Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This soup is THE ANSWER.
While we eat dinner as a family every night, not everyone is always head-over-heels in love with what I’m serving.
There have been nights, for instance, when a few of us are darting to the cereal cupboard for a post-dinner bowl of Cheerios.
But not tonight.
I could chalk the enthusiasm for this bowl up to the colorful bowls of toppings I place on the lazy Susan for each member of our family to use in making his or her bowl of soup uniquely his or her own.
I could.
But the truth is, this soup is just plain delicious, no matter how you top it.
So what am I serving for the football games this weekend?
What is the first course for Thanksgiving?
And the most pressing question of all:
What is for dinner?!?!?
To all those questions,
And to the question as to why I unabashedly ate a big bowl of soup at 10:18 a.m. this morning.
This soup is THE ANSWER.
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Serves 6
***View Nutrition Facts***
- 1 T. olive oil or organic butter
- 1 1/2 c. chopped onion (approx. 1 medium onion)
- 5 c. cauliflower florets (approximately 1 lb.)
- 1 large baking potato, peeled and diced
- 1/2 t. salt
- 4 c. vegetable stock
- 1 1/2 c. non-dairy (plain, unsweetened) or organic milk
- 1 c. non-dairy or organic shredded cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- garnishes: smoked paprika, additional cheese of choice, sliced green onions, non-dairy or organic sour cream
Place a large stock pot over medium-high heat and add oil or butter. Add the onion and saute for a few minutes. Add cauliflower, potato, salt and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Set aside to cool slightly.
Using a blender or immersion blender, puree the soup. Return the soup to the pot and add milk of your choice. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add cheese and lower the heat, stirring until the cheese has melted.
Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately, passing desired garnishes at the table.
Well, not only am I the first mouth-watering commenter, but I’m likely the first person who just printed this at work and is going to make this with dinner tonight. You are correct, it is the answer.
I think you are going to love it, Jenna!
This looks crazy good. I’m feeling the cauliflower, and I make my own veg stock now. You win.
No, Jared, if you make this soup, you win! You have been on my heart lately, friend.
This looks amazing and I bet the cauliflower just adds to the creaminess. I’ve been on such a soup kick lately…thanks for keeping it going
My pleasure. This is my third pot of soup in a week. I love fall.
Yum! My family loves Potato Soup! My recipe is good, but not good for us. I can’t wait to give ths healthier version a try.
I’m willing to bet they love it just as much! Please do let me know.
You were not kidding about this one Sarah. My son had to be dragged to the table to try it, insisting he was not hungry. He ate that bowl, then filled and devoured another bowl (I’m still not hungry mom, but this is so good) then requested to have it for dinner last night. All my guys loved it and have no idea about the main ingredient. I added nutmeg and extra black pepper. It is so good!
Oooh, nutmeg makes everything better. Glad your crew were fans, Betsy!
Soup is good food. I am making a vegan sweet potato and red lentil soup tomorrow. I even made my own vegetable bouillon by drying veggies from the farmers market over the summer and grinding them into a nice powder. I got this =)
You rock so hard.
YUM! I’ve always wondered if there was a healthy version of this soup. I think this is one that even my meat-loving boyfriend will like!
I guarantee it!
Meeker was just lamenting at dinner the other night (when baked potatoes were served) how the thing he doesn’t like about them is how dry they are. THIS SOUP IS THE ANSWER.
Thank you muchly.
My husband just eats the toppings and a little of the potato, leaving the bulk of it, including the skin. THIS SOUP IS THE ANSWER.
This looks delicious! I could absolutely seeing my hubby loving this. Thank you!
You’re welcome! (and he will!)
What a great idea to add cauliflower to potato soup. Your a genius Sarah!
Hardly, Julie, but thanks! It is really yummy.
I have not been on a soup kick so this may be the kick of the pants I need….especially since the potatoes from our CSA are totally taking over our house. Great looking recipe!
Oh, I hear ya on those CSA potatoes!
this looks so good! hearty, flavorful, perfect – and with the smoked paprika and cheese shreds on top, I’m in toppings heaven
We just keep adding toppings as we eat. It’s the only way to do it.
just made your soup last night- it was lovely. thnkas so much for the recipe, it was just the thing on a cold night. returning from a long business trip to a mostly empty refrigerator (save a lucky butternut squash) almost kept me out of the kitchen but this was easy and quick to pull together with few ingredients. i added a shallot and some cloves of garlic. the leftovers today were even better!
This looks so warm and comforting, I love loaded potato soup! After not making any soups last year, I am on the soup wagon this year. Yum!
ohhh yumm!!!
Sounds good to me! I think soup is the only way I truly love potatoes.
Soup is ALWAYS the answer if you ask me!! It’s getting cold and gross outside here and every night after work, it’s stuff like this that I crave!
Oh me too, Angela. We’re having soup again tomorrow.
Pinning! I need this!
Yes! You do!
i CANT wait to make this.. just lookin at the pictures warm me up lol it looks soso delicious yumm!
Hope you love it, Kaity!
this reminds me of “You’ve Got Mail” when tom hanks is talking about The Godfather being the I Ching and the sum of all wisdom.
that is this soup – the sum of all wisdom
Excellent! I’ve been looking for a good vegetarian potato soup recipe. Scooooore.
My family has a loaded baked potato soup that we make and it is always a hit! There is just something about potato soup that I think everyone really loves. (I really love that yours has cauliflower in it, too!)
Hi Mama Pea,
Soup looks delicious
I’m in law school right now (I am a 1L), Im curious to ask is being a mom easier than being in law school and having lots of assignments and reading?
Also, how would you deal with classmates making you feel inferior? Thank you!!
Oh wow, Tiff. Honestly, I don’t think I could say being a mom is “easier” than law school. They each have their challenges! It never came down to choosing what was easier for me…it came down to where my priorities lie. I’ve never regretted my choice.
As far as having other people make you feel less, that’s something I think we all struggle with in one form or another. I think it’s really important for you to assess where your worth comes from. Does it come from others? Does it come from their approval? Does it come from your class rank? Your job? Your accomplishments? Or does it come from somewhere much more meaningful? Because once you know to whom you belong, the rest simply doesn’t seem nearly as important.
Good luck!
I understand both are different in their own ways. Each one has challenges…Sometimes when its tough I always think that maybe if I did something else that was not as challenging. But at the end of the day no matter what one chooses there will be challenges and how you deal with them and learn will only help you grow into a more beautiful person.
Its difficult being at a new school and not knowing my position. In undergrad I knew I was an A student with a high GPA but in law school…everything seems different. So I am struggling to find where I stand. There are students who are extremely competitive and its hard to see your friends in a competitive spirit. I’m not the kind of person that is competitive. If I want the A its because I’ve worked hard not because I want to beat you. I’m into accomplishing my personal best not someone else’s score.
Im not sure if my friends feel as though I am competition and maybe feel the need to put me down to make themselves feel better…but I have to believe in myself so much that I don’t let their insecurities get to me.
I love what you wrote…my security should not come from a grade or approval or class rank…my worth comes from inside myself (a place of love and encouragement)
Sorry for the post. Thank you so much for your thoughtful words
By the way I love your new picture.
I meant sorry for the long post.
I have made your taco soup several times over the past couple of weeks… it was the perfect answer for my family while sitting bedside in the hospital with my Grandma after her stroke. I love your recipes!! Having said that….I LOVE potato soup, but haven’t found a healthy version…I despise cauliflower though…..does it have a strong taste in this soup? I can’t imagine it wouldn’t….but I don’t taste spinach in my smoothies….so here’s hoping!!
My girls don’t like cauliflower and my husband is a little “meh” about it. But they all love this soup. I don’t think it is a very strong taste at all. If you are really afraid you could up the potato content and use less cauliflower. Good luck!
PERFECT!! Thank you so much! We will be trying it tonight! I LOVE your soup recipeas!
I was going to go to Pinterest to find a Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe. Glad I stopped here first! looks fantastic with all things I already have in the kitchen!
Oh wow…once again you’ve outdone yourself. This looks so comforting and absolutely do-able. Yum – can’t wait to try it! Have a great rest of your week – I appreciate all that you share with us!
You too, Christine! Thanks so much.
this looks and sounds so amazing. I love potato soup so so much.
Oh yum! I want a bowl of this for breakfast this morning
I didn’t even know I had a question, but at least I have the answer now. I need to make this. I love soup! And your soups are always a hit in my mouth!
Do you think this soup could be made in a slow cooker? If so, do you have any suggestions about how much broth to use (less?), and cooking times? I just bought a slow cooker (I was inspired by your taco soup recipe) and am now completely infatuated with it. This soup looks delicious! Thanks!
I haven’t tried it…I just worry that the cauliflower/potato would get too mushy/mealy in the slow cooker. I’d use the same amounts but set it on low for about 4 hours?
Hmmm…maybe I’ll stick to the stovetop. Thank you!
This just went on the top of my “too cook” pile!!
Wow-this is on my recipe rotation! Love how simple it is and it looks absolutely amazing! It’s especially great because it doesn’t have all of the crazy cream and fat of other baked potato soups!
This sounds incredible! So comforting; I remember having potato and leek soup as a child, it was a firm favourite but this would definitely top it!
Redeeming love is such a great great story. I loved it. Have you read Jane Eyre or any of the Austen books? They are just as good!
Soup looks divine.
I haven’t! Thanks for the suggestion.
Just made this tonight, adding nutritional yeast to the mix which turned out delicious. Thank you for the perfect idea on this rainy weekend on the coast. It warms the heart
You’re welcome, Marla!
I made this soup on Sunday and my meat eating boyfriend loved it and it filled him up so he didn’t want anything else. That is a HUGE success, thank you so much for the recipe. I shared the leftovers with some coworkers and all loved it!
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Melissa!
I made this for a late lunch/early dinner today, and it was delicious! I used Daiya mozzarella for the cheese, and even my non-cauliflower lover enjoyed it (after I convinced her that there was NO broccoli in this soup). I did add a splash of lemon juice at the end for a bit of tanginess, which worked well with the other flavors. It’s also surprisingly filling! Thank you!
Just popped down to leave a comment. It’s my sixth(?) time coming back to make this recipe. I love it, my family loves it and everyone who tries it loves it. Thank you so much!!!
I’m so glad, Lyndsay. Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
So I’m planning on making this soup for dinner tonight with organic milk…would you recommend skim or 2%?
I think either would be fine, but if you want a richer soup, is go with the 2%.