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Slow Cooker Potato Soup

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This Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is easy to make in the crock-pot, and it’s perfectly thick and creamy and flavorful (without having to use heavy cream)!

Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

Alright everyone, I think this one tops the charts as our most requested recipe on the blog ever, so I hope you like it. :)

That’s right, I finally made you a recipe for Slow Cooker Potato Soup!!!

The keywords, of course, being slow cooker.

Many of you have already discovered my classic Potato Soup recipe on the blog, which will forever and always be my favorite. But nearly every other comment we have received about this soup is from all of you slow cooking fans, asking if you can make the soup in your crock pots. As someone who shares a deep and undying love of all things potato soup and slow cooking, I was right there with ya! Unfortunately, the traditional recipe wasn’t one that that easily converted to slow cooking. Or at least, you couldn’t just dump all of the ingredients in and expect thick and creamy and delicious potato soup afterwards.

But I tested out a few different slow cooker approaches and finally figured out one that I think we’re all going to love. Just like my classic potato soup recipe, this one is super rich and creamy (but made a tiny bit lighter without heavy cream – yay!), it requires less than 20 minutes of prep time (mostly just chopping those potatoes), and it’s wonderfully comforting and delicious. But unlike my classic potato soup recipe, your crock pot gets to be the one to slow cook this soup to perfection.

Alright, let’s do this.

 

Slow Cooker Potato Soup Recipe Video (1 Minute)

 

The first step in this Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is probably the most time consuming — chopping up a storm. Chop up lots of potatoes (I strongly recommend Yukon golds), a big onion (white or yellow), and lots of cooked bacon (you can fry or microwave the bacon while you chop, or buy it pre-cooked).Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

Then toss everything in the slow cooker (<– this is the one I use!), along with lots of good-quality chicken (or vegetable) stock.

And then set the timer for 3-4 hours (on high) or 6-8 hours (on low), and walk away and let the slow cooker do its thing.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

Then once everything has slow cooked, you’ve gotta do the final step on the stovetop. I know, I know, this recipe isn’t 100% slow cooker. But in order to have a soup that’s nice and thick and avoid using heavy cream, we need to make a quick and easy creamy roux on the stove.

So just melt your butter (or you can use reserved bacon grease, if you fried the bacon on the stove, which will be way more flavorful) and whisk it together with some flour to form a roux. Then whisk in a can of evaporated milk. And once the mixture comes to a simmer, it will thicken up into a really thick gravy-like mixture. Add that to directly to the slow cooker, and give everything a stir.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

And then if you’d like an even thicker soup (which I recommend), use a potato masher to mash up about half of the potatoes in the soup. Or you can just leave them all chunky. Up to you.

(Or, some of you have asked about a slightly healthier soup. If you’d rather leave out the roux entirely and just have a brothy-er soup, you can do that, and/or just mash some of the potatoes if you’d like to thicken it up a bit.)

Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

And then…ta da! A big crock pot full of delicious, creamy Slow Cooker Potato Soup will be yours to enjoy!
Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

 

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Slow Cooker Potato Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 265 reviews
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 250 minutes
  • Total Time: 260 minutes
  • Yield: 8 -10 servings 1x

Description

This Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is thick and creamy (without using heavy cream), wonderfully flavorful, and made extra easy in the slow cooker!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 slices cooked bacon*, diced
  • 34 cups good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
  • 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes**, peeled (if desired) and diced
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced
  • 4 tablespoons bacon grease* (or butter)
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 (12-ounce) can 2% evaporated milk
  • 1 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt or low-fat sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, or more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
  • optional toppings: thinly-sliced green onions or chives, extra shredded cheese, extra bacon, sour cream

Instructions

  1. Add bacon, 3 cups chicken stock, potatoes and onion to the bowl of a large slow cooker, and stir to combine.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours, or until the potatoes are completely tender and cooked through.
  2. Once the soup has slow cooked and is about ready to serve, cook the butter in a small saucepan on the stove over medium-high heat until it has melted.  Whisk in the flour until it is completely combined, and then cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally.  Gradually add in the evaporated milk while whisking it together with the flour mixture, and continue whisking until the mixture is completely smooth.  Let the mixture continue cooking until it reaches a simmer, stirring occasionally, and then it should get really thick.
  3. Immediately pour the milk mixture into the slow cooker with the potatoes, and stir until combined.  Add in the cheddar cheese, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), salt and pepper, and stir until combined.  If you would like the soup to be even thicker, you can use a potato masher or a large spoon to mash about half of the potatoes (while the soup is still in the slow cooker) to thicken the soup up.  If you would like the soup to be thinner, add in an extra 1-2 cups of warmed chicken or vegetable stock.  Stir to combine, then taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
  4. Serve warm, garnished with desired toppings.  Or transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.  (This recipe will not freeze well.)

Notes

*You can either fry the bacon, cook it in the microwave, or buy pre-cooked bacon.  If frying or microwaving, I recommend dicing the bacon before cooking it.  And if you are frying it, I highly recommend saving the bacon grease for later and then using it to make your roux (instead of butter).

**I highly recommend using Yukon gold potatoes, which have the perfect texture and buttery taste for this soup.  But Russet potatoes or red potatoes would also work just fine in this recipe.

***If you would like to make this recipe vegetarian, use vegetable stock, omit the bacon, and I would recommend adding in 2-3 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning for extra flavor.

This post contains affiliate links.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup -- so delicious, and made extra-easy in the crock pot! | gimmesomeoven.com

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1,135 comments on “Slow Cooker Potato Soup”

  1. I’ll never buy this soup canned again!! OWWWWWW, it’s so good it hurts!! Where did you want pics to go, on this site or Twitter?? Yummmmyyyyy!! Followed instructions to a T and it is perfecto!! I’ve been taking spoon after spoon even though it’s for lunch tomorrow. Wooowww!!! Thanks team!!

    • Yay! We’re so thrilled you loved this, Nkemjika! You can post your photo of this on Instagram or Twitter, and just use this hashtag: #gimmesomeoven We can’t wait to see! :)

  2. Hey was planning to make this but could it stay in the slow cooker on low for 9/10 hours? As my work day plus travel is a lil longer

    • Hi Heather! We think an extra hour on low would be okay, but we’re not sure about 10 hours. We hope you enjoy!

  3. Could you do this with cauliflower instead of potato. We need to cut carbs.

    • Hi Judy — good question! While we haven’t tried this with cauliflower instead, we think that should probably work fine and it would definitely be yummy. If you try it, definitely let us know how it turns out! :)

  4. Can’t wait to makes this soup! I’m drooling!

  5. Great soup and I’m not a fan of potato soup. So easy to make.

  6. This soup is fantastic!  I made my roux with bacon grease and it worked great!  We will definitely be making this again!

    • Thanks, Shannon — we’re happy you enjoyed it, and that roux with bacon grease sounds amazing! :)

  7. this soup is awesome

  8. I made it! Eating right now divine , no bacon addeed garlic pepper and oly had a tablespoon of sour cream soup is wonderful will make again probably one a week!

  9. I made this and it is very good. Although I added some cayenne pepper as well. It gave it the perfect kick. 

    • We’re glad you enjoyed it, Dani — and we bet that cayenne was yummy in this — good call! :)

  10. Are there any changes you can make so that this recipe WILL freeze well? I have a bunch of potatoes I need to use up and this would be perfect!!!

    • Unfortunately there aren’t, as this just has a ton of dairy in it. Some people have said they’ve frozen it and had good results though, so you’re welcome to try!

  11. How would this work without the flour? My son has celiac disease

    • Hi Erica! You could definitely use cornstarch or arrowroot powder in place of the flour (either one will thicken the soup just as the flour would). We hope this helps!

  12. Tried this recipe today.  Very good.  Next time, I will leave out any meat.  It really doesn’t need it.  Watch the salt, don’t add any without tasting first. I really like the flavor the sour cream adds.

  13. Super tasty !!!! I should have cut the potatoes into smaller pieces for my  boys (5, and 20monrhs)but it was so yummy otherwise. 

  14. Tried the potato soup recipe and the hubby loved it 

  15. This looks soooooo good gonna make it tonight, thanks for sharing 

  16. can I use russet potatoes???

    • Hi Lisa! We’ve found that yukon golds actually work best for this (they’re creamier), but you can definitely use russets if that’s what you have. We hope you enjoy!

  17. I made this soup last night on the stove instead of in the crockpot.  It was delicious!  My family really enjoyed this soup.  It taste just like a baked potato!  Thanks for sharing this recipe!  

  18. someone was asking about freezing, you could do it up to when you add all the dairy.  So the base could get done, then defrost and add the other ingredients?  

  19. I never comment on recipes but this is an exception. I made this for dinner tonight. I doubled the recipe but followed exactly and  my whole family agreeded this is now my go-to potato soup recipe! Like 5+++ stars. Perfect. I will someday pass this recipe on to my future grandkids! Thank you!

  20. We’ll see…in the slow cooker now!!! I added 2 stocks of celery and some garlic. Can’t help it, I love garlic!! 

  21. Made this and my husband absolutely loved it. Also made it for several people at a meeting and they loved it as well.  This will be one I keep for a long time so we can enjoy it time and time again. 

  22. I tried this on the stove instead of the crock pot because I was short on time…. Awesome recipe…

  23. Hi! So I am making this soup today, When I added the broth with the potato, onion, and Bacon, it didn’t cover the potatoes completely. Is this ok or should I add some more broth?Can’t wait to eat this tonight!

  24. Oh, this recipe looks terribly naughty!!! I won’t deny it.  While I’m a vegan, and as well, eat a low fat diet, I can only Imagine that  this recipe is Devine made as it is( well, I’d use soy bacon bits)!

    I’ve made scalloped potatoes veganized where I’ve used unsweetened milks or soy milk, cubed or sliced potatoes with skin left on, and whole wheat flour to thicken the milk.  It’s good enough to be sure, but I won’t lie when  I say that the diary version is wonderful beyond belief!

    I use my crockpot for just about everything.  I’d reduced fresh tomatoes which I’d frozen to home made sauce.  Just let it cook many hours on both low & high settings, adding seasonings and half a knorr vegetable cube.

  25. Whoops!  I’d left out the word,’nut’ in reference to the unsweetened milks.

  26. You can also use fat free halfnhalf for a thickness or another option is use store bought mashed potatoes to thicken it or buy Orieda mashers from the freezer section and microwave for 13 minutes, add milk and mash then add that to the soup for added thickness. If that’s too much work buy instant potato buds and add to soup for thickness as well and no hassle. I have done all 3. Possibilities are endless.

  27. Potato Soup is my favorite. I have made potato soup but your recipe is begging me to make it. It looks delicious. Cannot wait to taste it.

  28. Would it alter the taste if you used diced frozen hash browns. Like Ore Ida for example?

  29. I just wanna say thank you for this recipe, as it always has been my favourite kind of soup!  I’ve never been a good cook, nor really liked cooking lol but I wanted to try your recipe as it looked rather simple and it was ! I made it the other day and brought it to my sister and brother in laws with my husband and it was a huge hit !!! And the left overs were brought to my other sister in laws and she raved about how delicious it was and it was better than any restaurant she’s been at !!! That made me feel rather good. ? But now I’m getting requests to make it again soon ! ? lol 
    Thanks again for the awesome recipe !! 

  30. Can you freeze this?

  31. I’m going to try this today, but instead of flour, I’m going to try rice flour.

  32. I am 10 weeks pregnant and have had very little appetite and no desire to cook. I ran across your recipe and it looked so good and so easy that I had to try it. I am SO glad I did!! It was absolutely delicious and my picky eater husband even liked it! I’ll definitely be making it again! Thanks for a great recipe (:

    • Congrats to you, Abby! And we’re so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed the soup! :)

  33. Haven”t tried this recipe yet (intend to), but when I have made other potato soups I use a little instant potato flakes to thicken it and make it creamy.

  34. Can you do this recipe with sweetened condensed milk?

    • Hi Lupe! No, you definitely don’t want to use sweetened condensed milk in this. We hope you enjoy the soup!

  35. Excellent!  I used half C of asiago and half C  velveeta cheese instead is cheddar.  My brother and 3 year old cleaned their bowls. 
    Thanks

    • We’re so happy to hear that, Tracy — and we bet the asiago was super yummy in this! :D

  36. Will make this soup today,my grandchildren will LOVE LOVE it.

  37. How do you print this I go to print option and it’s 31 pages long?

    • Hi Michele! If you scroll down to the recipe, there is a “click to print” icon right under the small circular photo of the recipe. We have no idea why it’s saying it’s 31 pages long (it’s just two) and that’s what is showing up for us. Let us know if it’s still giving you problems and we’ll try and investigate further. Thanks!

  38. I’m making this now…. I used red potatoes because I has a  ton I needed to use…… Hopefully it works out…. 

  39. This recipe was excellent. My family really enjoyed the soup.  Thank you for sharing the recipe.

  40. Just cooked this up and it turned out fabulous! Thanks for the recipe!

  41. Saw this in the morning of a rainy day-  started it around 2 I put the crockpot on high /4 hrs wanted to eat around 7 –  the potatos were not ready yet- went to game plan B ordered Chinese – finished making the soup and had it for lunch on Sunday –  it was DELICIOUS!!!

    • Oh no, sorry that it didn’t cook in time! Different crock pots seem so have different heat levels. Glad it was good the next day! :)

  42. What do you think about leeks instead of the onion? Would they become too mushy? My hubs is not a big onion person, but will tolerate leeks and sometimes a shallot (lol). Cannot wait to try it!  Friends have seen the recipe/video on FB and sent it to me because they want me to make it for them. Trying it this week with a Naan roasted veggie & goat cheese pizza. Thanks!!

  43. Use instant potatoes to thicken ! 

  44. Absolutely perfect consistency. Mine needs a little more something( some kind of spice) but can’t figure it out. But it’s definitely super easy to make and I can’t get over the perfect thickness lol

  45. I just found this recipe on Facebook and after a quick online grocery order, it’s in the crockpot right now! Can’t wait to taste it this evening. It’s gonna be a long four hours! lol

  46. Really great, everyone enjoyed it. I used Canadian bacon and low fat evaporated milk, to keep the fat down

  47. Love love loved this!! I added broccoli also to this and used some butter along with the bacon grease! It tasted a little blah at first like it was missing something, but when I added the cheese and sour cream! Omg!! Also I diced up some ham from a ham slice. I use red potatoes only because they cook faster and are a little sweeter (in my opinion) my 2 year old is a very very picky eater and she absolutely loved this soup! I have made plenty of potatoe soups before, all very good. This one takes the top spot! Thank you! 

    • Thanks for sharing this with us, Nicole! We’re so glad to hear you and your kiddo loved this! :D

  48. Very first time ever using a crock pot and I tried this recipe out and it turned out amazing!! I used bacon grease to make the roux as well! 

    • Thanks for sharing Joleen, and for giving the recipe a try! We’re so glad you liked it! :)

  49. Made this and we absolutely loved it. We like celery and carrots so I added those and it still turned out great!

  50. I’m planning on making this real soon! How many servings would you say it makes? Also, what size slow cooker did you use? I have a smaller crock pot and want to adjust the recipe accordingly :) Thank you! I’m so excited to try this!

    • Hi Amanda! This makes about 8-10 servings and we used a 6-quart slow cooker for this. We hope you enjoy! :)