Lightened Up Venison Loaded Potato Soup

This Venison Loaded Potato Soup is an easy and delicious soup that makes the perfect cozy evening meal! It is made with lightened up ingredients to give you a creamy soup that is better for you and packed with protein.

Everyone loves a warm soup on a cool winter night, however unless it is hearty and full of meat, my husband says it is not a meal. That is why I created this Venison Loaded Potato Soup. It is a healthier version of a creamy loaded potato soup but is packed with ground venison to make it filling and nutritious.

This recipe starts with frying up bacon, leeks, garlic and the ground venison. Then, you add in broth, milk, and tender cooked potatoes. Season it up and serve it with sharp cheddar, extra bacon, sour cream and green onions for a delicious comforting meal!

What I love bout this soup is you get the flavors of a loaded potato soup, without all the heavy cream and butter. Using milk adds extra protein along with all of the ground venison. Paired with the chunks of potato, you have a perfectly balanced meal. It is made with simple wholesome ingredients you have in your kitchen, and the whole family with love it.

Tips for Making Venison Loaded Potato soup

1. As I always recommend you with get the best flavor and texture out of your ground meat if it has a bit of fat added to it. I recommend anywhere between 10-20% fat added into with your ground venison. You can use beef or pork fat or pork shoulder like we do.
2. When cooking the potatoes, it is best to remove them from the heat when they are slightly undercooked. This will keep them firm in the soup as they will continue to cook slightly once added to the hot soup.
3. After you add the milk to your soup, let it simmer on low heat. Simmering it enhances the flavours and will thicken it slightly. If you boil the soup the milk can start to curdle.

Venison Loaded Potato Soup Ingredients

Venison– You can use ground venison or any other ground wild game meat like moose or elk.

Bacon– Any kind of bacon that you love will work. I love to use my homemade rosemary garlic bacon.

Leeks– Using leeks instead of onion as a nice mild and subtle sweet flavor.

Garlic– As always, I recommend using fresh minced garlic over pre minced.

Potatoes– You can use russet or Yukon gold potatoes. I prefer Yukon gold for their buttery texture.

Broth– To keep this soup light in color I recommend using a chicken broth or even vegetable. You can use beef broth, but your soup will turn out more grey which doesn’t look as nice.

Milk– A 3% or 2% milk is best. I wouldn’t go lower in fat than that. If you want ultimate creaminess you can use cream too. Milk keeps it lighter which I prefer.

Flour– This recipe included just a couple tbsp of flour to thicken it up slightly. If you are gluten free you can use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour.

Toppings– Sour cream, shredded cheddar, green onions and crispy bacon are all delicious for toppings on this soup.

The Steps

1. Start by peeling and dicing the potatoes into bite sized cubes.
2. Add those to a pot and fill with enough water to cover, and a dash of salt. Cover with a lid and boil until almost fork tender.
3. Strain and set aside.
4. While the potatoes boil, dice up the bacon, then add it to a large pot with a dab of butter.
5. Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is crispy, then remove it from the pot and set aside.
6. To that same pot, add in the leeks and the garlic. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
7. Then add in the ground venison and brown until cooked through. Season with salt and pepper as it cooks.
8. Once the meat is cooked, sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir to evenly distribute it.
9. Pour the broth and the milk in and give it a good stir. Season with chili flakes if adding.
10. Let the soup simmer on low for about 10-15 minutes, then taste it and add any more salt or pepper if need. (all broths have different levels of salt so I always recommend tasting so you can adjust).
11. Finally, add in the cooked potatoes, and the crispy bacon, leaving some aside to garnish the soups.
12. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, then top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions and a sprinkle of the crispy bacon. Enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or recipe review below!

Looking for more cozy winter recipes to make with your wild game meat?

https://cmbarndominium.com/homemade-ground-venison-enchiladas/

https://cmbarndominium.com/slow-cooked-venison-french-onion-soup/

https://cmbarndominium.com/how-to-make-homemade-venison-ricotta-ravioli/