Slow cooker potato soup is thick, creamy, and tastes just like a loaded baked potato in the form of a warm and cozy soup! With just a few minutes of prep to sauté bacon and chop the potatoes (you don’t even need to peel them), it’s the crockpot that does all the work!
Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Zoup! Good, Really Good® provided me with product for the purpose of this post, as well as compensation for my time. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.
It’s soup season! But really, is it ever not soup season? I use my slow cooker for soups all year long.
I’ve made a potato and cauliflower soup on the stovetop and it’s amazing, but there’s just something about walking away and not having to watch over the stove that is a bonus to me.
Most busy parents probably feel the same, which is why crockpot chicken tortilla soup and minestrone in the slow cooker are so popular!
This hearty, wholesome, creamy potato soup is unbelievably simple to throw together.
It’s an easy recipe made with potatoes, heavy cream, melty cheese, a healthy bone broth filled with nutrients and so much flavor, and of course the smoky, salty bacon we all love.
Enjoy with your favorite toppings or a slice of crusty bread and dinner is served!
Why you’ll love this easy crockpot potato soup recipe
Comfort food – Looking forward to a hot bowl of soup is what makes coming in from a chilly day even better! It’s a great way to end a long day.
Minimal Effort – Serve a large crowd with just minutes of prep time and let the slow cooker do the rest. Having a family-style meal has never been easier.
So much flavor – If you love the flavors of a loaded baked potato or loaded baked potato dip you’re going to love this soup!
Can freeze leftovers – Make more than you need and freeze some. Fill the freezer of a neighbor or friend, or save it for when you need a meal in a hurry.
Equipment you’ll need
- Slow Cooker – This is my slow cooker of choice, you can read my full review here.
- Ladle – I’ve had this silicone ladle forever.
- Potato Masher – I like some texture in my potato soup so I use a potato masher instead of an immersion blender. If you like a smoother soup, you can use the blender.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Bacon – Chopped bacon. Pick up naturally smoked, or regular bacon. Just make sure it’s not maple flavored otherwise your soup will taste funny. We use it in the soup but also reserve some for extra topping as well. Turkey bacon will work as well, you’ll just have a different flavor.
- Potatoes – I find the best potatoes for this soup to be Russet potatoes. They’re not waxy but have a great starchy creamy balance. It’s up to you whether or not to peel them. It’s great either way. If leaving the peel on, make sure to scrub them clean and pat them dry.
- Garlic & Onion – The aromatics that work together to create a delicious layer of flavor. Garlic, onion, and bacon together are no joke! It’s the best!
- ZOUP! Chicken Bone Broth – I use Zoup! Good, Really Good® Chicken Bone Broth. It is low in calories and made with the finest ingredients while being free of artificial ingredients, preservatives, gluten, GMOs, and fats.
- Salt & Pepper – A bit of seasoning to taste. Unlike baking, you can always adjust the amount of seasoning to your liking.
- Thyme – A fantastic herb that always pairs well with potatoes. It’s a vibrant way to lighten up this otherwise heavy soup.
- Cream Cheese – Cut into cubes, you want to use the cream cheese from a block if you can. The spreadable kind contains more water which can affect the consistency of your soup. This is what adds a smooth, thick, and creamy consistency to every spoonful.
- Heavy Cream – Used for adding richness and more creamy texture to slow cooker potato soup.
- Optional Toppings – I love extra cheese, crispy bacon, sour cream, and chives for the toppings.
How to make Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- STEP ONE: Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crispy. It makes its own grease so no need to add any oil first. Once it’s cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb the grease.
- STEP TWO: Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place them in the crockpot along with the cooked bacon, garlic, onion, bone broth, salt, pepper, and thyme.
- STEP THREE: Cover with the lid and set it to cook on high for 3.5 hours or low for 6 hours.
- STEP FOUR: Once the cooking time is up, remove the lid and use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes. Don’t worry if your soup looks liquidy. Once the potatoes are mashed it will help to thicken it up.
- STEP FIVE: Stir in the cream cheese and heavy cream then cover with a lid and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. The cheese should be fully melted into the soup by then.
- STEP SIX: Ladle into bowls and top with cheddar cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream.
What to serve with Slow Cooker Potato Soup
This soup is a completely satisfying and filling meal all on its own, so when it comes to sides, I keep it light. A chopped veggie side salad and 1 hour dinner rolls are all it needs!
If I’m in the mood to do some extra baking, I’ll sometimes swap the rolls for rosemary and olive oil bread or homemade honey cornbread.
For a fun family night, sometimes we’ll put together a DIY potato soup bar and set out everyone’s favorite toppings. Each person will ladle out their soup and top it how they like it!
Tips & Suggestions 🥔
- Yukon Gold or red potatoes work just as well as Russets. You can use either one or any combination!
- Peel the potatoes if you have anyone in your life that is finicky about texture.
- Heavy cream at the end is optional. You can also use whole milk, evaporated milk, or skip it altogether.
- For extra protein, use Greek yogurt as a topping instead of sour cream.
- Adjust the soup consistency to your liking. Use the potato masher if you like a bit of texture to your soup. If you prefer a smoother finish, use an immersion blender. Just be careful not to overmix, otherwise, it may become “gluey.”
How to reheat and store Slow Cooker Potato Soup
How to store leftovers
Once cooled, cover any leftovers in an airtight container.
How long will loaded potato soup last in the fridge?
It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze potato soup?
You can keep it frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight freezer container (or bag).
Keep in mind, the consistency and texture of the soup will change once it’s been thawed. Potato isn’t known for its amazing freezing properties. It will still taste great though and you can always adjust the consistency again.
How to reheat crockpot potato soup?
If you are reheating a single serving, pop it in the microwave. Otherwise, the stovetop on medium-low will do the trick.
Zoup! Good, Really Good® Chicken Bone Broth
The key to amazing soup is starting with a good base. I used Zoup! Good, Really Good® Chicken Bone Broth, which isn’t your ordinary chicken broth.
- It was developed by the 20+ year soup industry veteran behind Zoup! Eatery (they know soup! Have you tried the chicken pot pie? You should.)
- The broth is kettle cooked in small batches using the freshest ingredients which gives it a homemade taste and balanced flavor.
- No artificial ingredients, preservatives, gluten, GMOs, or fat…just a lot of good flavor.
- It’s packaged in recyclable glass jars and can be found at retailers across the country and Amazon.com.
- The Zoup! Good, Really Good® Broth lineup includes original and low sodium chicken broth, veggie broth, chicken and beef bone broth, seafood broth, spicy chicken bone broth (I have ideas for this one!), plus certified organic chicken and veggie broth.
- Zoup! is also introducing Culinary Concentrates™, a super-premium, gourmet broth concentrate lineup available in chicken, beef and savory vegan.
- In addition, the brand has introduced gourmet, shelf-stable soups available in chef-inspired recipes, including Chicken & Riced Cauliflower, Butternut Squash with Brown Butter and Sage, Spicy Chicken ‘Chilada™, Tomato Bisque, and Garden Vegetable.
FAQs
Does potato soup need blending?
Actually, no! It’s popular as a thick and creamy soup, but it’s not written in stone that you have to blend it. If you prefer a thinner broth with chunks of potato, go ahead and leave it as is.
Can I use a blender to puree the soup?
Definitely. An immersion blender is great because you don’t have to transfer the soup, but a blender works too!
Ladle the soup into your blender (you may need to work in batches) and puree until desired consistency has been reached. It’s hot, so be careful of splatter and steam!
What potatoes are best to use for potato soup?
It’s all a personal preference. Red potatoes and Yukon Gold potatoes lend a buttery creamier texture.
Russets are great too because they are also creamier with a side of fluffy.
If you’re not peeling them, I suggest going with the red or Yukon Golds because their skins are thinner, more delicate, and easier to disappear into the soup.
Need more slow cooker soup recipes? Try these:
Leftover Slow Cooker Turkey Noodle Soup
Slow Cooker Cheesy Ham & Potato Soup
Click here for my entire collection of soup recipes.
Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 2 pounds russet potatoes approx. 5 potatoes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 32 ounces Zoup! Good, Really Good® Chicken Bone Broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 4 ounces cream cheese cubed
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- shredded cheddar optional topping
- chives optional topping
- crisp bacon pieces optional topping
- sour cream optional topping
Instructions
- To a large skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and move to a paper towel lined plate to absorb any excess grease. Reserve some for topping the soup, if desired.
- Scrub the potatoes, pat dry, and cut into approximately 1" cubes. If you don't care for peel, peel them.
- Place the cubed potatoes, cooked bacon, minced garlic, diced onion, chicken bone broth, salt, pepper, and thyme to the slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3.5 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
- Remove cover and use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes (leave as much texture as you prefer).
- Stir in cubed cream cheese and heavy cream. Stir and replace cover for 30 more minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and top with bacon pieces, sour cream, shredded cheddar, and chives.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Yum yum and yum!! Even the kids loved it. We are keeping this one.
yay 🙂 Thanks, Jennie!
So easy and delicious! I love the richness that the cream cheese adds!
So happy I found this recipe, it’s mu son’s favorite and he is sick. Totally made his day. He loved it!
Followed this recipe exactly and it was a huge success! The potato soup was thick, creamy and so yummy, also easy to make using the slow cooker!