The Ultimate Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe: Easy Slow Cooker Comfort Food
When the weather turns cold, and you find yourself craving something warm, hearty, and utterly delicious, there’s nothing quite like a bowl of rich, creamy potato soup. But who wants to spend hours stirring a pot on the stove after a long day? That’s where your trusty slow cooker comes in! This Crockpot Potato Soup recipe is designed for maximum flavor with minimal effort, making it the perfect comfort food for chilly evenings or a snowy day.
Imagine walking through your front door to the inviting aroma of savory, luscious potato soup that’s been slowly simmering all day, waiting to warm you from the inside out. This isn’t just any potato soup; it’s a fully loaded experience, complete with all your favorite toppings like crispy bacon, sharp cheddar cheese, and fresh green onions. It’s a meal that feels wonderfully indulgent but is surprisingly simple to prepare, letting your slow cooker handle all the hard work while you go about your day.
Why This Creamy Slow Cooker Potato Soup Will Become Your Go-To
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a culinary hug in a bowl that promises to become a regular fixture in your meal rotation. Here’s why this creamy crockpot potato soup stands out and will quickly become a family favorite:
- Effortless Preparation: The beauty of a slow cooker meal lies in its simplicity. With this recipe, you simply chop your ingredients, toss them into the crockpot, and let it work its magic. There’s no need for constant stirring, watchful simmering, or tedious monitoring, freeing up your time for other activities.
- Rich and Velvety Texture: The long, slow cooking process tenderizes the russet potatoes perfectly, allowing them to break down into an incredibly soft state. This makes them exceptionally easy to mash or blend into a luxurious, smooth, or delightfully chunky consistency, depending on your preference. The final addition of heavy cream then elevates the soup to an unparalleled level of velvety richness.
- The Ultimate Comfort Food: There’s something inherently soothing and deeply comforting about a warm, hearty bowl of soup, especially one as satisfying as this loaded potato soup. It’s the ideal meal for cold winter nights, a cozy companion on a rainy day, or simply when you need a little extra warmth and nourishment.
- Infinitely Customizable: While the traditional “loaded” toppings like crispy bacon bits, tangy cheddar cheese, and vibrant green onions are absolute must-haves, this soup serves as a fantastic foundation for your culinary creativity. Feel free to experiment with different cheeses, a sprinkle of fresh herbs like chives or parsley, a dollop of sour cream, or even a kick of hot sauce.
- Perfect for Feeding a Crowd & Easy Meal Prep: This recipe yields a generous batch, making it an excellent choice for family dinners, potlucks, or entertaining guests. It’s also superb for meal prepping; leftovers reheat beautifully and often taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to meld.
- Foolproof Cooking: Even novice cooks can achieve outstanding results with this crockpot potato soup. The slow cooker method is incredibly forgiving, ensuring perfectly cooked potatoes and a delicious outcome every time.
Having grown up in the cold climates of Minnesota and Wisconsin, where winter seemed to stretch on indefinitely, potato soup was a cherished staple in our household. It was the perfect, warming meal to come home to after a day spent playing in the snow or enduring a blustery afternoon. The joy of customizing your bowl with an array of toppings was a highlight for everyone, and it’s a comforting tradition I’m thrilled to share with you today.
What You’ll Need: Key Ingredients for Your Homemade Potato Soup
Crafting this incredibly flavorful and comforting soup relies on a handful of simple, wholesome ingredients. Each component plays a vital role in building the soup’s signature taste and texture:
- Russet Potatoes (5 lbs): These are undoubtedly the star of our slow cooker potato soup. Russet potatoes are high in starch, which is exactly what we want for a truly creamy soup. As they cook slowly, they break down beautifully, making them ideal for mashing and blending. It’s highly recommended to peel them for this recipe; leaving the skins on can result in a slightly grainy or stringy texture when pureed, which would detract from the silky smoothness we’re aiming for.
- Onions (1 large, finely chopped): Onions provide an essential aromatic base, adding a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor that complements the earthy potatoes. Finely chopping them ensures they practically melt into the soup, contributing flavor without adding distinct chunks.
- Roasted Garlic (1 head, minced): Ah, roasted garlic! This ingredient truly elevates the soup. Roasting garlic transforms its pungent, sharp flavor into a mellow, sweet, and profoundly aromatic experience. It adds a sophisticated layer of warmth and complexity. If you’ve never roasted garlic before, my detailed guide on how to roast garlic will show you how easy it is. If you’re pressed for time, you can certainly substitute with 4 cloves of minced fresh garlic, though be aware the flavor will be a bit sharper.
- Chicken Broth (8 cups, low sodium): This forms the essential liquid base, cooking the potatoes and infusing them with savory notes. Opting for low-sodium chicken broth is key, as it gives you precise control over the overall saltiness of your soup. If you use regular broth, you’ll need to significantly reduce the added salt. For a delicious vegetarian version, simply swap the chicken broth for a good quality vegetable broth.
- Salt (3 tsp) & Black Pepper (1 tsp): These fundamental seasonings are crucial for bringing out all the flavors. Start with the recommended amounts, then always taste and adjust the seasoning at the end of the cooking process to suit your palate.
- Heavy Cream (2 cups): Added towards the end of cooking, heavy cream is what truly transforms this soup into a luxurious, velvety indulgence. It imparts a rich mouthfeel and a beautiful, creamy consistency that is signature to a classic potato soup.
The “Loaded” Experience: Essential Toppings
What’s a loaded potato soup without fantastic toppings? These additions are non-negotiable for the full experience:
- Bacon (8 strips, cooked and crumbled): Crispy, smoky, and salty bacon bits add an irresistible crunch and a depth of flavor that perfectly complements the creamy potatoes.
- Cheddar Cheese (1 cup, shredded): Freshly shredded sharp or mild cheddar cheese melts beautifully into the warm soup, contributing a tangy, savory, and incredibly comforting cheesiness.
- Green Onions (for garnish): Freshly chopped green onions provide a mild, refreshing oniony bite and a vibrant pop of color, making the soup as appealing to the eye as it is to the palate.
Don’t hesitate to get creative with your garnishes! Other delicious ideas include a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt, fresh chives, a dash of hot sauce for a kick, or some crispy fried onions for extra texture.
How to Make Creamy Crockpot Potato Soup: A Detailed Guide
Making this delightful soup is incredibly straightforward, thanks to the magic of the slow cooker. Follow these simple steps for perfect results every time. Remember to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card with precise measurements and instructions.
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Begin by thoroughly peeling your russet potatoes. This step is essential for the creamy texture. Once peeled, dice them into roughly 1-inch cubes. Uniform sizing is important to ensure they cook evenly. Next, finely chop your large onion and mince your roasted garlic (or fresh garlic, if substituting).
- Load the Crockpot: Carefully place the diced potatoes, chopped onion, and minced roasted garlic into the basin of your slow cooker. Pour the chicken broth over all the ingredients, ensuring the potatoes are mostly submerged. Season generously with the salt and black pepper. Give everything a gentle stir to combine the ingredients evenly.
- Slow Cook to Perfection: Secure the lid onto your crockpot and set it to cook on the LOW setting for 5-6 hours. The exact cooking time can vary slightly depending on the specific model of your slow cooker and the size of your potato chunks. The potatoes are ready when they are easily pierced with a fork and virtually falling apart; this indicates they are perfectly tender for mashing.
- Achieve Your Desired Consistency: Once the potatoes are wonderfully fork-tender, it’s time to transform them into creamy soup! You have a few excellent options to achieve your preferred texture:
- Potato Masher: For a more rustic, chunky soup with some delightful textural bits, use a traditional potato masher directly in the crockpot.
- Immersion Blender (Stick Blender): For a smoother soup with minimal effort and cleanup, an immersion blender is your best friend. Blend directly in the crockpot, moving it around until you reach your desired level of smoothness.
- Standard Blender or Food Processor: For the silkiest, most uniform consistency, carefully transfer portions of the hot soup to a regular blender or food processor. *A crucial safety tip when blending hot liquids: only fill the blender jar halfway, ensure the lid has a vent (or lift it slightly), and hold the lid down firmly with a kitchen towel to prevent steam buildup and potential splashes.* Blend until smooth, then return to the crockpot.
- Add the Cream & Warm Through: Pour in the heavy cream and stir it thoroughly until it’s fully incorporated into the soup, creating a beautifully creamy and smooth consistency. Place the lid back on the crockpot and allow it to warm on the LOW setting for an additional 20-30 minutes. This final heating period ensures the cream is fully integrated and the entire soup is piping hot throughout. Taste the soup and adjust the seasonings (salt and pepper) as needed to achieve your perfect flavor balance.
- Serve with Loved Toppings: Ladle the steaming hot soup into individual bowls. Now comes the best part: garnish generously with your prepared toppings! Sprinkle with plenty of crumbled crispy bacon, a good handful of shredded cheddar cheese, and a vibrant scattering of fresh green onions. Serve immediately and savor every comforting spoonful!
Expert Tips for Making the Best Crockpot Potato Soup
While this recipe is incredibly forgiving, a few expert tips can help you achieve the absolute best, most flavorful, and creamiest potato soup possible:
- Always Peel Your Potatoes: As emphasized earlier, peeling russet potatoes for soup is non-negotiable if you desire a smooth, creamy texture. Potato skins can become tough and create an unpleasant texture when blended into the soup, detracting from its velvety appeal.
- Master Your Salt Content: Whenever possible, opt for low-sodium chicken broth. This provides you with ultimate control over the final seasoning. Always taste the soup *after* it has finished cooking and you’ve mashed/blended it, then add additional salt and pepper gradually until it’s perfectly seasoned to your liking. It’s much easier to add more salt than to correct an overly salty soup!
- Garlic Options for Any Timeframe: Roasted garlic infuses the soup with an incredible depth and mellow sweetness. However, if time is of the essence, using 4 cloves of minced raw garlic is a perfectly acceptable substitute. Just be aware it will impart a sharper, more traditional garlic flavor.
- Unleash Your Topping Creativity: While bacon, cheese, and green onions are the classic trio for “loaded” potato soup, don’t be afraid to experiment! Consider a generous dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt for tang, a sprinkle of fresh chives or parsley, a dash of your favorite hot sauce for a spicy kick, or even some crispy fried onions or buttery croutons for added texture.
- Storing Leftovers Properly: This creamy potato soup makes fantastic leftovers! Allow any remaining soup to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, making it an excellent option for meal prepping quick lunches or dinners throughout the week.
- Reheating Leftovers with Care: When reheating leftover potato soup, whether gently on the stovetop in a saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave, you might notice it has thickened considerably. This is normal as the starches continue to set. Simply add a splash of milk, cream, or additional chicken broth to thin it back to your desired consistency while it warms through.
- Adjusting Consistency to Your Liking: If, by chance, your soup turns out a bit too thin (though this is unlikely with starchy russets), you can easily thicken it. Create a simple cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water until smooth. Stir this mixture into the simmering soup and cook for a few more minutes until it reaches your preferred thickness. Conversely, if it’s too thick, simply add more broth or cream until it’s just right.
Can You Freeze Creamy Potato Soup? Yes, You Can!
Absolutely! This creamy potato soup is wonderfully freezer-friendly, making it an excellent candidate for meal prepping, batch cooking, or simply having a comforting meal ready for a busy day. In fact, freezing batches of this delicious soup was a common and cherished practice in my childhood home!
To freeze, ensure the soup has cooled completely to room temperature first. This prevents condensation and ice crystal formation. Once cool, transfer the soup into freezer-safe airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. You can freeze it in a large batch, perfect for a family meal, or in individual portions, ideal for quick, single-serving meals on demand. Properly stored, it will maintain its quality for 4-5 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator. Then, gently reheat it on the stovetop over low to medium heat, or in the microwave. Just like with refrigerated leftovers, you may find the soup has thickened slightly after thawing, so be prepared to add a bit of milk, cream, or broth to achieve that perfect, smooth consistency before serving.
What to Serve with Your Cozy Potato Soup
This creamy potato soup is wonderfully substantial and can certainly stand alone as a fulfilling meal. However, it also pairs beautifully with a variety of sides to create a complete and satisfying dinner spread:
- Soft Breadsticks: These are perfect for soaking up every last drop of the creamy, rich goodness from your bowl.
- Fluffy Biscuits or Cheesy Cheddar Bay Biscuits: Another excellent choice for dipping and adding an extra layer of comforting heartiness to your meal.
- Rosemary Focaccia Bread: An aromatic and flavorful bread that provides a delightful textural contrast and complements the savory notes of the soup beautifully.
- A Light Green Salad: A crisp, fresh green salad with a simple vinaigrette dressing offers a refreshing contrast to the rich and creamy nature of the potato soup, balancing the meal perfectly.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich: This is a classic and unbeatable pairing! A warm, gooey grilled cheese sandwich served alongside a bowl of potato soup is pure comfort food bliss.
- Half Sandwich or Wrap: For a lighter but still satisfying meal, serve your soup with half of your favorite turkey, ham, or veggie sandwich.
No Crockpot? No Problem! The Stovetop Method
While a slow cooker certainly makes this recipe incredibly convenient and wonderfully hands-off, you absolutely can make this creamy potato soup on the stovetop if you don’t own a crockpot, or if you simply prefer a quicker cooking method. The fundamental steps and delicious outcome remain very much the same; you’ll just be actively cooking and simmering the ingredients rather than passively letting them cook all day.
Here’s how you can easily adapt this recipe for stovetop cooking:
- Sauté Aromatics (Optional but Highly Recommended): In a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven, heat a tablespoon of olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes until they are softened and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic (roasted or raw) and cook for another minute until it becomes fragrant, but be careful not to let it burn. This step builds an even richer, deeper flavor base for your soup.
- Cook the Potatoes: Add the peeled and diced russet potatoes to the pot with the aromatics. Pour in the chicken broth and season with the initial amounts of salt and pepper. Bring the entire mixture to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely fork-tender. Check periodically to ensure the potatoes aren’t sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Mash and Finish: Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat and proceed with mashing or blending the soup to your desired consistency directly in the pot, using a potato masher or an immersion blender. If using a standard blender, remember the safety tips for hot liquids (filling halfway, venting). Stir in the heavy cream until it’s fully incorporated and the soup is smooth and creamy. Return the pot to low heat and allow it to simmer gently for another 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to heat through and allow all the flavors to meld beautifully.
- Serve: Taste and adjust seasonings one last time. Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish generously with your favorite toppings! Serve immediately and enjoy your homemade stovetop creamy potato soup.
More Comforting Soup Recipes to Try
If you’ve enjoyed the heartwarming goodness of this creamy crockpot potato soup, you’ll love exploring these other comforting and delicious soup recipes perfect for any season or occasion:
- Olive Garden Minestrone Soup
- Chicken Gnocchi Soup
- Lasagna Soup
- Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
Crock Pot Potato Soup
Erin Sellin
5 minutes
6 hours
6 hours
5 minutes
8
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Ingredients
-
5 pounds russet potatoes peeled and chopped -
1 large onion, finely chopped -
1 head roasted garlic, minced -
8 cups low sodium chicken stock -
3 teaspoon salt -
1 teaspoon black pepper -
2 cups heavy cream
Toppings
-
8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled -
green onions -
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
-
Add potatoes, onion, and garlic to the crock pot. Pour chicken stock over potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.
-
Once the potatoes are fork tender, use a potato masher to mash until your desired consistency. You can use a stick blender if you want it smooth.
-
Stir in heavy cream and stir until smooth. Cook for 30 more minutes. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper as desired.
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When ready to serve to with cheese, crumbled bacon, and green onions.
Notes
If you do not want to roast garlic, use 4 cloves minced raw garlic instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 619kcal |
Carbohydrates: 67g |
Protein: 20g |
Fat: 31g |
Saturated Fat: 18g |
Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g |
Trans Fat: 1g |
Cholesterol: 93mg |
Sodium: 1691mg |
Fiber: 7g |
Sugar: 6g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Erin Sellin
5 minutes
6 hours
6 hours
5 minutes
Dinner Recipes
American
8
619
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