you. So, I’ve made it my goal to not only perfect making this classic soup recipe, but to make it a little bit healthier, but defiantly not lacking on the flavor, too! For my recipe, I’ve lightened it up by replacing most of the milk with reduced sodium chicken broth and reducing some of the other ingredients, like the amount of cheese, bacon and sour cream; and have even tested this recipe with Greek yogurt. This is certainly still a creamy and more indulgent soup, but my recipe is a “better for you option” and yes, even approved by my Loaded Baked Potato Soup loving family!
Not only is this a fantastic recipe for the cold winter months or a rainy day, it would be a great recipe for St. Patrick’s Day; which if you haven’t noticed, March is right around the corner and so is this fun holiday! This Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe may not be your typical St. Patrick’s Day recipe, like Guinness Shepherd’s Pie or Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage, BUT potatoes are a classic Irish food, and so this lightened up Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe is totally a family friendly St. Patrick’s Day dinner recipe!
Helpful Tips and Information:
Serving Suggestion: I like to serve this soup with a simple side salad and some store bought or homemade dinner rolls. If I want to dress up my salad, my got to winter salads are this light and refreshing Pear and Pomegranate Salad or this Kale Caesar Salad.
Cooking Tip: Normally I keep my freezer stocked with homemade chicken stock, because it is essentially free (using up kitchen scraps) and I can control the sodium level making it much healthier than store bought stock.
If you like this lightened up Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe, then you’ll love these other soup recipes:
Cabbage Roll Soup
Curry Chicken Chickpea Soup
Zuppa Toscana {Creamy Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup}
Easy Thai Coconut Soup
French Onion Soup Recipe
Yield: Serves: 6 people
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Looking for a classic and comforting soup recipe to warm you up on a rainy day? Try this easy and better for you lightened up Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion,, diced
- 2 cloves garlic,, minced
- 3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4-5 large Russet potatoes,, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
- 5 cups reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup milk
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 2/3 cup cheddar cheese
- 3 slices reduced sodium bacon,, cooked crumbled
- ½ teaspoon each kosher salt and black pepper
- --
- For serving:
- 1/3 cup cheddar cheese
- 3 slices reduced sodium bacon,, cooked crumbled
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- ½ cup green onions,, diced
Instructions
- Melt butter large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until onion starts to become translucent. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables to form a roux. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of broth, making sure to scrape off the bottom of pan. Continue stirring, until roux and broth are completely mixed together.
- Add potatoes and remaining broth. Bring soup to a gentle boil and let soup boil for 12-15 minutes, or until potatoes become fork tender.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in milk. Slightly mash about half of the potatoes with a potato masher. (You only want to mash about half of the potatoes to help thicken the soup and leave the remaining potatoes whole to add texture.)
- Remove soup from heat and slowly stir in sour cream, cheese, bacon, salt and pepper; stirring until well combined and cheese is melted. Return soup to low heat, if needed to heat through.
- Serve immediately topped with desired amount of cheese, bacon, green onions and sour cream.
Notes
To make this potato soup healthier, use reduced sodium turkey bacon and/or plain Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.
