Make bacon potato soup now. Start with salty, crisp bacon and starchy potatoes to create a bowl with contrasting textures and layered flavors.
The first spoon gives you smoky bacon, creamy potato silk, and a peppery finish that lingers.
This bacon potato soup is a must-make when you want a quick, hearty winter soup or a reliable one-pot meal that feeds a crowd without fuss.
Bacon Potato Soup
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven – even heat distribution
- Immersion blender or upright blender – for partial blending
- Chef's knife and cutting board – precise cuts speed cooking
Ingredients
- 200 g 7 oz bacon, diced
- 900 g 2 lb Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 150 g 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 30 g 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 950 ml 4 cups chicken broth
- 240 ml 1 cup whole milk or cream
- 5 g 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 g 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 15 g 1 tbsp chopped chives
Instructions
- Cook bacon in the pot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and leave 2 tbsp of bacon fat in the pot.
- Add onion to the hot fat and sauté until translucent and fragrant, 4-5 minutes. You should smell sweet onion aromatics rising.
- Sprinkle flour over the onion, stir constantly for 1 minute to cook the raw flour taste and form a light roux.
- Slowly pour in chicken broth while whisking to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer, the surface will show small bubbles and steam.
- Add diced potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced, 12-15 minutes. Potatoes will soften and release starch into the liquid.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in milk or cream. Heat gently until steaming, do not boil to prevent curdling; the texture should turn velvety.
- Use an immersion blender to pulse the soup until partly smooth, leaving some potato chunks for texture, or transfer half to a blender and return.
- Stir in cooked bacon (reserve a little for garnish), adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finish with chopped chives for a fresh, green aroma.
Notes
- Make-ahead: Soup thickens when chilled; thin with hot broth when reheating.
- Texture: Partial blending gives a creamy base while keeping potato bite.
- Substitute: Use turkey bacon for lower fat and similar smoke flavors.
Unlock the Flavor of This Bacon Potato Soup
Bacon potato soup works because fat carries flavor. The rendered bacon fat dissolves and distributes smoky, savory compounds through the soup, producing a broad flavor canvas.
Starch transforms mouthfeel. Russet potatoes release amylose and amylopectin when broken down, thickening the broth and creating that luxurious, velvety texture you expect from a hearty winter soup.
A light roux and gentle blending balance viscosity without heaviness. The flour wakes up and stabilizes the liquid; partial blending preserves textural interest, giving both silk and chunk.
Finishing with a fresh herb and an acid or salty adjustment pierces the richness. A small amount of acid or fresh chives lifts perceived flavors, preventing the soup from tasting one-note.
Pantry Stars That Make This Bacon Potato Soup Sing
- 200 g (7 oz) bacon: provides rendered fat and smoky umami that seasons the entire pot
- 900 g (2 lb) Russet potatoes: high starch content for a creamy, cohesive texture
- 150 g (1 cup) yellow onion: sulfur compounds and natural sugars build savory depth
- 30 g (2 tbsp) all-purpose flour: gelatinizes to thicken and stabilize the broth
- 950 ml (4 cups) chicken broth: solvents and salts extract and carry flavors evenly
- 240 ml (1 cup) whole milk or cream: milk fat creates mouth-coating richness and smoothness
- 15 g (1 tbsp) chives: fresh organosulfur notes cut the richness and add aroma
Kitchen Tools You’ll Need
- Heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven.
- Immersion blender or countertop blender.
- Slotted spoon.
- Chef’s knife.
How to Build Velvety Bacon Potato Soup, Layer by Layer?
- Start by heating the pot to medium. Add diced bacon and cook until fat renders and edges are deeply browned, about 8 minutes. The aroma will be smoky and intense; crispness indicates proper Maillard reaction.
- Remove most of the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave 2 tbsp of fat. Add chopped onion to the hot fat; sauté until translucent and soft, 4-5 minutes. You should smell sweet, savory onion notes rising.
- Sprinkle flour over the onion and stir constantly for 60 seconds. The mixture should darken slightly and smell toasted rather than raw.
- Whisk in chicken broth slowly. Bring to a gentle simmer; the surface should show small, steady bubbles, and the aroma will turn rounder and fuller.
- Add diced potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, 12-15 minutes. Potatoes will begin to shed starch and thicken the liquid.
- Lower the heat and stir in milk or cream. Warm until just steaming, not boiling, to avoid separation and to keep the texture silky.
- Partially blend using an immersion blender for a textured puree, leaving a few potato chunks. The soup should feel creamy on the tongue with intermittent soft pieces.
- Fold in most of the cooked bacon; reserve some for topping. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Garnish with chives and reserved bacon for contrast in texture and brightness.
Chef Tricks for Crispy Bacon and Silky Potato Texture
Render slowly
Cook bacon over medium heat, not high. Slow rendering yields evenly crisp pieces and clean fat. If fat foams, lower the heat.
Partial blending
Pulse with an immersion blender until about half the potatoes are broken down. You get creamy viscosity with chunky texture, which is how you keep interest in a humble one-pot meal.
Pro Tips: Avoiding Bacon Potato Soup Pitfalls
Bacon burns
If bacon browns too fast, reduce the heat. Burnt bacon tastes bitter; start over if overly charred.
Soup too thin or lumpy
If too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce. If lumpy after adding broth, whisk vigorously while heating or strain and reblend.
Variations and Substitutions
- Swap half the milk for Greek yogurt for tang and higher protein; add after cooling slightly.
- Use smoked turkey or pancetta in place of bacon for different smoky profiles.
- Stir in shredded cheddar at the end for a loaded potato bacon soup version.
- Add leeks instead of onions for a sweeter, more delicate aroma.
How to Store Bacon Potato Soup?
Cool soup to room temperature within two hours. Refrigerate in airtight containers up to 4 days.
Freeze cooled soup in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently, adding broth if too thick.
Is Bacon Potato Soup Healthy?
This soup delivers protein from bacon and moderate carbs from potatoes. It provides vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins from potatoes.
Use low-fat milk to reduce calories. The base is naturally gluten-free if you skip the flour or use a gluten-free thickener; not dairy-free unless you swap milk for a plant alternative.
Final Thoughts on Bacon Potato Soup
Make this bacon potato soup when you want reliable comfort without drama. It’s fast, forgiving, and scales easily.
Follow the rendering, roux, and partial-blend steps, and you’ll get a consistently rich, balanced bowl that’s ideal for cold nights and simple weeknight dinners.
Frequently Asked Questions
From prep to table, expect about 35 minutes. Mostof the time is hands-off simmering.
Yes. Replace milk with unsweetened oat or almond milk and thicken with a small cornstarch slurry.
Yes. Starch firms up in the cold. Reheat gently and add hot broth to reach the desired consistency.
Yes. Reduce simmer time; add leftover potatoes at the end and heat through to avoid overcooking.
