Here’s a rich, creamy Slow Cooker Potato Soup loaded with tender potatoes, melted cheese, and crispy bacon. It’s the ultimate hands-off comfort food for chilly days.
Overview
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Prep time: 20 minutes
-
Cook time: 6-8 hours on LOW (or 3-4 hours on HIGH)
-
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the Soup Base
-
Potatoes: 1.2 kg (2.5 lbs) floury potatoes like Maris Piper or Russets, peeled and diced into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
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Onion: 1 large, finely diced
-
Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
-
Celery: 2 stalks, finely diced (optional, for depth)
-
Carrot: 1 medium, finely diced (optional, for subtle sweetness)
-
Chicken or vegetable broth: 750ml (3 cups) — just enough to cover the potatoes
-
Salt: 1 tsp
-
Black pepper: ½ tsp, freshly cracked
-
Dried thyme: ½ tsp
-
Bay leaf: 1
For Creaminess (added at the end)
-
Cream cheese: 120g (4 oz), softened and cut into cubes
-
Double cream or whole milk: 120ml (½ cup)
-
Sharp cheddar cheese: 150g (1½ cups), freshly grated, plus extra for topping
For the Toppings
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Bacon: 6-8 rashers, cooked until crisp and crumbled
-
Spring onions or chives: finely sliced
-
Sour cream: a generous dollop
-
Extra grated cheddar
-
Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
1. Load the Slow Cooker
Place the diced potatoes, onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in the slow cooker. Pour over the broth — it should just barely cover the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, dried thyme, and the bay leaf. Stir gently.
2. Slow Cook
Cover and cook:
-
LOW: 6-8 hours
-
HIGH: 3-4 hours
The potatoes should be very tender and practically falling apart when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaf.
3. Blend Partially for Texture
For a creamy-but-chunky texture, use a potato masher and mash directly in the slow cooker until about half the potatoes are broken down, leaving plenty of chunks. For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender and pulse a few times. Don’t over-blend or it can become gluey.
4. Make It Creamy
Switch to LOW or WARM. Stir in the softened cream cheese cubes until fully melted and incorporated. Pour in the double cream and add the grated cheddar a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning — potatoes absorb salt, so you may need more than you think.
5. Serve
Ladle into deep bowls. Pile on the crispy bacon crumbles, a sprinkle of extra cheddar, a scattering of spring onions, and a crack of black pepper. Add a dollop of sour cream if you like it extra rich.
Tips for the Perfect Potato Soup
-
Choose the right potato. Floury/starchy potatoes (Maris Piper, Russet, King Edward) break down beautifully and give you that creamy texture. Waxy potatoes (red-skinned, Charlotte) hold their shape and make a chunkier soup.
-
Don’t add dairy too early. Adding cream cheese and cream at the end prevents curdling and keeps the texture silky.
-
Avoid gluey soup. Over-blending potatoes can release too much starch and turn the soup gummy. A potato masher is your safest and best tool here.
-
Make it thicker: If the soup is thinner than you’d like, stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes. Alternatively, a handful of instant potato flakes stirred in works magic.
-
Vegetarian version: Use vegetable broth, skip the bacon, and top with crispy fried onions or smoked paprika for that savoury hit.
Variations
-
Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Fold in extra bacon, sour cream, and chives at the end and top just like a loaded jacket potato.
-
Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup: Add 2 cups of small broccoli florets during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking, then top with extra cheddar.
-
Spicy Southwest: Add a drained can of green chillies, 1 tsp cumin, and top with pickled jalapeños and pepper jack cheese.
Storage
-
Fridge: Keeps well for 4-5 days. The soup will thicken when cold; thin with a splash of milk or broth when reheating.
-
Freezer: Freeze without the cream and cheese for up to 3 months. Add fresh dairy when reheating for the best texture.
Here’s a rich, creamy Slow Cooker Potato Soup loaded with tender potatoes, melted cheese, and crispy bacon. It’s the ultimate hands-off comfort food for chilly days.
Overview
-
Prep time: 20 minutes
-
Cook time: 6-8 hours on LOW (or 3-4 hours on HIGH)
-
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
For the Soup Base
-
Potatoes: 1.2 kg (2.5 lbs) floury potatoes like Maris Piper or Russets, peeled and diced into 2cm (¾ inch) cubes
-
Onion: 1 large, finely diced
-
Garlic: 3 cloves, minced
-
Celery: 2 stalks, finely diced (optional, for depth)
-
Carrot: 1 medium, finely diced (optional, for subtle sweetness)
-
Chicken or vegetable broth: 750ml (3 cups) — just enough to cover the potatoes
-
Salt: 1 tsp
-
Black pepper: ½ tsp, freshly cracked
-
Dried thyme: ½ tsp
-
Bay leaf: 1
For Creaminess (added at the end)
-
Cream cheese: 120g (4 oz), softened and cut into cubes
-
Double cream or whole milk: 120ml (½ cup)
-
Sharp cheddar cheese: 150g (1½ cups), freshly grated, plus extra for topping
For the Toppings
-
Bacon: 6-8 rashers, cooked until crisp and crumbled
-
Spring onions or chives: finely sliced
-
Sour cream: a generous dollop
-
Extra grated cheddar
-
Freshly cracked black pepper
Method
1. Load the Slow Cooker
Place the diced potatoes, onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in the slow cooker. Pour over the broth — it should just barely cover the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, dried thyme, and the bay leaf. Stir gently.
2. Slow Cook
Cover and cook:
-
LOW: 6-8 hours
-
HIGH: 3-4 hours
The potatoes should be very tender and practically falling apart when pierced with a fork. Remove the bay leaf.
3. Blend Partially for Texture
For a creamy-but-chunky texture, use a potato masher and mash directly in the slow cooker until about half the potatoes are broken down, leaving plenty of chunks. For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender and pulse a few times. Don’t over-blend or it can become gluey.
4. Make It Creamy
Switch to LOW or WARM. Stir in the softened cream cheese cubes until fully melted and incorporated. Pour in the double cream and add the grated cheddar a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until smooth and velvety. Taste and adjust seasoning — potatoes absorb salt, so you may need more than you think.
5. Serve
Ladle into deep bowls. Pile on the crispy bacon crumbles, a sprinkle of extra cheddar, a scattering of spring onions, and a crack of black pepper. Add a dollop of sour cream if you like it extra rich.
Tips for the Perfect Potato Soup
-
Choose the right potato. Floury/starchy potatoes (Maris Piper, Russet, King Edward) break down beautifully and give you that creamy texture. Waxy potatoes (red-skinned, Charlotte) hold their shape and make a chunkier soup.
-
Don’t add dairy too early. Adding cream cheese and cream at the end prevents curdling and keeps the texture silky.
-
Avoid gluey soup. Over-blending potatoes can release too much starch and turn the soup gummy. A potato masher is your safest and best tool here.
-
Make it thicker: If the soup is thinner than you’d like, stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water and cook on HIGH for 15 minutes. Alternatively, a handful of instant potato flakes stirred in works magic.
-
Vegetarian version: Use vegetable broth, skip the bacon, and top with crispy fried onions or smoked paprika for that savoury hit.
Variations
-
Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Fold in extra bacon, sour cream, and chives at the end and top just like a loaded jacket potato.
-
Broccoli Cheddar Potato Soup: Add 2 cups of small broccoli florets during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking, then top with extra cheddar.
-
Spicy Southwest: Add a drained can of green chillies, 1 tsp cumin, and top with pickled jalapeños and pepper jack cheese.
Storage
-
Fridge: Keeps well for 4-5 days. The soup will thicken when cold; thin with a splash of milk or broth when reheating.
-
Freezer: Freeze without the cream and cheese for up to 3 months. Add fresh dairy when reheating for the best texture.
-