O’Charleys is an American fast-food chain that specializes in serving up tasty soups.
This particular recipe (available at www.ocarlyns.com) is one of their most popular ones.
What Are The Ingredients In O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The main ingredient in this dish is simply called “potatoes”.
Potatoes are available frozen or canned, but if you want to prepare it yourself, then they can be boiled, mashed, or even baked.
If you’re using fresh vegetables and meat instead of canned products, then you should use a food processor to chop them into small pieces so that they all cook evenly.
Onions
O’Charley’s uses large red onion as its primary vegetable component.
These onions have been cooked down until they become soft enough to blend well with other ingredients.
Carrots
These also have been chopped finely before being added to the soup mixture.
Carrots add sweetness to the overall flavour profile of the soup, as well as having high levels of vitamin A, manganese, potassium, and fibre.
Celery
Celery has been chopped fine and then mixed into the soup along with some salt and pepper.
It adds a subtle bitterness which helps balance out the sweet flavours of the rest of the ingredients.
Celery also contains vitamins C and K, folate, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and potassium.
Bacon
There are two types of bacon used in this recipe.
Regular bacon bits are added during cooking, while the other type is added after cooking.
Both are made of pork, but regular bacon bits contain more fat than leaner strips.
Cheese
A combination of cheddar and Swiss cheeses is combined together with milk and cream.
When melted over medium heat, these produce a smooth texture which blends very well with the rest of the ingredients.
How Do You Make O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The first step to making this soup is to cook some diced potatoes in boiling water until they are tender enough to be easily mashed.
Next, chop up your vegetables into small pieces or cubes so that they can all mix well together when cooked.
Once your vegetables are chopped, add them to a large pot along with the other seasonings and heat it over medium-high heat.
Let everything simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed by the vegetables.
Once the soup has simmered down to the point where there’s no more liquid left, turn off the stove and let it cool slightly before transferring half of it to another bowl.
Add the rest of the ingredients — including some melted butter if desired — to the remaining portion and stir thoroughly to combine.
You should end up with a very delicious creamy soup.
If you’re looking for something even better than this, check out our guide on how to make homemade chicken noodle soup!
What Is The Nutritional Information For O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The nutritional breakdown for this delicious potato concoction shows that it contains about 567 calories per cup (240g).
It also has 27 grams of fat which includes 15 grams of saturated fat as well as 14 grams of monounsaturated fats.
This makes O’Charley’s soup a good source of energy and protein.
There is also 25 milligrams of sodium and 3 grams of carbohydrates.
These carbs come mainly from the vegetables – specifically the potatoes and celery.
And there’s no cholesterol or sugar in this meal either.
There are also some other useful vitamins and minerals to consider when eating this dish.
For example, there are 2 grams of dietary fibre in each cup of O’Charley’s soup, along with 7% of your daily vitamin C intake.
Vitamins A and B12 can be found here too.
How Many Calories Are In O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The ingredients list for this recipe includes large pieces of diced onion, carrot, celery, and green pepper, as well as a few slices of cooked ham.
These items account for about two thirds of the total calories per cup, which means that the meal has roughly 2200 calories!
Another reason to stay away from this dish is its high sodium count.
If you don’t want to go overboard on salt, try replacing some or all of the bacon bits with low-fat turkey sausage.
And if you’re not comfortable eating meat, consider adding more vegetables instead of using actual meat, such as the chicken broth.
If you can find it, another option would be to use light sour cream instead of regular sour cream.
It’s still creamy but less fatty than full-fat sour cream.
This recipe also contains approximately 100 grams of carbohydrates.
That’s enough to fill your stomach with energy for several hours after you eat it.
As long as you keep your portions small, you should have no problems filling up without feeling bloated afterwards.
What Is The Fat Content Of O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The nutritional information found on this page is based on the nutrition facts label found on the product packaging.
Each ingredient listed on the label has an associated calorie value, which may vary depending on the type and quantity of each ingredient.
Calories per 100g / 3.5 oz
- Total Calories: 830 kcal/341 g
- Sodium: 1090 mg/40 g
- Carbohydrate: 37 g/14 g
- Protein: 26 g/10 g
- Fat: 41 g/16 g
- Dietary fibre: 4 g/1.6 g
This amount of sodium could be reduced by choosing lower salt options when ordering your soup.
You can also reduce your daily intake of processed foods if you want to further limit the amount of sodium you consume throughout the day.
What Is The Carbohydrate Content Of O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The carb count for this recipe includes both sugar and starch because they are both complex carbohydrates.
Sugar is broken down into glucose by our bodies to provide energy, while starches contain long chains of sugars called polysaccharides which can be digested slowly over time.
Both types of carbs are found in foods like grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, milk products, and honey.
Most people who eat this meal will have about 200 calories worth of food per cup of soup.
That means we should expect roughly 25 grams of carbs here.
What Is The Protein Content Of O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The protein content of this dish can range anywhere between 3 to 6 grams per cup.
In other words, it’s relatively low, especially when you consider how much meat is typically included on the menu.
For example, the sandwich version of the soup has 4 ounces of beef, 1 ounce of ham, 2 ounces of turkey breast, and about 5 tablespoons of mayonnaise — all of which adds up to around 11 grams of protein!
If you’re looking for something more substantial, then try ordering the “Big Boy” meal option, served in a large bowl.
It contains 8 ounces of baked beans, 10 slices of bread, 7 ounces of roast beef, 1/4 pound of bacon, 1/3 pound of ground hamburger, 12 ounces of mashed potatoes, and 2 cups of gravy.
That’s 27 grams of protein alone!
You could also opt for the “Bowlful,” which is available in either small or medium sizes.
It includes a whopping 15 ounces of mashed potatoes, but only weighs out to be approximately 9 grams of protein if you’re counting the calories as well.
Either way, these meals are definitely a great choice if your body needs some extra protein after a workout!
What Are The Health Benefits Of O’Charley’s Potato Soup?
The ingredients in this dish include some healthy veggies like carrots and celery as well as some more common items like potatoes and onions.
These foods have been linked to many different health benefits, so let’s take a look at them!
Potatoes contain both soluble and insoluble fiber which helps keep your digestive tract clean and free of toxins, reducing the risk of colon cancer.
They also help reduce cholesterol levels by lowering bad LDL cholesterol while increasing good HDL cholesterol.
One cup of cooked mashed potatoes contains 1.5 grams of total fat, 0.4 gram saturated fat, and 2.8 grams carbohydrates.
It has only 3 calories per serving but since they’re packed full of nutrients, it’ll be filling for you too!
Carrots provide your body with beta carotene, a form of vitamin A that protects against certain types of cancers including lung, cervical, skin, stomach, and breast cancers.
Carrot tops can be eaten raw or steamed and then added to salads, stir fries, smoothies, or even desserts.
Onions are rich in antioxidants called quercetin that may protect cells from damage caused by radiation therapy, chemotherapy, environmental pollutants, and other damaging factors.
Just three cups of chopped onion provides about half of your daily recommended dose of vitamin C which fights infection, improves immunity, and supports bone growth, among other things.
Celery is another great source of vitamins and minerals.
Not only does it give you potassium, B6, folate, magnesium, and iron, but it also helps prevent heart disease because of its high fibre content.
Celery leaves can be used fresh or dried and ground into a powder to add flavour to stews, sauces, dips, salad dressings, and breads.
Finally, there’s bacon.
Bacon isn’t just delicious – it’s also loaded with protein, which means you get all those same health benefits mentioned above plus additional protection against cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
If you love crispy pork belly, try making your own homemade version instead!
What Are The Side
The sides you get when ordering this dish include your choice of either French fries or onion rings.
If you want to skip the fried option then you can always ask them to bring you some bread instead.
You also have the option of adding on any number of toppings like sour cream, ranch dressing, pickles, tomatoes, etc., if you so choose.
If you’re looking for something more substantial than these two options, there is another way to go about it as well – you could opt for the salad bar!
There are many different types of salads available here, including chicken, tuna, macaroni, and even a veggie option.
Equipment
- Pot
Ingredients
- 3 pounds red potatoes
- 1/4 cup butter
- 8 cup water
- 16 ounces Velveeta
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1 cup Cheddar cheese
- 1/2 cup chives
- 1/2 cup parsley
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside bacon crumbles.
- Red potatoes should be diced into 1/2-inch pieces.
- In a sizable Dutch oven, add the potatoes and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes, or until the food is 3/4 done.
- Melted butter and flour should be combined in a different, big Dutch oven.
- Stirring continuously, place over low heat and gradually add half-and-half. Stir constantly until the mixture is smooth and the liquid starts to thicken.
- Stir thoroughly after adding Velveeta.
- Add drained potatoes to the cream mixture.
- Add pepper, garlic powder, and spicy sauce and stir. Stir occasionally for 30 minutes while cooking with a cover on low heat.
- Individual serving bowls of soup should be filled; garnish with bacon bits, cheese, chives, and parsley.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.