This Slow Cooker Potato Soup is a lightened-up version of a classic! This potato soup recipe only requires a couple of simple steps before simmering all day in a crockpot. You’d never guess this recipe is packed with veggies!

an overhead shot of creamy potato soup

 

Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Kid Friendly. This is the perfect kid-friendly soup. It is an absolutely delicious comfort food your kids will love, and you can even sneak in some vegetables!
  • Inexpensive. This recipe is full of pantry staples. If you don’t already have an ingredient on hand, it should be easy and inexpensive to pick up at the grocery store.
  • Easy. Crockpot Potato Soup only requires a couple simple steps then you will just let it simmer all day in the slow cooker!

Recipe Ingredients

As always, this is a quick overview of the ingredients used in this recipe! For the complete, printable recipe card scroll to the bottom. 

  • Vegetables: Russet Potatoes, carrots, celery onion, and garlic
  • Chicken broth: use good quality chicken stock for the best flavor. Vegetable broth is also an excellent option.
  • Cream cheese, Heavy Cream and Sour Cream: helps create the creamy, delicious texture and flavor
  • Shredded sharp cheddar cheese: White cheddar would also work well with this recipe
  • Spices: garlic powder, Italian seasoning, thyme, salt and pepper
a black bowl full of cheesy potato soup with bacon on top

What Are the Best Potatoes for Potato Soup? 

  • Russet: I prefer Russet potatoes because they are high in starch and low in moisture. This creates a rich, ultra-thick, and creamy potato soup. 
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes: This is also a great option. The flavor is perfect for potato soup, but it does have more moisture so that the end consistency can be a little less predictable than with Russet.

How to Make Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker

In addition to the ingredients listed above, you will need a crock pot or slow cooker as well as a blender. I used an immersion blender, but you could ladle it into a normal blender if that’s best for you. This crockpot creamy potato soup is a breeze to make! Here’s an overview of the process: 

  1. Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh thyme leaves, garlic powder, and black pepper to your slow cooker. Top with the broth.
  2. Cover and slow cook for 3-4 hours on high, or until the potatoes are fork tender. 
  3. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth, then whisk in the shredded cheese, heavy cream, cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and the cheese is melted and well combined. 
  4. Serve garnished with bacon and more thyme to taste if desired.
vegetables in a slow cooker for potato soup
vegetables and broth in the slow cooker for potato soup
potato soup being blended in a slow cooker
cheese added to a slow cooker for cheesy crockpot potato soup

Toppings

This is a great recipe to customize with your personal preference of toppings! It can add a nice twist to the flavor and textures–We recommend setting up a toppings station so everyone can personalize their potato soup! Here are some of my favorites:

  • Bacon, crispy ham, pork belly
  • Crumbled or shredded cheese (cheddar, parmesan, asiago, etc.)
  • Sour cream or plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt
  • Chop chives, green onions, or parsley and add them to the creamy soup.
a close up of creamy potato soup with bacon

Storage and Reheating Instructions:

  • Freezer Storage: Because this slow cooker potato soup contains shredded cheese and cream cheese, I don’t recommend freezing it. It’d likely develop a grainy texture once frozen and reheated. 
  • You could definitely cook the soup, then cool and freeze BEFORE adding the cream cheese and shredded cheese, though! When ready to serve, just thaw, warm in the crock pot, add your additional ingredients, and blend!
  • Refrigerator Storage: Allow to cool completely. Then, you could store this recipe in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating:This potato soup recipe is super easy to warm up. If you have a lot to warm up, you could put it right back into the crockpot. Then let it slowly warm up over an hour, occasionally stirring.
  • If you need it warm quicker, you can easily microwave bowls in 30-second increments, stirring between bursts so it warms evenly. You could also warm it in a stockpot on the stove.

Tips

  • For a creamy potato soup, be sure to peel the potatoes before cooking them. Otherwise you’ll wind up with pieces of skin in the soup (which I don’t mind, but some people do!). 
  • Soften: allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before adding it to the soup. That will allow it to blend much easier.
  • Consistency: Puree this soup all the way or leave it chunky. Up to you! 
  • To control sodium you can use low sodium chicken broth.
Can I thicken this soup?

If using Russet potatoes you should not need to thicken this soup, but if you use a different potato with a higher moisture content or if you overblend your soup you can easily thicken this soup by mixing 1/4 cup cold water with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
Wisk the mixture together and pour into the slow cooker. The mixture will slowly thicken.

Is this soup gluten-free?

Yes, other soups do require flour, this one doesn’t. It is naturally gluten free as written.

Can I make this on the stovetop?

I have a different recipe for Loaded Baked Potato Soup that is made without a slow cooker. It has the perfect creamy texture you will love.

creamy potato soup in a black bowl with a side of cooked bacon

More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes: 

a black bowl full of cheesy potato soup with bacon on top

Get the Recipe: Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 hours
Total: 8 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 6
Author: Annie Holmes
Slow Cooker Potato Soup that is perfectly creamy, cheesy and easy! This simple soup recipe is packed with sneaky vegetables that you don't even notice!
4.75 from 4 ratings
Print Leave a Review Pin Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 2 pounds Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered (peeled if desired)
  • 2 medium size carrots, quartered
  • 3 celery stalks,, quartered
  • 4 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 1 small onion, white or yellow chopped
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
  • 2 teasponns fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 cups chicken broth, (32 ounce package)
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups shredded cheddar
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup sour cream

Toppings

  • 8 slices bacon, cooked until crisp
  • shredded cheddar, if desired

Instructions
 

  • Add the potatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, fresh thyme leaves, garlic powder, and black pepper to your slow cooker.
  • Top with the broth.
  • Cover and slow cook for 3-4 hours on high, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  • Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth, then whisk in the shredded cheese, heavy cream, cream cheese and sour cream until smooth and the cheese is melted and well combined.
  • Serve garnished with bacon and more thyme to taste if desired.

Notes

  • Please see post instructions (just above this recipe card for instructions) to thicken the soup if desired.
  • If the soup is too thick for your preference simply add 1 cup of chicken stock to thin. 
Serving: 1 0.5 cups, Calories: 340kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 13.7g, Fat: 23g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 1100mg, Fiber: 2.5g, Sugar: 4.8g
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