By Becky Hardin
Published Oct 26, 2023
This Crockpot Potato Soup recipe is so easy, creamy, and comforting! This healthier potato soup uses lighter ingredients without sacrificing taste. Prep, throw everything in the slow cooker, and go about your day. It’ll be ready for dinner, loaded with flavor!
What’s in this Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe?
This easy crockpot potato soup recipe uses lighter versions of typical ingredients to make it just a little bit healthier, while still being super creamy, cheesy, and delicious. It’s such a comforting dinner!
- Potatoes: Yukon gold potatoes are best for potato soup because they hold up best while creating a creamy texture. You could also use Russet potatoes.
- Broth: Low-sodium chicken broth creates the soup base.
- Carrots: Peeled and sliced carrots add some hearty texture and healthy nutrients.
- Cheese: Cheddar tastes best in this soup. I recommend using a low-fat shredded cheese, and shredding your own will create the best texture for melting.
- Garlic: This adds more savoriness.
- Onion : Sweet yellow onion adds a great flavor.
- Half-and-Half: Fat-free half-and-half adds a super creamy texture.
- Parisienne Bonnes Herb: This seasoning blend is a mix of chives, French tarragon, basil, and dill. It’s the perfect mix for potatoes!
Pro Tip: You can use regular, full-fat, and sodium-filled versions of any of these ingredients if you prefer. I just like to use the lighter options for a healthier soup.
Variations on Slow Cooker Potato Soup
If you want to add more protein to this soup recipe, you can add meats like shredded chicken breast , cubed ham, or ground turkey. Any of these options should be fully cooked before adding them into the Crockpot towards the end of the cook time.
You could also add in more veggies, like broccoli or cauliflower. To make a loaded potato soup, top off each bowl with bacon crumbles , more shredded cheese, green onions, and sour cream (or a plain Greek yogurt for a lighter option).
As mentioned above, I recommend Yukon Gold potatoes for soup, and Russet potatoes are my next option. However, you can really use any potato to make soup, some just won’t hold up as well, especially if you’re using the slow cooker.
As the starches in potatoes break down, eventually the texture might become “gummy” or mushy. The best way to prevent this is to make sure you don’t overcook them, but luckily that’s harder to do in a slow cooker. Also, keeping the potatoes at ½-inch cubes helps–any smaller and they’ll break down too fast.
Using Russet or Yukon potatoes, you’ll want to peel them first. The skins on these potatoes are tough, chewy, and not particularly flavorful. However, if you use a different type of potatoes (like red potatoes or fingerlings), leaving the skins on is fine.
Yes, it will thicken up a bit. However, if you want to thicken your soup significantly, mix in a bit of flour or cornstarch at the end until you get your desired consistency.
If your potato soup seems a little lackluster, try stirring in a tablespoon of lemon juice, yogurt, sour cream, or vinegar. The acidity in these ingredients will add brightness and bring out the flavor of the soup.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover potato soup in an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, gently warm it on the stove, stirring regularly. You can stir in more half and half to refresh that creamy texture.
I don’t recommend freezing this Crockpot soup since the potatoes will get grainy when frozen and reheated. But if you’d like to anyways, leave out the half-and-half, and mash up all of the potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of this slow cooker potato soup makes a full and cozy meal. I love to serve it with some bread, like cornbread muffins , beer bread , or dinner rolls . It also pairs well with salads and sandwiches, like a grilled cheese or chopped salad .
5-Star Review
“I loved this recipe! So dang easy and super yummy! Creamy without being gloomy or too rich. Definitely filling and I already sent it to my mom to make because I know its easy enough for her and she’ll love it. I made it for the first time about a month ago, feeling like making it again!” – Kandes Robins
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 6 Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- ▢ 40 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ▢ ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ▢ 6 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
- ▢ ½ sweet yellow onion diced
- ▢ 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Parisien Bonnes Herb (a blend of Chives, French tarragon, basil and dill)
- ▢ 1½ cups fat-free half-and-half
- ▢ 1½ cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- ▢ 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Optional Garnishes
- ▢ Low-fat sour cream
- ▢ Turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
- ▢ Sliced Green onions
- ▢ Chopped fresh chives
Video
Instructions
- Spray the inside of slow cooker with cooking spray and set the temperature to HIGH.
- Pour diced potatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes into the slow cooker. 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, 40 ounces low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Sauté the sliced carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 3 minutes. 6 carrots, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add diced onion to the carrots and cook on medium-high until onion is translucent. ½ sweet yellow onion
- Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. 2 cloves garlic
- Add sauted carrots, onion and garlic to the potato broth mixture.
- Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or until potatoes have softened.
- Using a potato masher, mash part of the cooked vegetables while they are still in the slow cooker. Only mash down on the vegetables 3-4 times.
- Add herbs, half-and-half, cheese and chives. Mix well. 1 teaspoon Parisien Bonnes Herb, 1½ cups fat-free half-and-half, 1½ cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Once cheese has melted, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream, turkey bacon, extra cheese and chives (or green onions). Low-fat sour cream, Turkey bacon, Sliced Green onions, Chopped fresh chives
Equipment
- Crockpot
Becky’s Tips
- You can use regular, full-fat, and sodium-filled versions of any of these ingredients if you prefer. I just like to use the lighter options for a healthier soup.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Potato Soups Recipes We Love
- Cheesy Potato Soup
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Hash Brown Potato Soup
- Ham and Potato Soup
Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
- 6 Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 40 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 carrots peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ sweet yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Parisien Bonnes Herb (a blend of Chives, French tarragon, basil and dill)
- 1½ cups fat-free half-and-half
- 1½ cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Optional Garnishes
- Low-fat sour cream
- Turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
- Sliced Green onions
- Chopped fresh chives
Instructions
- Spray the inside of slow cooker with cooking spray and set the temperature to HIGH.
- Pour diced potatoes, chicken broth, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes into the slow cooker. 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, 40 ounces low-sodium chicken broth, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Sauté the sliced carrots in 2 tablespoons olive oil for 3 minutes. 6 carrots, 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add diced onion to the carrots and cook on medium-high until onion is translucent. ½ sweet yellow onion
- Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds more. 2 cloves garlic
- Add sauted carrots, onion and garlic to the potato broth mixture.
- Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or until potatoes have softened.
- Using a potato masher, mash part of the cooked vegetables while they are still in the slow cooker. Only mash down on the vegetables 3-4 times.
- Add herbs, half-and-half, cheese and chives. Mix well. 1 teaspoon Parisien Bonnes Herb, 1½ cups fat-free half-and-half, 1½ cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- Once cheese has melted, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with sour cream, turkey bacon, extra cheese and chives (or green onions). Low-fat sour cream, Turkey bacon, Sliced Green onions, Chopped fresh chives
Video
Notes
- You can use regular, full-fat, and sodium-filled versions of any of these ingredients if you prefer. I just like to use the lighter options for a healthier soup.
- Nutritional information does not include optional garnishes.
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
