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This Crockpot Potato Soup is so simple to make and the perfect recipe on a cold night. You can make it in the instant pot too. So good!
Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe – PERFECT for a cold night!
This potato soup recipe has also became a Christmas tradition in our family!
Each Christmas Eve we head out to church, drive to see a few Christmas lights and then come home to this yummy potato soup served with Hickory Farms Summer Sausage, crackers, cheeses, and Christmas cookies for dessert. It all started the first year we were married when my hubby told me that his family’s Christmas Eve traditional dinner was OYSTER STEW (can you say YUCK????). So I tweaked a little with tradition and decided potato soup would be just fine in our home.
We’ve tried many different potato soup recipes over the years and they’ve all been good, but when I tried this one out I was thrilled to finally find my favorite!
Menu Planning Note: You can also find this recipe in our Slow Cooker Menu Planning Made Easy Set!
Ingredients for Potato Soup:
- bacon
- onions
- half & half
- potatoes
- celery
- chicken broth
- flour
- cheddar cheese
- salt
- pepper
Here's how to make this delicious slow cooker potato soup:
In a skillet, start by cooking the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy. Set aside and drain on paper towels. You can do this step well in advance and put the bacon in the refrigerator until you are ready for dinner.
In the bacon drippings, cook the chopped onion over medium heat, about 4 or 5 minutes or until tender.
Next, prep your slow cooker by spraying with cooking spray. Mix together the onions, chopped potatoes, celery, broth, and salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours.
Then, in a small bowl, combine the half & half and flour with a whisk until well blended. Stir into the potato soup.
Increase the heat on the slow cooker to high and cook about 30 minutes, or until thickened.
Add the cheddar cheese until melted and smooth. Crumble your bacon and serve on top of the soup. Green onion is also delicious as a topping!
Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
- 5 cups peeled and chopped russet potatoes about five potatoes
- 1 medium stalk celery
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups half and half or milk we used skim milk and it was fine, but it might be a little creamier if you use half and half
- 8 oz. shredded Cheddar Cheese
Instructions
- In skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, until browned & crispy. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels, then refrigerate until dinner time.
- In bacon drippings, cook onion over medium heat 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender.
- Spray slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix onion, potatoes, celery, broth, salt & pepper. Cook in slow cooker on low for 6-7 hours.
- In small bowl, beat flour and half and half (or milk) with wire whisk until well blended; stir into soup.
- Increase heat on slow cooker until high. Cover; cook about 30 minutes longer or until thickened.
- Stir in cheese until melted & smooth. (If you want fewer lumps in your soup, you’ll want to mash the potatoes a bit with a potato masher.)
- Crumble bacon, serve on top of soup.
Can you freeze potato soup?
Yes! Once the potato soup has cooked, allow it to cool, and then store in a freezer safe container. You can store potato soup in the freezer for up to 6 months. To make sure that the consistency of the soup remains smooth, wait to add the cheese to the soup until it has been thawed and reheated.
Can you make this recipe into instant pot potato soup?
This recipe can easily be used in the instant pot too. Simply cook the soup in the instant pot instead of the slow cooker! This conversion chart should help you best determine how long to cook the potatoes.
Looking for more yummy meals? This recipe is from week two of our slow cooker menu plans, including this meal + 59 other AMAZING recipes (and 12 desserts too)! You'll also get lifetime membership in our private Facebook group, full of other families encouraging one another to make dinner each night together too.
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I’m assuming you cut up the potatoes? If so how small do you recommend?
Hi Tara ~ Yes, to cook these they will need to be chopped into cubes. This will help them cook fast. I hope that answers your question!
How many servings do you get out of this recipe? Looking to make it for a crowd and not sure how many the recipe serves.
It makes quite a bit. I would say it serves around 8 depending on how hearty everyone’s appetite it!
I think this potato soup could be turned into chicken corn chowder. It would be heartier and the meat would be easy if you use a rotisserie chicken. You could use frozen or canned corn.
Is it really necessary to cook the onions first? I ask because I prefer “throw it in and go” recipes. It’s hard to get the kids and myself ready in the mornings when we have to be out the door by 7 am.
Sometimes when I’m in a hurry, I just use the dried, chopped or minced, onions that you get in the seasoning aisle. Hope this helps!
The potato soup is absolutely worth trying out. My husband and I were both unsure how it would turn out, but it is now one of our favorite soups. We have decided to put it into rotation. I definitely recommend making this one. Thanks, Laurie and the PPP team, for these delicious and yummy recipes.
So glad you love it! 🙂
Do you throw the potatoes in whole?
I had to modify this slightly for what ingredients I had on hand, and exclude the bacon bc I am vegetarian. I thought it tasted okay, but the cooking time seems way off? I cooked this on high for 8 hours before the potatoes were finally done. Or were they supposed to be chopped up into very little chunks, or else pre-cooked? Still, a very easy little soup to whip up!
Hi Laurie! I tried this tonight and it was so good! I don’t usually mash up the potatoes and I did just enough that there were smaller chunks. I think it helped make it creamer. This was super easy. I made it with a pan or rolls! Thank you!
Laurie do you know about how many this feeds? Need to feed 50-75 people at church and curious about how many batches we might need?
was wondering the servings as well!
I think it would feed 6-8 adults depending on how much they eat.
So glad you liked it Liz – thanks for letting me know (we love it too!) 🙂
I was looking for a slow cooker recipe for potato soup when you posted this. Only change was I had a ham bone I boiled down for stock so I omitted the bacon and chicken broth. THIS WAS FANTASTIC!!! I was very concerned the soup would not get thick enough for me in the crock, but it turned out superb! Will definitely be making this again in the crock! And soon!
Yay! So glad you liked it Xana ~ thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.