Description
This copycat Outback Potato Soup is rich, creamy, and loaded with comforting flavor. Made with russet potatoes, bacon, onion, garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, and butter, then topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, and chives, it tastes just like a restaurant-style loaded baked potato soup.
Ingredients
Soup
4 to 6 medium-large russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
4 to 6 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 to 1 teaspoon celery salt (optional)
4 cups chicken broth or stock
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional)
Toppings
1 to 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Chives or green onions, chopped
Sour cream
Reserved crispy bacon bits
Instructions
1. In a large soup pot, Dutch oven, or large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve about 3 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot.
2. Reduce heat to medium and sauté the diced onion in the bacon grease for 7 to 10 minutes until golden and caramelized. During the last minute, add the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add the dried basil, kosher salt, black pepper, and celery salt. Stir briefly to bloom the seasonings.
4. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom.
5. Add the diced potatoes and stir to combine.
6. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are very soft and fork-tender.
7. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency, leaving some chunks for texture if preferred. You can also use a potato masher for a chunkier soup or blend in batches in a regular blender.
8. If using a blender, return the soup to the pot. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, and a dollop of sour cream.
9. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding chicken bouillon if using.
10. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar cheese, crispy bacon bits, sour cream, and chopped chives or green onions.
Notes
Slow cooker option: After cooking the bacon and sautéing the onion and garlic, transfer everything to a slow cooker with the broth and potatoes. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours until the potatoes are soft, then blend and stir in the cream, butter, and sour cream at the end.
For a chunkier soup, remove 1 to 2 cups of cooked potatoes before blending, then stir them back in after the soup is smooth.
Russet potatoes are the classic choice for this recipe, but Yukon Gold or red potatoes can also work.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezing may change the texture because potatoes can become watery and mushy after thawing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl