If decadence is what you’re after, this soup hits the spot! Slow Cooker Potato Soup checks all the boxes for rich, hearty, and creamy soup that fills you up. Customize your bowl with all your favorite potato toppings – a win for everyone!

Slow Cooker Potato Soup served with bacon and chives toppings

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What’s To Love About This Recipe

This soup is creamy and flavorful, which appeals to most people – even those who are picky about soups! My kids are known to ask for this soup on repeat.
If you love loaded baked potatoes, this soup is a near match. Except it’s much simpler to prepare to feed a crowd! You can make a large batch of soup, and everyone can add their own toppings, such as crumbled bacon, cheese, and green onions.
With the slow cooker, you don’t have to spend 30 minutes to an hour carefully simmering potatoes on the stove. Just add your chopped and peeled potatoes and let them cook for as little as 2 hours on high or even up to 7 hours on low.
For a thick, hearty, and oh-so-tasty soup, this recipe is an economical one! I use russet potatoes, which are easy to buy in bulk. Make Slow Cooker Potato Soup for just a weeknight dinner or an event or gathering alongside a topping bar!

Ingredients Needed

Potatoes – Russet potatoes work the best for this type of potato soup because they break down slightly during cooking and thicken the soup. Russets have a rougher, starchy texture that adds to the base, whereas if you use something like a Yukon gold potato, you will have a thinner broth. I prefer to peel my russet potatoes, but you can also leave the skin on.
Broth – You have the option of using either chicken broth or vegetable broth to create a flavorful base. A bone broth would provide added protein and nutrients!
Flour – Use flour to create a slurry when mixed with water. This slurry will thicken the soup base to make it nice and smooth.
Seasonings – A combination of dried herbs and salt creates a light flavor that will pair with any toppings. Combine some dried dill, dried thyme, dried rosemary, and salt, and add to the slow cooker with the potatoes and liquid.
Heavy cream – Ahhh, the heavy cream! This is the key to the creamy broth and achieving the comfort-food level of decadence that you want!
Turkey bacon – Cook and crumble 4 slices of turkey bacon to sprinkle across individual bowls. I like using turkey bacon because it is a bit lighter and less greasy than pork bacon, and it provides a nice balance to the hearty soup.
Green onions – Chop some green onions to add a fresh burst of flavor to the soup. Add right before serving.
Shredded cheddar cheese – A sprinkle of shredded cheese tops it all off! I love a nice medium or sharp cheddar. If time allows, opt for shredding your own fresh from the block since it will melt the best this way.

Potatoes, spices, flour, shredded cheese, chives, bacon, broth ingredients on counter

How To Make Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Peel and cut the potatoes into cubes and add them to the slow cooker along with the broth.

Diced potatoes in slow cooker with broth being poured inside

Mix flour with 1/4 cup water until the mixture is smooth and add it to the broth.

Flour and liquid being stirred with whisk in small bowl

Add seasonings and salt, and stir to combine.

Slow cooker with potatoes and broth inside of slow cooker with spices and seasonings poured on top

Liquid and diced potatoes with seasonings all stirred together in slow cooker

Cover and cook on low for 5-7 hours or high for 2-4 hours until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in cream and add additional salt or seasonings to taste.

Diced potatoes, broth, and seasoning mixture with heavy cream being poured inside of slow cooker

Top bowls of soup with crumbled bacon, green onions, and cheese, or as desired.

Potato Soup with shredded cheese, chives, and bacon toppings in bowls next to slow cooker

Pro Tips

Be sure to dice potatoes in similar sizes to ensure they will cook evenly. You can cut them to the size you prefer – smaller bite sizes are usually easier to eat in soup (especially for kids). If you leave larger chunks, just break them apart with your spoon if you prefer.
Keep in mind that the larger the potato pieces, the longer they will need to cook.
If you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender or a potato masher to reduce and blend the potato pieces.
Freshly shredded cheese from the block will melt the best since it is free of any additives or preservatives.
Using a slow cooker with an auto-switch to warm is really helpful for this type of soup recipe.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations

The best home-cooking recipes are the ones that you can adapt to what you have on hand! If you need to make any ingredient swaps in this potato soup recipe, check this list for ideas:

Fresh potatoes – I highly recommend using russet potatoes for the best result texture-wise. Yukon gold potatoes are another option, but you will have a thinner broth. It will also be delicious, but different than the pictured results.
Frozen potatoes – You can use frozen cubed potatoes, but they won’t necessarily have the same texture as fresh. In my opinion, they don’t work in this recipe as well. I would not recommend using any shredded frozen potatoes.
Cheese – Feel free to try different cheeses, such as Colby Jack, pepper Jack, or shredded parmesan.
Gluten-free – Make this a gluten-free recipe with an all-purpose gluten-free flour.
Vegetarian – Leave the turkey bacon topping out and use a vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Extras – Add in extra protein such as cooked cubed chicken or ham, or cooked ground sausage.

It’s a given that this recipe won’t be calorie-light, but if you want to make a few changes to lighten it, try:

swapping the heavy cream for half and half or fat-free half and half
reducing the amount of flour for a thinner base.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup cooking in slow cooker and being stirred

How To Serve Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Serve up a bowl of hot potato soup with all the toppings you like! In addition to shredded cheese, bacon, and onions, you could also customize your bowl with even more options, such as:

A spoonful of sour cream or Greek yogurt
A bit of crushed red pepper
Finely chopped steamed or roasted broccoli florets

Add some crackers, a slice of fresh bread, or a toasty dinner roll to dip in the soup. To round out the meal, add a fresh side salad or a roasted vegetable. Lemon Pepper Roasted Asparagus or Oven Roasted Carrots would be great options to make while the soup finishes cooking.

Storing and Reheating

Store leftover potato soup in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat by microwaving for short intervals or in a saucepan on the stove. Store the toppings separately from the soup and add to individual servings when reheated.

This is NOT a recipe you’ll want to freeze due to the potatoes and dairy content. Potatoes discolor when frozen after cooking, and the dairy will separate. Enjoy this easy soup fresh from the slow cooker or reheated from the fridge!