Chicken Salad Chick Potato Soup Copycat Recipe

This Chicken Salad Chick potato soup recipe brings the creamy, bacon-loaded bowl from the popular Southern chain straight into your kitchen on a weeknight.

It’s thick, savory, and loaded with tender potatoes in a rich, cheesy broth — the kind of soup that actually fills you up.

Why I Love This Recipe

The broth here is what gets me. It’s built on chicken stock with a roux base, so it’s genuinely thick and velvety without tasting like flour.

The sharp cheddar and sour cream add a tangy edge that keeps the whole thing from going flat. Every bowl has crispy bacon and green onion on top, which gives you a little crunch and brightness against all that richness.

This is the version I keep coming back to on cold evenings.

Recipe Ingredients

• 4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced – Russets break down slightly at the edges, which thickens the broth naturally; waxy potatoes stay too firm
• 4 strips bacon – Cooked until crisp, then crumbled for topping; smoked bacon adds the most flavor
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter – Base of the roux; unsalted lets you control the salt level
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced – Sweetens the base as it softens; white onion works too
• 2 cloves garlic, minced – Adds depth; don’t skip it
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour – Thickens the broth into a proper, creamy base
• 3 cups chicken broth – Low-sodium preferred so you can season at the end
• 1 cup whole milk – Adds body without making the soup too rich; 2% works
• 1/2 cup sour cream – Stirred in off the heat for a tangy, creamy finish
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded – Pre-shredded melts unevenly; shred your own from a block
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder – Reinforces the garlic without sharpness
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika – Adds a subtle warmth and faint color to the broth
• Salt and black pepper – To taste
• 3 green onions, sliced – Fresh garnish that cuts through the richness at the end

Variations / Substitutions

• Swap bacon for turkey bacon – Still gives you that salty, smoky topping with a slightly leaner result.
• Use vegetable broth – Works fine; the soup loses a little depth but stays rich from the roux and cheese.
• Add a pinch of cayenne – Gives the broth a gentle heat without changing the character of the soup.
• Swap sour cream for Greek yogurt – Full-fat Greek yogurt melts in smoothly and adds a brighter tang.
• Use Gruyere instead of cheddar – Melts even more smoothly and gives the broth a nuttier, more savory flavor.
• Swap whole milk for half-and-half – Makes the soup noticeably richer and silkier if you want to go in that direction.

If you enjoy this kind of creamy, potato-forward soup, Panera Bread Baked Potato Soup Copycat Recipe is worth making next.

How To Make Potato Soup

Step 1: Crisp the Bacon

Set a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Lay in the 4 strips of bacon and cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes, turning once halfway, until the fat has fully rendered and the strips are crisp and deep brown.

Transfer the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the bacon fat and leave that thin coat in the pot — it will flavor the roux you’re about to build. The bacon will firm up a little more as it cools, which is what you want for crumbling.

Step 2: Sweat the Onion and Garlic

Keep the pot over medium heat. Add the 3 tbsp unsalted butter and let it melt into the residual bacon fat, then add the 1/2 cup diced yellow onion. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the 2 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.

The pot should smell sweet and savory at this point. If the garlic starts to brown in under 60 seconds, your heat is a little high — pull the pot off the burner for a few seconds.

Step 3: Build the Roux

Sprinkle the 3 tbsp all-purpose flour over the softened onion and garlic. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes over medium heat until the flour turns a pale golden color and smells faintly nutty. This step cooks out the raw flour taste, so don’t rush it.

The mixture will look dry and a bit clumpy at first. That’s fine. After 2 minutes it should coat the vegetables evenly and smell more like toasted grain than raw paste.

Step 4: Simmer the Potatoes

Pour in the 3 cups chicken broth slowly, whisking as you go to keep the roux smooth. Add the 1 cup whole milk, the 4 cups diced russet potatoes, the 1/2 tsp garlic powder, the 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, and a good pinch of salt and black pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a low boil, then reduce to medium-low.

Simmer uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are completely tender and you can crush a piece easily against the side of the pot with a spoon. Some of the potato edges will break down into the broth, which is exactly what thickens it up.

Step 5: Finish with Cheese and Sour Cream

Take the pot off the heat entirely before you add the dairy. Stir in the 1/2 cup sour cream first, then add the 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar a small handful at a time, stirring each addition until it melts before adding more. Taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper now.

Pulling the pot off the heat before adding the cheese prevents it from breaking and going grainy, which is the most common mistake with this style of soup. The soup will look glossy and smooth when the cheese is fully incorporated.

Step 6: Ladle and Garnish

Ladle the soup into bowls and top each one with the crumbled bacon and the 3 sliced green onions. Add an extra pinch of smoked paprika or a few more shreds of cheddar if you like.

Recipe Tips

• Dice the potatoes evenly. Aim for roughly 1/2-inch cubes. Uneven pieces mean some go mushy before others are cooked through.
• Shred your own cheddar. Pre-shredded cheese has a starch coating that stops it from melting cleanly into the broth. A block of sharp cheddar and a box grater takes about 2 minutes and makes a real difference in texture.
• Don’t boil after adding the dairy. A hard boil will cause the sour cream and cheese to separate. Once the dairy goes in, keep the heat low or off.
• Taste and season at the very end. The bacon and cheese bring a lot of salt, so add yours after everything is in the pot.

Simmer times by potato cut size:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken in the fridge as the starch in the potatoes continues to absorb liquid.
• Reheating – Warm over low heat on the stove, stirring frequently. Add a splash of chicken broth or milk to loosen it back to the right consistency. Avoid microwaving on high, which can make the cheese grainy.

What To Serve With Potato Soup

A crusty sourdough roll or thick slice of toasted bread works really well here, because the firm crust holds up to dunking without turning soggy immediately. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette is a good contrast — the acidity cuts through the richness of the cheesy broth in a way that a plain salad doesn’t. If you want to keep it in the Southern spirit, a side of cornbread also works well; its slight sweetness plays nicely against the salty, smoky notes from the bacon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes. Make it a day ahead and refrigerate it without the garnishes. Reheat gently and add the bacon and green onion fresh when serving so they stay crisp.

Can I freeze this potato soup?

It’s not ideal. Dairy-based soups often separate when frozen and thawed, and the potato texture can go grainy. If you do freeze it, leave out the sour cream and cheese and stir them in after reheating.

Can I use a different type of potato?

Russets are the best choice because their starchiness naturally thickens the broth, but Yukon Golds work if that’s what you have — expect a slightly firmer, less thick result.

How do I make it thicker without more flour?

Mash about a quarter of the cooked potatoes directly in the pot with a fork before adding the dairy. It thickens the broth quickly without changing the flavor.

Chicken Salad Chick Potato Soup Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 strips bacon
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cups russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 3 green onions, sliced

Method

 

1. Cook the 4 strips bacon in a large pot over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp. Transfer to a plate and leave about 1 tsp of fat in the pot.
2. Add the 3 tbsp butter to the pot and melt over medium heat. Cook the 1/2 cup diced onion for 4 to 5 minutes until soft, then add the 2 cloves minced garlic and stir for 60 seconds.
3. Sprinkle in the 3 tbsp flour and stir over medium heat for 2 minutes until pale golden and nutty-smelling.
4. Whisk in the 3 cups chicken broth gradually, then add the 1 cup whole milk, 4 cups diced potatoes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a low boil, then reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.
5. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the 1/2 cup sour cream, then add the 1 cup shredded cheddar in small handfuls, stirring until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.
6. Ladle into bowls and top with crumbled bacon and the 3 sliced green onions.

Notes

This soup thickens considerably as it sits, so if you’re making it for a crowd and holding it warm on the stove, keep a cup of extra broth nearby to stir in as needed. The garnishes are worth doing fresh each time you serve — day-old bacon left sitting in the soup loses its crunch and the whole thing tastes a bit flat.