Gradual Cooker Potato Soup (Cozy Easy, & Meal Prep Pleasant)

First Printed: Sep 11, 2023 by Sandra · This put up could include affiliate hyperlinks. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases with no extra value to you.

Beat the winter chill with the last word consolation meals – sluggish cooker potato soup. Full of creamy potatoes and cheddar cheese and topped with crispy bacon, it is a crowd-pleaser that virtually makes itself. Plus, it is meal prep-friendly, so you’ll be able to savor its deliciousness anytime, whether or not it is a busy weeknight or a comfy weekend lunch!

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Potato soup topped with bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions in a white bowl.

Are you in the hunt for the last word consolation meals? Look no additional! Our sluggish cooker potato soup is the right dish! This creamy and hearty soup is a breeze to make, due to your trusty sluggish cooker.

With easy substances and a wealthy, indulgent taste, it is a household favourite that is positive to grow to be an everyday in your dinner desk!

This soup pairs effectively with these savory biscuits, this spinach quiche, this leek quiche. and this caprese sandwich.

Table of Contents

Why You may Love This Recipe

❤️ Minimal Effort, Most Taste. This recipe is extremely straightforward to organize. You merely toss the substances into the sluggish cooker and let it do the work. The lengthy cooking time permits the flavors to meld collectively, leading to a wealthy and flavorful soup with out the necessity for fixed consideration.

❤️ Excellent for Batch Cooking. This recipe yields a beneficiant quantity of soup, making it ultimate for batch cooking. Leftovers could be saved and reheated for fast and satisfying meals all through the week, saving you effort and time on busy days.

❤️ Crowd-Pleasing Consolation Meals. Gradual cooker potato soup is a crowd-pleaser. Whether or not you are serving it at a household gathering, potluck, or a comfy weeknight dinner, its comforting style and creamy texture are positive to please everybody.

❤️ Versatile and Customizable. You’ll be able to customise this soup to your liking by including your favourite toppings or extra substances like crispy bacon bits, chives, or diced ham. It is adaptable to varied dietary preferences and may simply accommodate vegetarian choices.

❤️ Funds-Pleasant. Gradual cooker potato soup isn’t solely scrumptious but additionally budget-friendly. With easy, reasonably priced substances like potatoes, onions, and rooster broth, you’ll be able to put together a considerable batch of soup that feeds a crowd with out breaking the financial institution. It is a cost-effective approach to get pleasure from a comforting and flavorful meal.

Desk of Contents

Elements

Russet potatoes. Baking or russet potatoes work finest for this recipe as a result of they break down and grow to be creamy when cooked. You’ll be able to peel them for a smoother texture or go away the skins on for added texture and vitamin.
Rooster broth. You should use store-bought rooster broth or make your individual. Vered DeLeeuw at Healthy Recipes has a recipe and tutorial for homemade chicken broth if you need to make your individual. When you’ve got dietary restrictions, go for low-sodium or sodium-free broth.
Chopped onion. Roughly chopped onions add taste to the soup. You should use yellow or white onions.
Sea salt and freshly floor pepper. These seasonings improve the general taste. Regulate the salt to style, particularly in case your rooster broth comprises salt.
Cheddar cheese. Sharp cheddar cheese is really useful for its strong taste. You’ll be able to experiment with different cheese varieties for various taste profiles.
Unsalted butter. Unsalted butter is used within the thickener. It provides richness and a buttery taste to the soup.
All-purpose flour. This ingredient helps create a roux, which thickens the soup. When you’ve got dietary restrictions, see substitution ideas beneath.
Heavy cream. Heavy cream offers richness and creaminess to the soup. For a lighter choice, you need to use half-and-half or a dairy-free different.
Optionally available toppings: bacon bits, bitter cream, grated cheddar cheese, or chopped scallions.

See recipe card for portions.

Directions

Potatoes, broth, chopped onions, salt, and pepper in a white slow cooker. — **Step 1.** Place potatoes, rooster broth, onions, salt and floor pepper into sluggish cooker and set to excessive for 4-6 hours.

Cooked potatoes and onions in a white slow cooker. — On the finish of cooking, the potatoes needs to be smooth and could be simply pierced with a fork.

Blended cooked potato and onion mixture in a white slow cooker. — **Step 2.** Utilizing an immersion or full-sized blender (in batches) puree all of the potatoes and add again into the sluggish cooker (word: go away on low warmth).

Grated cheddar cheese sprinkled over cooked soup in a large white slow cooker. — **Step 3.** Add within the shredded cheese.

Melted cheddar cheese stirred into cooked potato soup. — Stir to mix.

Butter melting in a small dark gray saucepan. — **Step 4.** Whereas cheese is melting, begin the thickener on the range by melting ½ cup butter on medium-low in a small saucepan.

All-purpose flour with melted butter in a small dark gray saucepan. — **Step 5.** Add flour.

Thickened butter and flour mixture in a small dark grey saucepan. — Whisk till thick.

Heavy cream added to thickened butter mixture in a small dark grey saucepan. — **Step 6.** Take away from warmth and pour in cream.

Combined heavy cream and thickened butter mixture in a small dark grey saucepan with a whisk. — **Step 7.** Combine till mixed.

Thickening mixture added to cooked soup in a large white slow cooker. — Pour into sluggish cooker.

Cooked potato soup with thickening mixture stirred in. — Stir to mix.

Cooked potato soup topped with bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese and chopped green onions in a large white slow cooker. — **Step 8.** Prepare dinner on low for a further half-hour and serve heat with any toppings desired.

Substitution Options

The next are some substitution ideas if you’re following a particular weight loss program. These ideas are primarily based on analysis and my very own culinary information.

Nonetheless, I didn’t check this recipe utilizing any of those substitutions. The one examined recipe is the one revealed on this weblog put up and within the recipe card beneath.

This data is supplied to be useful to you. 🙂 If you happen to do attempt any of those ideas, please tell us within the feedback beneath the way it turned out!

For gluten-free diets:

For dairy-free diets:

Exchange the butter with a well-recognized dairy-free butter substitute like neutrally-flavored coconut oil or a dairy-free margarine.
Select dairy-free cheddar cheese or a dairy-free cheese different for the tacky taste.
As an alternative of heavy cream, use a dairy-free different resembling coconut cream, almond milk, or cashew cream.

EatingWell has an article that goes into extra element about dairy-free ways to make a creamy soup.

For vegan diets:

Swap rooster broth for vegetable broth to make the soup fully plant-based.
Use plant-based butter or olive oil rather than dairy butter.
Choose dairy-free cheese or dietary yeast as a cheese substitute for that tacky taste.
Exchange heavy cream with a dairy-free different like canned coconut milk, almond milk, or cashew cream.

For lower-calorie diets:

Cut back the quantity of butter or use a lower-calorie butter substitute.
Go for a reduced-fat or skim milk as an alternative of heavy cream for a lighter soup base.
Use reduced-fat cheddar cheese or a smaller quantity of cheese to cut back calorie content material.
Control portion sizes for toppings like bacon bits and bitter cream.

For low-sodium diets:

Select low-sodium or no-sodium-added rooster broth.
Cut back the quantity of added salt (sea salt or floor pepper) within the recipe, and season with herbs and spices (like garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika) for taste as an alternative.
Use unsalted butter or a sodium-free butter substitute.
Be aware of any pre-packaged substances like cheddar cheese, as they might include added sodium.

These substitutions will help you adapt this recipe to your dietary necessities whereas holding it scrumptious and satisfying. Keep in mind to verify labels and ingredient lists to make sure that your chosen substitutions align together with your particular dietary wants.

Overhead view of a ladle filled with potato soup topped with bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese, and sliced green onions over a white slow cooker filled with soup.

Variations

Broccoli and cheese potato soup. For a veggie-packed twist, add steamed broccoli florets to the soup over the past half-hour of cooking. The mixture of tacky potatoes and broccoli is divine.
Ham and potato soup. Cube cooked ham and add it to the soup for a hearty, meaty model. Ham pairs superbly with the creamy potato base.
Spicy kick. If you happen to love a little bit warmth, contemplate including a pinch of cayenne pepper or crimson pepper flakes to the soup for a spicy kick. Garnish with contemporary chopped cilantro for added taste.
Loaded veggie soup. Enhance the vitamin by including carrots, celery, and corn to the sluggish cooker together with the potatoes. It is a healthful and filling variation.
Leek and potato soup. Swap out the onions for leeks to create a milder, extra subtly flavored soup. Leeks add a pleasant contact of sweetness.
Potato and mushroom soup. Sauté sliced mushrooms till they’re golden brown and add them to the soup for a savory and earthy twist. It is a good way to make use of leftover garlic butter mushrooms!
Loaded taco potato soup. Flip your soup right into a Tex-Mex deal with by topping it with diced tomatoes, sliced black olives, jalapeños, and crushed tortilla chips. Serve with a dollop of bitter cream and a sprinkle of taco seasoning.

Storage

Retailer any leftover soup in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. Reheat it on the stovetop or within the microwave.

It’s also possible to freeze this soup, however remember that dairy-based soups can typically change in texture when frozen and thawed. If you happen to plan to freeze it, accomplish that with out the dairy (cheese and cream), and add these substances if you reheat the soup.

Suggestions for Success

Use the proper potatoes. Select baking or russet potatoes for one of the best texture. They break down properly and create a creamy base on your soup.
Peeling non-compulsory. Whereas peeling the potatoes is really useful for a smoother soup, leaving the skins on provides a country contact and additional vitamins.
Do not skip the immersion blender. Utilizing an immersion blender (stick blender) immediately within the sluggish cooker makes pureeing the soup a breeze. It is safer and fewer messy than transferring scorching soup to a standard blender.
Watch your seasonings. Be aware of the salt content material, particularly should you’re utilizing store-bought rooster broth, as it might include salt. Regulate salt and pepper ranges on the finish to style.
Gradual and regular: Let the soup simmer on low for the final half-hour after including the thickener and cream. This ensures that the flavors meld and the soup reaches its excellent consistency. Skip the cheese, thickener and cream for now should you plan on freezing the entire soup for later. See freezer tip beneath.
Prep prematurely: As a make forward choice, assemble the substances within the sluggish cooker the evening earlier than and refrigerate in a single day. Within the morning, begin the cooker for a handy dinner preparation.
Freezing soup: If freezing, accomplish that with out the dairy parts (cheese and cream). Add them when reheating to keep up the soup’s texture.
Thicken to your liking: Regulate the thickness of the soup by controlling the quantity of flour or cornstarch within the thickener. Extra for thicker, much less for thinner.
Contemporary herbs: Experiment with contemporary herbs like parsley, chives, or dill for a burst of taste when serving.
Reheating: When reheating, do it gently over low warmth to stop curdling of dairy substances.

Overhead close up of slow cooker potato soup topped with bacon bits, grated cheddar cheese, and sliced green onion in a white soup bowl.

FAQ

Can I make this soup prematurely and reheat it?

Completely! This soup reheats superbly. Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or within the microwave if you’re able to get pleasure from it.

Is it essential to peel the potatoes?

Whereas peeling the potatoes is really useful for a smoother texture, you’ll be able to go away the skins on for added texture and vitamin should you want.

Can I take advantage of a unique kind of cheese?

Sure. Whereas cheddar cheese is a well-liked selection, you’ll be able to experiment with different cheeses like Gruyere, Swiss, or Monterey Jack to create completely different taste profiles.

What are some inventive toppings in addition to those talked about?

You may get inventive with toppings! Take into account including sliced avocado, a drizzle of pesto, croutons, or perhaps a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

On the lookout for extra soup recipes? Attempt these:

Pairing

These are my favourite dishes to serve with this soup!

Recipe