This recipe for crockpot potato soup is made simply in your slow cooker and thickened with a bacon and cheese sauce made in under five minutes on the stovetop. Made completely from scratch without canned soup or cream cheese, it is thick, creamy, and packed with loaded baked potato flavor.
In testing how to make the perfect creamy potato soup recipe in a slow cooker, I decided to combine two methods from two of my most popular soup recipes: my slow cooker broccoli cheddar soup and my New England clam chowder. The chowder uses fat rendered from bacon to make a roux which thickens the soup. The broccoli cheddar soup cooks the base of the soup in the slow cooker and then adds a creamy roux at the end to bring the whole thing together.
In this recipe, we are making a roux on the stovetop near the end of the soup’s cook time using fat rendered from bacon. Then we mix in cream and shredded cheese and add it all back to the crockpot. The result is a silky smooth and creamy potato soup that you will want to make again and again.
If you love this recipe but want to make a stovetop spin on it, you could make my creamy potato soup with bacon or my ham and potato soup.
So delicious!!! 10/10 recommend! Even my VERY picky son loved it, he even had seconds! Absolutely the best potato soup I’ve had! I’m looking forward to doubling the recipe to serve to my family coming for the holidays! Thank you for sharing!
Why This Recipe Works
- Made completely from scratch: No canned soup or cream cheese.
- Filled with flavor: The base of the roux is formed with bacon grease instead of butter.
- Thick and creamy: Russet potatoes and the roux give the soup a creamy texture without making it gluey.
- Flexible cooking time: The soup can be cooked on high for three hours or on low for six hours.
- Loaded baked potato flavor: Bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onions give the soup that classic loaded potato flavor.
Ingredients and Notes
- Russet potatoes: Their high starch content helps give this soup its thick, creamy texture You could also use Yukon Gold potatoes.
- Chicken broth: This can be made with 4 – 6 cups chicken broth. Four cups of broth give you a thick soup, while six cups of broth make a thinner soup.
- Bacon: Not only does it add flavor to the soup, but we use the rendered fat to make a roux, which gives the soup its thick, creamy texture without needing canned cream soup.
- Flour: Combines with the bacon fat to make a roux.
- Heavy cream: Adds a smooth, rich consistency to the soup base.
- Cheddar cheese: Freshly grated from a block of cheese will melt and taste much better than pre-shredded cheese.
How to Make Potato Soup in the Crockpot
- Combine the potatoes, onion, chicken broth, salt, and pepper in the slow cooker and cook on low for six hours or on high for three hours.
- Towards the end of the soup’s cooking time, in a saucepan on the stovetop, cook some diced bacon. Once crispy, leave the bacon and rendered fat in the pan. They will be used to make the roux.
- Whisk the flour into the cooked bacon and fat. Slowly add the cooking liquid from the slow cooker.
- Add cream and shredded cheese to the roux. Doing this on the stovetop will melt the cheese quickly. Then add the roux back to the slow cooker.
- Use an immersion blender to blend just until the soup becomes smooth being careful not to over-blend.
How to Make Crockpot Potato Soup Thick and Creamy
The key to a perfect creamy soup is a roux, a thickening mixture made from fat and flour. Cooking the flour in the rendered bacon fat allows it to combine smoothly with the broth, thickening the soup without lumps while adding extra bacon flavor.
Potatoes for Potato Soup
This soup calls for Russet potatoes. Their high starch content helps give the soup its creamy texture, especially if you blend or mash the potatoes at the end. You could also use Yukon Gold potatoes, which have a buttery texture and tend to hold their shape a little better if you prefer chunks of potato in your soup.
Keep in mind that the smaller you dice the potatoes, the quicker they will cook. If you like chunks of potato in your potato soup, consider the size of potato you prefer in each bite. For either type of potato, the pieces should be fork-tender before you finish the soup. Since slow cookers can vary, be sure to check that your potatoes can be easily mashed with a fork before adding the roux.
Tips and Substitutions
- Cut the potatoes evenly: Cut your potatoes into approximately 1 1/2-inch cubes so they cook at the same rate. Larger pieces may take longer to become fork-tender.
- Make a vegetarian potato soup: Use vegetable broth as the soup base and butter to make your roux instead of bacon grease. Instead of cooking bacon, melt a little less than two tablespoons of butter in the stockpot and continue with the recipe as written.
- Save some of the bacon: Make extra bacon and set it aside for garnishing your soup.
FAQ
This is a thick, creamy soup when made with four cups of broth. If you want a thinner soup, I would use six cups of chicken broth.
I love the smooth texture that blended potato soup gives. If you like chunks of potato in your soup, you can skip blending it or use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired thickness.
Storing Leftovers
This soup makes great leftovers. In fact some readers have told me it is even better the next day. Store in your refrigerator in an airtight container for three to four days. When you want to reheat, take out the portion you plan on eating and heat over very low heat, stirring often so the soup doesn’t separate.
Freezing
Cream-based soups are not my favorite to freeze. That being said, it can be done. Once the soup has cooled completely, transfer it to a container with room for the soup to expand. Freeze it for up to three months. When you are ready to eat it, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat over low heat on the stovetop, stirring often.
Reheating Leftovers
Reheat leftover potato soup at a low temperature so that it doesn’t separate. Either cook it covered in the microwave at half power, stirring halfway through, or cook it over very low heat on the stovetop, stirring often. Add some broth or milk to thin the soup, as it may thicken as it sits. Remember that leftovers should never be reheated more than once.
What to Serve with Potato Soup
If you make this crockpot potato soup or any of my other recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you.
Recipe Video
Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes peeled and diced into approximately 1 1/2 inch cubes (680.4 grams)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 4 cups chicken broth see note (907 grams or 946.4 ml)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt or 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices thick cut bacon diced
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (40 grams)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (113.5 grams or 118.3 ml)
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded, plus more for serving (113 grams)
- sour cream (optional for serving)
- green onions (optional for serving)
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, combine the potatoes, onion, chicken broth, salt, and pepper.1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, 1 medium yellow onion, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours.
- When there are only 15 minutes left of cooking time, make a roux on the stovetop to help thicken the soup. Start by crisping bacon in a small stockpot over medium heat. As the bacon cooks, remove 2 cups of cooking liquid from the slow cooker. Once the bacon is crispy, whisk flour into the bacon grease and diced bacon, and continue mixing until no streaks of white flour remain.4 slices thick cut bacon, 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- Very slowly stir in the cooking liquid from the crock pot. Once it is completely added, stir in the heavy cream and the cheese. Stir until the cheese is fully melted. Add the creamy mixture into the slow cooker.1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 cup cheddar cheese
- Use an immersion blender to blend just until the soup becomes smooth, being careful not to over-blend. Alternatively, use a potato masher to reach your desired thickness or leave the potatoes whole. Serve with sour cream and green onions on top, and enjoy!sour cream, green onions
Notes
jessie says
hi i misread chicken stock and used chicken broth instead is that okay? it has already been in the crockpot for 30 minutes and i used 4 cups of chicken broth.
I use them interchangeably in recipes all the time, you should be good to go!
Mary says
I can’t use chicken stock or broth due to allergies. Can I use vegetable broth instead or will it not be as good?thank you.
Absolutely!
Brianna says
Can I just pour the heavy cream and cheese in? I would like to cook my bacon in the oven?
The fat rendered from the bacon is what makes the roux, the thickening agent of the soup. So without that you aren’t going to get the creaminess you see here.
Ashley says
Do you have to mash the potatoes? I usually leave them cut up in the soup. Will the roux be enough to still yield a thicker consistency?
If you don’t mash them, it won’t be as creamy but it will still be creamy.
Jill says
Have you ever frozen it?
This soup can be frozen, but when you thaw it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, and then heat it over low heat, stirring often.
Amanda says
I added some extra bacon -!; wowza it was good! I will say it’s almost mush consistency with 4c stock. I will probably add a bit more next time for a bit more of a soup feel! Will most certainly be baking this again!
I’m glad you liked it!
Nancy Robinson says
Whyy not leave the potatoes diced and not mashed. Mom never mashed hers. Always left then diced.
It’s just a matter of personal preference.
Marissa says
I’d love to try this recipe but wondering if I can use an alternative to the bacon like Turkey bacon? I don’t eat any pork products. Any help is appreciated ☺️
You could use turkey bacon, but you will need to add some butter so that you have enough fat to make a roux before adding the flour.
Staci says
Some of the best potato soup i have ever made. I did not use bacon, i just used the chicken base. This will be my go recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Staci!
Nancy says
I really enjoy your site and have made many of your recipes. All of which have been successful. My only issue is the ads that make it almost impossible to see the recipes. They pop up and cover everything. I try to X out and they are so small, often I end up going to that site.
The ads shouldn’t be covering any of the content. I’ll be sure to mention this to the company that runs my ads so that they can take al look at it.