Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Spring Onions

Our baked potato soup recipe makes a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and spring onions. The delicious potato soup is not made with baked potatoes, rather it’s inspired by the traditional British baked potato or jacket potato with toppings first sold by hawkers on the streets of London back in the mid-1800s.

One of our best potato soup recipes, this recipe for a baked potato soup makes a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives – or scallions or spring onions if you can’t source chives, as I couldn’t this week.

I’m cooking British food this week here in our Cambodian kitchen – as subscribers who received our compilation of British comfort food recipes in their in box yesterday and British-themed weekend meal ideas on Saturday for our What to Cook This Weekend series would have realised.

But while this baked potato soup recipe makes what’s thought to be a modern American potato soup, the dish that inspired this comforting soup is quintessentially British, and a centuries-old British potato dish at that, first sold by London street food vendors in the 19th century.

But before I tell you more about this baked potato soup recipe, I have a favour to ask. Grantourismo is reader-supported, so if you’ve enjoyed our recipes, please consider supporting Grantourismo. You could use our links to purchase something on Amazon, such as these  cookbooks by Australian chefs, classic cookbooks for serious cooks, or cookbooks for culinary travellers. We may earn a small commission but you won’t pay extra.

Now let me tell you more about this baked potato soup recipe for a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives or spring onions.

Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Spring Onions

This baked potato soup recipe makes a deliciously creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives or spring onions.

The soup is not made with baked potatoes but is inspired by the traditional British baked potato or jacket potato which is traditionally served with toppings such as sour cream, crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, and chives.

I grew up in Australia tucking into baked potatoes – or jacket potatoes as we also called them, as they were baked in their skins or ‘jackets’ at family backyard barbecues or on holiday camping trips.

At home, mum and I were responsible for the oven-baked potatoes, which I salted and wrapped in aluminium foil, and mum baked on an oven tray. We’d put all the toppings into small bowls – crispy bacon pieces, grated cheese, sour cream, and spring onions.

Then we’d take them into the living room on a tray and gather around the coffee table topping our own potatoes as we liked before settling back into our bean bags for the Sunday night movie.

On holiday camping trips, dad was responsible for the jacket potatoes, which we’d also wrap in foil and he’d bury beneath the glowing coals of a toasty fireplace. I loved those best as they had a smoky smell as much as flavour.

I’m going to work on that smokiness in the next incarnation of this dish, but in the meantime, just a few tips to making this baked potato soup recipe for a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives or spring onions.

Tips to Making this Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Spring Onions

I only have a few tips to making this baked potato soup recipe for a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives or spring onions, as the recipe is really straightforward.

The recipe calls for chicken stock, but for a vegetarian version you could use vegetable stock instead, or even water and bump up the seasoning.

We always have homemade chicken stock in the fridge, which we make when we poach chicken breasts using this super simple method I explained in this chicken and potato soup recipe.

When it comes to the bacon, I recommend a smoky streaky bacon, and try to use a quality vintage cheddar cheese.

The original baked potato or jacket potatoes are generally topped with chives, but you can also use scallions or spring onions as I have this time. They’re all delicious. Enjoy!

Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Spring Onions

Baked Potato Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream and Spring Onions

AuthorLara Dunston

This baked potato soup recipe makes a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and spring onions. The delicious potato soup is not made with baked potatoes, rather it’s inspired by the traditional British baked potato or jacket potato with toppings first sold by hawkers on the streets of London back in the mid-1800s.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine British

Servings made with recipeServings 2

Calories 983 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 250 g potatoes peeled and diced
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 100 g onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic - minced
• 1 litre chicken stock - or water if making a vegetarian version
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ tsp pepper - or to taste
• ½ head white cabbage - shredded
• 6 rashers bacon - sliced into pieces, fried until crispy
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 4 tbsp grated cheddar cheese - and more if you like
• 2 tbsp chives - scallions or spring onions, sliced

Garnish

• Cracked black pepper and/or chilli flakes to taste

Instructions

 

• In a pot of water, boil the diced potatoes for around 15 minutes until they’re just starting to soften.
• Meanwhile, in a wok, fry pan or skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until shimmering, then fry the onions for 3-5 minutes until soft, add the finely chopped garlic and fry for a minute until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add a splash of hot water, stir, and transfer the onion and garlic to a soup pot.
• To the soup pot, add a litre of chicken stock – or vegetable stock or water if making a vegetarian version – and bay leaves, pepper (and salt if you like), and turn onto high.
• To the same wok, fry pan or skillet, heat another 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering, then slide in the shredded cabbage, turning so it’s covered in olive oil, and fry over high heat for about 8 minutes until soft, then transfer to the soup pot.
• Drain the potatoes and transfer them to the soup pot. When the soup comes to a boil, turn down to medium to simmer for 15 minutes.
• While the soup is simmering, fry the bacon pieces in the wok until crispy, transfer half to the soup and set aside the other half.
• Taste the soup, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, turn off the heat, and allow to cool. Pour the soup into a food processor or blender and pulse until thick and creamy, then return to the pot and reheat, then simmer on low until ready to serve.
• Ladle the soup into bowls, stir in a tablespoon of grated cheddar cheese, plop a dollop of sour cream onto each bowl, sprinkle on the remaining crispy bacon, another tablespoon of grated cheddar cheese, sliced chives, scallions or spring onions, and cracked black pepper and/or chilli flakes.
• Serve immediately with crusty bread or toast and additional bowls of sour cream, grated cheese and sliced chives, scallions or spring onions.

Nutrition

Calories: 983kcalCarbohydrates: 61gProtein: 32gFat: 69gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 9gMonounsaturated Fat: 37gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 1330mgPotassium: 1705mgFiber: 10gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 656IUVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 282mgIron: 4mg

Please do let us know in the comments below if you make this baked potato soup recipe for a creamy potato soup topped with crispy bacon, sour cream, cheddar cheese, and chives or spring onions, as we love to hear how our recipes turn out for you.