Slow Cooker Potato Soup

This creamy, rich slow cooker potato soup with a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme simmers in the crock-pot throughout the day, until you are ready to eat. I’ve been calling this my “Busy Day Potato Soup” for years.

This Slow Cooker Potato Soup can be assembled and started in the crock-pot anytime from 5-10 hours before you want to eat.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

As long as there are potatoes in the house, this crock-pot potato soup is perfect for days when you know that you will be occupied during the afternoon and you don’t want to fuss with dinner.

This is a classic creamy potato soup recipe that’s ready with just a few minutes of active time in the kitchen from you. The soup itself cooks in the slow cooker while you go about your busy day.

With the nights getting a little nippier lately, I’m so excited to bring this soup into our wintertime dinner rotation again. It’s so nice to end a busy day of working and running around with a big steaming bowl of comforting potato soup.

I’m forever grateful that my slow cooker lets me cook delicious homemade dinners from scratch even when days are busy and I hardly have any time to step into the kitchen.

Crockpot Potato Soup

Do you like potato soups? I can’t get enough of them, especially when the weather is cooler. We love a bowl of good soup for dinner but I also find myself keeping individual portions stored in the fridge and freezer anytime someone needs a quick meal.

Since I almost always have a bag of potatoes on hand in my pantry, potato soups are a no-brainer when I need an easy dinner idea.

I’ve been making this potato soup recipe along with my Loaded Baked Potato Soup in the crock-pot for years now and they always turn out well. You might also like this dairy-free Creamy Cauliflower Potato Soup and this Green Chile Chicken and Potato Soup.

If you like thick and creamy soups, check out this Broccoli Cheddar Soup (with REAL bacon) by A Farm Girl Dabbles. Fifteen Spatulas’ Butternut Squash Soup looks amazing for the fall as well.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup Recipe

This simple no-frills slow cooker creamy potato soup comes together in just a couple of steps. First, chunks of Yukon potatoes cook in the crockpot with onions, broth, and seasonings.

I’ve made this soup with both vegetable broth for a vegetarian version and chicken stock, and both versions are delicious.

Once the potatoes are tender and cooked through, you mash some of them with a potato masher, add flour and cream to the soup and cook just a little bit longer. You wind up with a creamy soup with a few chunky bites of potato in every spoonful.

PLEASE NOTE that ground rosemary is very important in this recipe because larger dried rosemary pieces will not soften in the soup. You don’t want big pieces of rosemary in each spoonful of creamy soup.

I use this slow-cooker and this potato masher for this recipe. The beauty of this soup is that it can be ready in just 5 hours or left to cook for up to 10 hours and it always turns out beautifully. Just be sure to set your slow cooker to the “low” setting if you’ll be opting for a longer cook time.

Potato Soup Toppings

Potato soup tastes so good on its own, but you can also top it with shredded cheese, chives, parsley, or crumbled bacon. Depending on my mood, I serve this soup with plenty of toppings or with nothing else at all.

It works well as a meal on its own and it’s also great with crusty chunks of bread for dipping and a salad on the side. I can also imagine homemade soup croutons working well.

Any leftover soup keeps well in the fridge for several days and in the freezer for several weeks.

For even more great ideas for slow cooker main dishes, check out {Slow-Cooker} Italian Red Wine Roast Beef and this Crock-Pot Balsamic Brown Sugar Pork Roast.

For slow cooker side dishes, tryRudy’s Slow-Cooker Creamed Corn and Slow Cooker Mexican Baked Beans.

Did you know you can also make breakfast in the slow cooker? Slow Cooker Cranberry Almond Oatmeal is an easy breakfast recipe you need in your life. Can you tell I REALLY love my slow cooker?

Choosing a Slow Cooker

Slow cookers or crockpots are an appliance of which I have more than one. If you are an avid slow cooker user like I am, you might understand the need for more than one. So, let’s talk about my favorites:

First up is this 6-quart slow cooker that has a locking lid. These crockpots are fantastic for transporting foods. Mine has gone everywhere from church potlucks to barbecues, game nights to Thanksgiving dinner. However, fair warning, these slow cookers run crazy hot. Low is closer to a boil than a simmer, the warm setting actually simmers. So trust me when I say HIGH is high.

My everyday slow cooker is this 8-quart Crockpot. It’s my go-to appliance for cooking large roasts and big batches of chili. Fun fact: did you know that a full 4-quart cooker, actually cooks more slowly than a half-full 8-quart cooker?

For just cooking a few pounds of chicken to shred for enchiladas or other smaller recipes, this 3-quart version is perfect.

Thanksgiving has become a breeze since I have mastered how to hold all of the side dishes using these medium-sized round slow cookers.

If you aren’t a fan of the idea of keeping more than one slow cooker in the house, these CrockPockets are a game-changer when it comes to preparing and holding multiple dishes at the same time. They slide into a standard 6-quart crockpot, dividing it into two sections that are perfect for serving different side dishes or keeping taco fillings warm for parties.

Print

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Slow Cooker Potato Soup is perfect for the days when you just don't have time to cook at night.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 hours

Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes

Servings 5 servings

Calories 412kcal

Ingredients

• 3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes peeled and chopped into 3/4″-1″ pieces, about 7-8 cups worth
• 1 small yellow onion diced small
• 3 large cloves of garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ – 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon crushed thyme
• ½ teaspoon ground rosemary*
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock or 6 cups water, plus 2 tablespoons chicken or vegetable base
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour**
• 1 cup half and half, heavy cream, or milk

Optional Toppings

• shredded cheese
• crumbled bacon
• green onions or chives
• parsley

Instructions

• Turn the crock-pot onto HIGH or LOW and place the potatoes, onion, garlic, spices and stock in the pot. Stir to combine and cover with a lid. On HIGH, it should take between 3-4 hours for the potatoes to soften, on LOW, it should take from 8-10 hours.
• When the potatoes are just barely soft enough to slide off of a fork, scoop out about ½ cup of the broth and set aside. Mash the cooked potatoes gently, just to break up the bigger pieces and slightly thicken the soup.
• Whisk ¼ cup of flour into the reserved broth until it is smooth. Stir in 1 cup of half and half (or heavy cream, if you have it) and whisk again for a moment until it is smooth again. Pour this into the crock-pot and reduce the heat to LOW. Let it cook at least an hour, stirring once or twice.
• I’ve also let this soup cook up to an additional 2 hours (provided it is on LOW after adding the cream) and then unplugged the crockpot and uncovered it and waited as much as another hour to serve it. This is a very flexible soup and it holds quite well until you are ready to serve it.
• When the soup has thickened and is warm throughout it is ready. If desired, serve with the toppings of your choice.

Notes

My personal preference for this recipe is heavy cream, but it also works well with half and half or milk. I typically use whatever I have on hand.

*Ground rosemary is very important in this recipe because the larger dried rosemary pieces will not soften in the soup. You won’t want big pieces of rosemary in each spoonful of creamy soup.

**Brown rice flour may be substituted for the all-purpose flour in this recipe for a gluten-free variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1380mg | Potassium: 1568mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 3mg

{originally published 11/22/13 – recipe notes and photos updated 12/26/22}

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