I could literally eat a bowl of creamy potato soup every single day. There was a time when I would call my favorite lunch spots each week just to see if the “soup of the day” was potato soup! Yes, I was that hooked. But nothing, I mean absolutely nothing, beats the taste of homemade potato soup! Even better when the slow cooker does all the work for you. This Slow Cooker Potato Soup is rich, creamy, comforting, and absolutely delicious!
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If you don’t have a slow cooker you can still enjoy a warm bowl of potato soup by making our stovetop Loaded Potato Soup recipe.
Ingredients For Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Here are the ingredients you need to make this delicious, velvety potato soup recipe!
- Vegetables: A combination of carrots, celery, onion and garlic were used to add depth, flavor, and texture to the soup.
- Potatoes: Potatoes are of course the foundation for this soup. We used Yukon gold potatoes because we love their creamy texture and they hold up well in the slow cooker. Russet potatoes are also a great option.
- Seasoning: A simple combination of Italian seasoning, salt and pepper seasons the soup.
- Chicken Broth: Make sure to use a very flavorful chicken broth as a LOT of the soup flavor will come from the broth. We use Better than Bouillon to make our broth.
- Flour: A quick and simple slurry with all-purpose flour and water is needed to thicken the soup. We tested the recipe without the slurry and it makes a BIG difference.
- Heavy Cream & Sour Cream: Heavy cream also helps thicken the soup and gives it a creamy texture. Sour cream adds even more flavor and creaminess to the soup!
- Cheddar Cheese & Green Onions: We finished the soup with a final pop of extra flavor and color with some fresh shredded cheddar cheese and sliced green onions.
Topping Options
There are several different toppings you can choose from to finish your creamy potato soup. Try any of these options: shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onions or chives, sour cream, greek yogurt, chopped bacon, homemade croutons, or extra fresh cracked black pepper.
What To Serve With Potato Soup
Just like many soup recipes, this slow cooker potato soup pairs well with a simple side salad, a Caesar salad, or even a fresh pasta salad like our Broccoli Pasta Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette. Soups and sandwiches are also a great combination. Try serving this potato soup with a Chicken Caesar Wrap or a gourmet Spinach and Feta Grilled Cheese!
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover potato soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. We would not recommend freezing this potato soup recipe. All the dairy and anything thickened with flour or cornstarch tends to separate upon thawing.
Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Servings 6 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 stalks celery ($0.50)
- 2 carrots ($0.30)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
- 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes ($3.29)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning ($0.10)
- 1 1/4 tsp salt ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 3 cups chicken broth ($0.51)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.04)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream ($0.68)
- 1/2 cup sour cream ($0.53)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided ($1.16)
- 3 green onions, sliced & divided ($0.36)
Instructions
- Wash and dice the celery stalks, peel and dice the carrots, dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Wash, peel, and chop the potatoes into ½ – ¾ inch chunks.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and the garlic to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker or crock pot. Then add the Italian seasoning, salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to the slow cooker.
- Pour the chicken broth over the vegetables and spices in the slow cooker. Stir all the ingredients together so that everything is evenly distributed. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours.
- Once the potatoes are almost finished cooking, make a quick flour slurry by adding the flour and water to a small bowl and whisking together until smooth and there are no lumps.
- After the potato soup has cooked for 3 hours, check to make sure the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Now add the slurry, heavy cream, and sour cream to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine, replace the lid, and continue to cook on high for an additional 10 minutes.
- During the last 10 minutes of cooking, while the slurry and heavy cream are thickening the soup, shred the cheddar cheese and slice the green onions.
- Remove the slow cooker lid then use a potato masher to mash the potato chunks into smaller pieces. Add ½ cup of the shredded cheese and half of the sliced green onions. Stir until the cheese has melted into the soup.
- Taste the soup and adjust the salt or black pepper to your liking. Use the remaining shredded cheese and green onions to garnish individual bowls. Serve hot and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
- Chef’s Knife
- White Cutting Boards
Nutrition
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How To Make Slow COoker Potato Soup – Step By Step PHotos
Wash and dice 2 celery stalks, peel and dice 2 carrots, dice 1 onion, and mince 3 garlic cloves.
Wash, peel, and chop 3 lbs. of Yukon gold potatoes into roughly ½ – ¾ inch chunks.
Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and the garlic to a 5 or 6 quart slow cooker or crock pot. Then add 1 tsp of Italian seasoning, 1 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of freshly cracked black pepper to the slow cooker. Next pour 3 cups of chicken broth over the vegetables and spices in the slow cooker.
Stir all the ingredients together so that everything is evenly distributed. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours. Once the potatoes are almost finished cooking, make a quick flour slurry by adding 2 Tbsp of flour and 2 Tbsp of water to a small bowl and whisking together until smooth and there are no lumps.
After the potato soup has cooked for 3 hours, check to make sure the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. Now add the flour slurry, 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1/2 cup of sour cream to the slow cooker. Stir well to combine, replace the lid, and continue to cook on high for an additional 10 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, while the slurry and heavy cream are thickening the soup, shred the cheddar cheese and slice 3 green onions.
Remove the slow cooker lid then use a potato masher to mash the potato chunks into smaller pieces.
Add ½ cup of the shredded cheese and half of the sliced green onions. Stir until the cheese has melted into the soup.
Taste the soup and adjust the salt or black pepper to your liking.
Use the remaining shredded cheese and green onions to garnish individual bowls. We also topped ours with a little soup cream and some freshly cracked black pepper. Simple, creamy, delicious, and SO GOOD!
Very very bland but it’s a fine base.
Yum!! I made this tonight and added corn, broccoli and mild Italian sausage, and threw some white pepper on top!!! Hmmm. True comfort in a bowl! And the house smelled amazing for the whole day. I did accidentally put the slow cooker on low for 8 hours instead of high, but it turned out fine! I just put it on high when I put the flour in.
We loved this soup! I used your ingredients and cooked it in a Dutch oven on the stove top since that fit better into my schedule today. This soup really tastes like potatoes, unlike a lot of recipes that call for a lot of cheese or bacon. Definitely a keeper – it’s perfect for a cold winter day!
As is, this soup is quite bland. I love lots of recipes on this site, but this wasn’t my favorite. I ended up adding about 10 oz of cheese, a can of corn, and paprika to spice it up. My household loved it after I added those! It’s super filling and cheap, but I don’t think I’ll keep the recipe around.
I LOVED this! I’m a young wife who wasn’t taught how to cook growing up so I’m learning as I go. Trying to get bette for my husband and future family. Got a slow cooker for Christmas and came across this recipe last night… It turned out so great, I love it, my sister took two bowls, and my husband loves it and is taking it for lunch! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe, it was so simple and sssooooo delicious
I would love to make this with carrots and broccoli. How would you add them to the soup?
I’d probably add the carrots in the beginning because they can hold up well to slow cooking, and probably add the broccoli later so it doesn’t get overcooked. :)
Super easy and delicious! Took us 7 hours in the slow cooker (not including after we added milk). My partner can’t eat meat so we used vegetable stock instead. Someone said they added corn as a garnish and we did the same which made it even better. As someone who is usually not a fan of soup, I’m glad we gave this one a go and we’ll be making it again soon!
First time I’ve tried making potato soup – this recipe looked easy & healthy-ish – so I gave it a shot! I used Yukon gold potatoes before I saw the comment near the end of your post… oops! But it seemed to turn out fine, anyway. I ate a couple servings with only green onions as a topping… it was good, but for me it needed something “extra.” Tonight I dished out a portion, then added corn, cooked chicken breast, and a dash of cayenne. A little extra milk to thin it out a bit. Green onions & crumbled turkey bacon went on top. Voila! Chicken corn potato chowder. Very tasty! I also froze a couple portions to see how that works. A good, versatile recipe. Thanks!
Question: my potatoes are kind of old and some of the skins are dried out/are greenish underneath when peeled. Would the slow cooker soften them up or would it be better to peel them? I normally like to keep the skins off but don’t want them to be chewy.
I’d peel them to be safe!
Thanks! I used russet potatoes and peeled them, then used an immersion blender and a potato masher to get the consistency right. It thickens up as it cools down. Topped with bacon bits and green onions.
Can I use a bag of frozen hashbrowns instead of potatoes?
We haven’t tried those in this recipe, so unfortunately I’m not sure how they’d perform.
It’s been unusually cold here even for winter and I’ve been craving comfort food but haven’t had a lot of time to cook. This was perfect! Creamy, carby but not over the top. This is going into our rotation for sure.
Ok this recipe threw me for a loop. I thought a stalk of celery was the whole bunch so I literally bought two heads of celery. But the pictures only show two ribs of celery. Can you help me?
It’s two stalks celery, which are two individual ribs. :)
Thank you! :)
This was a great recipe. It tasted less like potato soup and more like carrot and celery soup, but it was still a great recipe. Husband even used the word “fantastic”. We like it saltier, so I added more salt than the recipe called for, despite the bouillon. :) the consistency is great too, although i used whole milk and two tablespoons of flour.
Thank you!!!
Love, love love this potato soup along with Beth and everything budget bytes. I didn’t have 6-8 hrs, so I made this on the stovetop as mentioned in another post. I cooked it for about an hour or so (added a bit more water because I kept getting sidetracked) and then added the milk/flour mixture and cooked for another 30-45 minutes per the recipe. I added a few pinches of red pepper flakes for heat and 2 TBSP of butter. You don’t need it at all, but I did top it with shredded sharp cheddar cheese and a few bacon bits – why not go all out ;)
Can you use cornstarch to thicken instead of flour to make it gluten free?
You can, but cornstarch does create a slightly different texture and appearance than flour when used for thickening. It looks more translucent and gel-like.
I made this in my Instant Pot and it was great! Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes then quick release. I used a hand mixer to make it smooth while it was still in the pot then added the milk and flour. Saute in the pot until it’s bubbling. Super easy and it made a ton of soup!
So my soup yield was much larger than I expected. Can I freeze the leftovers?
You definitely can!
Does this cook on “high” for 8 hours? Leaving it unattended, so I wanted to make sure.
Correct
I was wondering about this, too. 3 hours isn’t worth it to me to use the crockpot, but if I can leave it alone for an entire workday, it is.