Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup

No one does Baked Potato Soup like Houlihans. They use instant mashed potato flakes for a special flare.

two bowls of baked potato soup with toppings of cheese and bacon


Make Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup Today

Houlihan’s baked potato soup is rich and creamy and hands down one of the best around. The secret to Houlihan’s soup is combining baked potatoes with instant potato flakes to create a perfect texture.

About Houlihan’s

The original Houlihan’s opened up in Kansas City in 1972. It took over a site that was previously Tom Houlihan’s Men’s Wear. This is why the name Houlihan’s Old Place became the new restaurant’s name. In time the words Old Place were dropped and the restaurant became simply Houlihan’s.

Tom Houlihan, whose motto was there is no substitute for style, valued high quality above everything else. Houlihan’s has stayed true to those roots. The chain is known for its quality food and beverages, prepared on-site with fresh ingredients and served up with a style that’s uniquely Houlihan’s.

Houlihan’s Potato Soup Recipe Ingredients

Here’s a list of what you need:

  • Baking potatoes
  • Butter
  • Yellow onions
  • All-purpose flour
  • Low sodium chicken base
  • Instant potato flakes
  • Dried basil
  • Tabasco sauce
  • Heavy cream
  • Milk
  • Salt
  • Ground white pepper
baked potato soup ingredients

What is Chicken Base?

This Houlihan’s potato soup recipe uses chicken base. Chicken base is a highly concentrated stock with a deep rich taste.

Most supermarkets sell the chicken base (sometimes labeled chicken soup base) in the form of cubes or powder. You can generally find it in the same location as chicken bouillon cubes.

A popular brand is Better Than Boullion. You can even make your own and keep a supply in your freezer. Chicken base takes much longer to make than chicken stock, but the rich result is definitely worth your patience.

How to Make Chicken Base

Start with combining the basics for making chicken stock (whole chicken, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, water, salt, and pepper). Just let it all simmer away for several hours until the liquid is greatly reduced and the veggies have melted into the rich sauce. You can choose to strain it before use or placing it in your freezer.

How to Make Houlihan’s Potato Soup

  1. Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until a fork pierces to the center easily.
  2. Remove potatoes from oven and allow to cool completely.
  3. Peel off the potato skins and cut potatoes into cubes.
  4. Melt butter in a large saucepan.
  5. Add onions and sauté over low heat for 10 minutes or until onions become translucent.
  6. Add flour and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  7. In a bowl, combine chicken base, water, potato flakes, and seasonings. Stir or whisk to get rid of lumps.
  8. Gradually add potato flake mixture to the onions, constantly stirring while adding to prevent lumps.
  9. Increase the heat to medium and cook until the soup begins to simmer gently.
  10. Add the cubed potatoes to the soup.
  11. Add milk and cream, gently stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
  12. Simmer for 15 minutes, do not let it boil.

Top each serving with grated Cheddar cheese, sliced scallions, and crispy bacon pieces.

Two bowls of baked potato soup

Recipe Tips and Variations

Substitute chicken broth for some of the water for extra flavor.

Use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream and regular milk to cut down the calories.

Use flavored instant potato flakes for a flavor twist.

Double the spice ingredients and hot sauce for a spicier soup.

Add some ham for extra heartiness and flavor.

Two bowls of homemade baked potato soup recipe.

Can’t Get Enough of Potato Soup? Try these recipes!

Some of my favorite potato soup recipes include:

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Check out more of my easy soup recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes here on CopyKat!

two bowls of baked potato soup with toppings of cheese and bacon

Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup

This take on Houlihan’s potato soup recipe makes a wonderful, pleasing, and filling meal that your family will eagerly spoon up. Serve with a sandwich for lunch or with crusty bread and a salad for dinner. It’s easy to make.
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Baked Potato Soup, Houlihan’s Baked Potato Soup, Potato Soup
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 348kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
  • 1/4 pound butter
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 5 cups water
  • 1/4 cup low sodium chicken base
  • 1 cup instant potato flakes
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • salt to taste
  • ground white pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Prick washed potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until a fork pierces to the center easily.
  • Remove potatoes from oven and allow to fully cool.
  • Remove skin and cut potatoes into ½-inch cubes.
  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add the onions and sauté over low heat for about 10 minutes or until onions become translucent. Don’t let the onions burn.
  • Add flour and cook low for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring continuously until the flour is thoroughly absorbed.
  • In a bowl, combine chicken base, water, potato flakes, and seasonings. Stir or whisk thoroughly to get rid of lumps.
  • Gradually add potato flake mixture to onions, constantly stirring so no lumps form.
  • Increase the heat to medium and continue cooking until the soup begins to simmer gently.
  • Add the cubed potatoes to the soup.
  • Add milk and cream, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened.
  • Simmer lightly for 15 minutes – DO NOT BOIL.
  • Top each serving with grated Cheddar cheese, sliced scallions & bacon pieces.

Notes

Substitute 2 cups chicken broth for 2 cups of water for more flavor. You would use 2 cups of chicken broth and 3 cups of water for a total of 5 cups of liquid.
Use 2 cans of evaporated milk instead of heavy cream and regular milk (cuts down on calories from the heavy cream).
Use flavored instant potato flakes for a different depth of flavor.
For a spicier soup, double the spice ingredients.
Add some ham to make the soup extra hearty and flavorful.

Nutrition

Calories: 348kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 185mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 13.2mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1.3mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen

    5 stars
    I love this soup but found baking the potatoes, cooling them down, peeling and cubing them…a messy and tedious process! Wouldn’t they cook fine by peeling them raw and cubing them…… toss them in the soup while it’s in the simmering stage, before the addition of the milk and cream?

    • Stephanie

      That could work, my guess is the restaurant uses their leftover baked potatoes this way. The flavor of the potatoes most likely are a bit different when you bake them. Should this work? Yes.

  2. Nancy Manion

    5 stars
    Made this for dinner last night, my family LOVED it. Fixed salad to go with it. Cooked a pack of maple bacon and then ran it through my Magic Bullet chopper for a garnish on top, sprinkle of cheese and voila a wonderful, pleasing, filling meal that my husband and kids gobbled up. Six hours and 2 bowls later my husband was still pleasantly full. I added parsley, chives, and garlic to the seasonings. Used 3 cups of water and the other 2 cups chicken broth for more flavor. Also used 2 cans of carnation milk instead of heavy cream and regular milk….did not have any heavy cream, plus did not need the extra calories from heavy cream.

    • Stephanie

      Thank you for all of your great suggestions. Your additions were well thought out, I have never thought about using canned milk for heavy cream. I will have to give that a try sometime.

  3. ediven

    I used flavored instant potato flakes and it was delicious. It added a depth of flavor. I also cooked the onion in the bacon fat. Good stuff.

  4. Justin

    Was very easy to make. Too bland to be a stand-alone meal – would have been nice with a sandwich. Ended up adding some ham and doubling the spice contents.

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