This Loaded Baked Potato Soup from America’s Test Kitchen takes a classic recipe and lightens it up for a much healthier, but still creamy and delicious soup that you can eat all winter long!
(This recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup was originally published in April 2013, but was updated with new photos in 2018).
I aways feel sad when I think about how “meh” I am about potatoes. It’s weird because it seems like everyone is absolutely obsessed with them. And here I am just not able to fully compute the appeal of them. I just find them to be a bit boring, especially the regular old white potato. That is, UNLESS it is acting as a vehicle for some other deliciousness like cheese, ketchup, or sour cream and bacon.
The baked potato actually sounds more appealing to me because of all the topping possibilities. But I like the idea of them in soup form even more because you are truly combining the creamy toppings with the potato and can’t just eat all the good stuff off the top (which I would totally do). But, I mean, obviously a loaded baked potato soup is not really at the top of the healthy foods list. At all. Ever.
Well, until now. OK, maybe it’s still not at the TOP of the healthy foods list, but it’s a whole lot better for you. And every bit as delicious as any baked potato I’ve ever had.
I got this recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, Comfort Food Makeovers (affiliate link), and it is a gem. ATK sent me the book (huge thanks!!) and it took me about a million hours to decide what I wanted to test out. This is definitely only the first of many because I still can’t get over how perfect it was. And also easy.
As in, I made it after work. Which is saying a lot considering all I generally have the energy to do after work is sit on my butt and stare blankly at trashy reality television while eating candy. Lightened up Loaded Baked Potato Soup or candy? I think you know the answer to that one. Well, maybe Loaded Baked Potato Soup and THEN candy. Let’s be reasonable here.
LOADED BAKED POTATO SOUP (LIGHTENED UP) RECIPE
First things first and I think what makes this baked potato soup different than any of had in the past is that it not only has crispy crumbled bacon on top of it, but it also has crispy potato skins on top of it! When you’re preparing your potatoes, be sure to save the skins from two potatoes because you’ll need to chop them up and fry them in the bacon grease a bit. YUM.
From there, it’s kind of like you’re making a regular old baked potato soup… You’ll cook it in your pot or dutch oven until your potatoes are tender and then blend it up.
But then instead of adding heavy cream and a ton of cheese, you simply stir in some half-and-half, Greek yogurt, and light cheese.
And omg let me tell you that you won’t even miss the heavy stuff.
Best part? One bowl of this soup only has 270 calories and 13 grams of fat. This is down from a whopping 560 calories and 40 grams of fat in the typical Loaded Baked Potato Soup. And maybe it’s just me, but a bowl of soup? Should not be that bad for you.
Actually, no, that’s not the best part. The best part is that it tastes so freaking good and you would never believe most of the naughty ingredients have been seriously cut down or removed. I would choose this soup over the full fat/calorie version any day.
Can’t you tell from the photos how deliciously creamy this looks? That’s the magic of a little half-and-half and yogurt. The soup has a beautifully thick consistency and really tasted like a true baked potato packed with all the good toppings.
If this soup is any indication of the rest of the recipes is Comfort Food Makeovers, then we are going to have a very long and happy relationship together. I’m especially excited to make more of the recipes as the summer months approach, when we still might want some classic comfort foods, but don’t want to be totally weighed down by them.
Next on my list to make from this book includes Mexican Lasagna, Chicken Chilaquiles, Shepherd’s Pie, General Tso’s Chicken, and Pork Lo Mein. I might just take it on Julie and Julia style and make everything!
The book even includes lots of recipes from popular chain restaurants, lightened up in a major way, and every recipe includes basic nutritional information (for before the makeover and after!). Another definite winner from America’s Test Kitchen. But really, I’m not surprised.
How do you like your potatoes?
If you’re looking for more delicious soup recipes, check out my Chipotle Butternut Squash Soup or my Spicy Roasted Tomato Soup with Quinoa. And how absolutely stunning is this Vegan Pink Potato Soup from Waves in the Kitchen??
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon
- 1 1/2 lbs. russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces (reserve peels from two potatoes and chop coarsely)
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 cup 0% Greek yogurt
- 2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded light cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper
- 2 chives, sliced thinly
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, move bacon to paper towel-lined plate. When it cools a bit, crumble it.
- Add chopped potato skins to pot and cook until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate with the bacon.
- Add chopped onion to the pot and cook over medium heat until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, before whisking in the broth and making sure to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pot, until smooth. Stir in the potatoes, mustard powder, and thyme and bring the mixture to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the potatoes are nice and tender. This will likely take about 7-8 minutes.
- Remove the sprig of thyme and put half the soup into a blender and blend until nice and smooth. Return blended soup to pot and whisk in half-and-half.
- Put yogurt in a separate, small bowl and then stir in 1/2 cup of the hot soup (this will temper it) before whisking mixture into the pot of soup.
- Stir in the cheese and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve in bowls, topped with bacon, potato skins, and chives.
Notes
- Recipe from America's Test Kitchen's Comfort Food Makeovers (affiliate link).
I love ATK’s lighter cookbooks – they do such a great job making over even the heaviest recipes so that they still taste indulgent!
This cracks me up that you are meh about potatoes. I am obsessed with them. I just finished writing a post about mashed potatoes and confess my obsession, lol. I have to bookmark this recipe. Bacon, cheese, and only 270 calories for a bowl?!!! Awesome!
I LOVE baked potato soup! Such a good comfort food, and now that I think about it, I didn’t make it at all this winter! Awful!
My favorites are twice baked potatos…my mother always made them on my birthday, since we could choose the meal, and they were always what I wanted! So, so good!
I was never a huge potato soup fan, but that’s probably because it was always a Campbell’s soup can kind. This looks mighty tasty…
OMG-you just said everything that I feel about standard potatoes but feel like I get judged for saying! Can we be friends and shun plain potatoes together? We can bond over huge bowls of this creamy, warm, loaded with goodies soup. I love comfort food, done light. Thanks for sharing!
I adore baked potato soup! My mom makes the best one, but this one with yogurt looks fab, too! Pretty much anything ATK makes is awesome, right?
I love potatoes, especially roasted potatoes with fresh rosemary. I am Irish, though, so that could just be from my upbringing when we had boiled potatoes every Sunday. 😉
This soup sounds incredible! I love your little soup bowls, too 🙂
How did I not know about this book until now?? Just ordered on Amazon. Thanks Ladies!!
My husband always makes a face when I say I want to make a baked potato soup, so I think one of these days I’m just going to have to make this for myself. Then we he sees all the bacon on top, he’ll probably be jealous and want some. 🙂 I’m one of those people who loves potatoes in all forms… baked, fried, mashed. Mashed potato pizza is one of my favorite things.
Looks delicious and love the calorie count!
I’ve never had baked potato soup before but this could change that. This cookbook could change a lot of things considering I’ve been trying to eat healthier lately! Healthy comfort here I come!
most often i love them roasted 🙂 but this soup certainly looks fabulous!!
I LOVE potatoes… I love them plain, baked, mashed, fried, or as soup. This soup looks amazing!
i love baked potato soup! definitely gonna try a healthier version. that means more toppings are okay, right?! 🙂
it looks so comforting and rich! Just delicious
ATK is my favorite source for recipes! This soup looks absolutely wonderful!
Baked potato soup is one of my absolute favorites! This looks like a super tasty version! All of those recipes sound very appealing – I need this book ASAP.
I go through phases with potatoes…usually I want nothing to do with them (unless they’re sweet potatoes) but lately I’ve been a bit obsessed. This soup sounds like just the thing to feed my cravings!
YUMMM! I like my potatoes either baked or fried (as in French fries, hash browns, home fries, etc) – because, seriously, who doesn’t love all that fat? LOL. I’ve been super into Greek yogurt to make things creamy, so I’m very excited to give this a try. I’m not a mammal-eater, so I’ll give it a go with turkey bacon (and maybe a little extra oil for sauteing those onions).
I’ve never gotten the excitement around white potatoes either! I LOVE sweet potatoes though. My husband is a white potato guy all the way. The soup sounds delicious. Another fun potato idea is breakfast stuffed potatoes!
A baked potato is my go-to-meal! You can top it with anything. 🙂
Your soup looks delicious!
Yum!!! I’ll always eat a potato but prefer them with lots of cheese and toppings! I like the looks of this!
I totally agree about potatoes! You expressed my exact feelings about them; no one else ever understands! But I’ve always been kind of glad I don’t care for them much because they seem like a waste of carbs – give me pasta, bread, etc., any day instead! I may just have to try this soup despite my usual disregard for potatoes though – it looks so smooth and warm!
Love love LOVE this book! This soup is incredible, and their oven fried chicken? Crispy, mouth-watering…this book is diet food with FLAVOR!!
Just because of what I had on hand (and the need for more protein!) I subbed bacon for 20oz ground turkey; parmesan for cheddar; and half&half for almond milk. omitted the scallions and yogurt. Used a can of beef broth, a cup of homemade chicken broth, and a bouillon cube as the broth mixture. added some roasted veggie seasoning. it was so good!!
Even though it’s light it still looks so comforting, thanks so much!
I think crisping up some potato skins to sprinkle on top is GENIUS.