St Patricks Loaded Baked Potato (Printable)

Comforting potato soup blending classic flavors with a light, creamy texture and savory toppings.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Potatoes

01 - 1.5 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 2 stalks celery, diced

→ Liquids

05 - 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
06 - 1 cup low-fat milk
07 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

→ Cheeses

08 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese

→ Toppings

09 - 4 slices turkey bacon or center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
10 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced

→ Seasonings

11 - 1/2 tsp kosher salt
12 - 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
13 - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
14 - 1/4 tsp dried thyme

# How-To:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove, crumble, and set aside. Discard most bacon fat, leaving approximately 1 teaspoon in the pot.
02 - Add onion and celery to the pot. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Stir in diced potatoes, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme. Pour in vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until potatoes are fork-tender.
04 - Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup directly in the pot, leaving some chunks for texture. Alternatively, transfer half the soup to a blender, blend until smooth, then return to the pot.
05 - Stir in milk, Greek yogurt, and cheddar cheese. Heat gently until cheese is melted and soup is creamy—do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
06 - Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with crumbled bacon, sliced green onions, and an extra sprinkle of cheddar if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering it, but 45 minutes is genuinely all you need.
  • The creaminess comes from Greek yogurt and cheese, so it feels luxurious without being heavy.
  • It's the kind of soup people actually ask for seconds on, which never gets old.
02 -
  • Don't skip the partial blending step—leaving chunks of potato makes the soup feel like a real dish, not a puree.
  • Add the yogurt and cheese off the heat or at very low heat; high temperatures can cause them to break and make your soup grainy instead of silky.
03 -
  • Buy potatoes that feel heavy for their size—density means more starch and better texture when they cook down.
  • If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer half the soup to a regular blender and carefully pulse it, then pour it back—the careful part is genuinely important because hot soup splatters.
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