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Saltgrass Baked Potato Soup

Saltgrass baked potato soup is a creamy, thick white-sauce style soup made with baked russet potatoes folded in for tender chunks. It simmers until velvety, then gets rich with cheddar and sour cream for a steakhouse-style finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Potatoes
  • 4 russet potatoes Baked and scooped; break into chunks after scooping.
Soup base and seasoning
  • 6 strips bacon Cook until crisp, then crumble.
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 0.33 cup all-purpose flour Whisk in with butter and cook to remove raw flour taste.
  • 3 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar Shred fresh or use bagged, then stir in until smooth.
  • 1 cup sour cream Stir into soup until smooth; also use extra for serving.
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 0.5 tsp black pepper
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Bake and prep the potatoes
  1. Bake the russet potatoes at 400F until tender, then scoop the flesh into a bowl and break it into chunks.
  2. Keep the potato chunks warm and set aside for folding into the soup later.
Make the creamy base
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, then whisk in the all-purpose flour and cook for 2 minutes.
  2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk, heavy cream, and chicken broth until smooth.
  3. Simmer the mixture until thickened, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Assemble and finish
  1. Fold in the potato chunks and mash some of them for texture.
  2. Stir in the shredded cheddar and sour cream until smooth, then season with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
  3. Fold in most of the bacon, then serve the soup piled high with sour cream, cheddar, bacon, and chives for topping.

Notes

Pro tip: when you whisk in dairy, add it gradually so the roux stays smooth; keep the simmer gentle to maintain a thick, creamy texture. Store in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat over low heat with a splash of milk if needed. Freezing isn’t recommended because dairy-based soups can break when thawed. For a dietary swap, use low-fat milk and light sour cream to reduce calories while keeping the same potato-chunky texture.