Crockpot Potato Soup
Crockpot Potato Soup
Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes7
hours20
minutesYukon Gold potatoes, onion and broth cook all day, then cream cheese, milk and cheddar go in at the end. The result is thick, creamy and topped with bacon.
Ingredients
2½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dried thyme
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar, plus more for the bowls
2 tbsp chopped chives, to finish
Directions
- Set a slow cooker liner in a 6-quart crockpot if you want an easy cleanup, then add the potatoes, onion and garlic. Pile the potatoes in an even layer so they cook at the same pace.
- Sprinkle the salt, pepper and thyme over the vegetables. Pour in the chicken broth, which should just cover them.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours. The soup is ready when a cube of potato slides apart with the side of a spoon.
- Mash about half of the potatoes right in the pot with a potato masher. Leave the rest in chunks so the soup stays thick and rustic.
- Drop in the cubed cream cheese and stir for a minute until it melts into the broth. Soft cream cheese melts evenly, while cold cubes leave white flecks.
- Pour in the milk slowly and stir. Cover and cook 20 minutes more on LOW, with the lid on and the soup never boiling.
- Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until each handful has melted. Cheese added all at once clumps and turns grainy.
- Stir in half of the crumbled bacon and taste. Add salt only now, since the bacon and cheese both bring their own.
- Thin the soup with a splash of warm broth if it has thickened too much, or mash a few more potatoes if it is thin. Turn the pot to WARM.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining bacon, extra cheddar and chives. Serve right away while it is hot.
Notes
- Cook the base up to a day ahead, then reheat and add the cream cheese, milk and cheddar just before serving. Russet potatoes work too but break down faster, so check them an hour early. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge. Freeze the base without the dairy and add it after thawing, because milk splits when frozen.
This crockpot potato soup is thick, creamy and finished with bacon and cheddar. It is a potato soup recipe that cooks 7 to 8 hours on LOW while you are out, so it works as a crockpot potato soup easy enough for any weeknight.
Slow Cooker Potato Soup Tips
Cut the potatoes to 1 inch and cook them alone, then mash half of them in the pot and stir in the cream cheese, milk and cheddar for the last 20 minutes. Keep the pot on LOW once the dairy is in, because boiling makes it grainy. The recipe also fits a potato soup crock pot of any size from 5 to 7 quarts, such as a Crock-Pot 7-quart slow cooker, filled about two-thirds.
Crockpot Potato Soup Easy Variations
Skip the bacon and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian pot, or swap the cheddar for pepper jack for a little heat. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and reheat on the stove with a splash of milk. For more pots like this, see our crockpot soup recipes.
Common questions
Can you put raw potatoes in a crockpot for potato soup?
Yes. Peeled 1-inch cubes go in raw with the broth and cook 7 to 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH.
How do you thicken crockpot potato soup?
Mash more of the potatoes in the pot. The starch thickens the broth without flour.
Can you freeze crockpot potato soup?
Yes, without the dairy. Stir in the cream cheese, milk and cheddar after thawing and reheating.
