Loaded Baked Potato Soup
This Level 3: Moderately Thick Loaded Baked Potato Soup is everything you could want on a cold winter day! It’s creamy, cheesy, salty, and best of all, it has bacon! The perfect dysphagia diet meal!
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Loaded? Yes please!
Let’s get real – there really is nothing better than a loaded baked potato. Sour cream, cheddar cheese, and of course, bacon. Personally, my favorite part is the green onions. When I’m in a restaurant (pre-COVID) and there’s an option to upgrade my baked potato to a loaded baked potato, you better believe I’m going to pay the extra money.
I was skeptical about making this recipe into a blended soup. I’ve eaten loaded potato soup before, but the potatoes were never completely blended. Potatoes often get a ‘gummy’ texture when they’re blended. They have a tendency to get thicker as the soup cools down, and it’s hard to thin it out again.
When you’re making this recipe, please be cautious. I think this is the perfect time to read our post about not following the recipe. Essentially, I’m telling you to be careful to not follow the recipe exactly as I’ve written it; instead rely on the IDDSI testing methods.
Potatoes are all different sizes and each one cooks differently. When you blend it, you may need to add a lot of milk to achieve the appropriate consistency for a moderately thick soup.
If you eat this soup multiple times, I encourage you to test it each time. That way you can try to combat the gumminess that might happen with the blended potatoes.
Level 3: Moderately Thick / Liquidized
Level 3: Moderately Thick / Liquidized is appropriate for individuals who have reduced control of their tongue or reduced ability to move food to the center of their mouth for swallowing. Foods are completely smooth and have no lumps, fibers, or particles. Moderately Thick foods do not hold their shape when poured and cannot be eaten with a fork.
Foods are tested using the Spoon Tilt Test, Fork Drip Test, and Flow Test at this level. Foods must pour easily from a spoon when tilted, and do not stick to the spoon. The food should drip slowly through the tines of a fork and a fork cannot leave a clear pattern if pressed into the food.
The IDDSI Flow Test is a standardized test for determining the level of a liquid sample. You must have a 10ml syringe for this test, and not all syringes are created equal. Hold a ruler up to your syringe and the distance from the very bottom line to the 10ml mark must measure 61.5 mm. We recommend watching IDDSI’s Youtube video of the Flow Test as well as this comparison between Levels 1-3 before you cook as well as during the testing of your final modified portion.
Always test your food before serving to ensure that it meets all the IDDSI testing guidelines.
How to blend loaded baked potato soup
When I blended the soup, I used my immersion blender. I took the hot soup and added some additional milk. It blended into a nice smooth texture. Try to use the blender as minimally as possible while still getting that smooth, silky texture. Once it’s blended, you can add more milk to thin it down if necessary.
Despite the fact that this may be a bit tricky to modify, it’s so worth it! It has great flavor and I enjoyed it immensely. If you’re feeding family or friends that don’t have dysphagia, you can leave the soup in its ‘un-blended’ state! It’s delicious either way.
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If you loved this recipe, check out our other Level 3: Moderately Thick / Liquidized recipes, or learn more about us!
Level 3: Moderately Thick Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices bacon chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup flour
- 4 cups milk
- 3 small russet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1 cup cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- Extra milk for blending
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add bacon to dutch oven and cook until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon from the pan. Leave as much bacon grease in the pan as possible.
- Add butter into the pan, along with onion and garlic. Cook until softened and translucent, ~3 minutes.
- Add in flour and whisk. Cook 1-2 minutes.
- Add in milk and cubed potatoes. Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and let simmer for ~20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Add in cheese, green onions, and sour cream (or plain greek yogurt). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use an immersion blender to blend soup. Add in milk as needed to achieve the moderately thick consistency (I needed ~½ cup extra milk for 2 cups of soup).
- Serve warm and enjoy!