Slow Cooker Potato Soup

This Slow Cooker Potato Soup recipe is the creamiest and most comforting soup I have ever tasted. Flavored with crispy bacon, green onions, and cheddar cheese, this soup will make even the pickiest eaters so happy.

No Cream Slow Cooker Potato Soup

This delicious soup is made with a roux instead of using heavy cream. I made my roux using a combination of equal parts butter (2 tbsp) and flour (2 tbsp), plus some milk (1-1.5 cups). Once the roux is made, it is mixed into the soup after the soup is done cooking. Then I mix in some cheddar cheese and a dollop of greek yogurt for an extra dose of protein.

I cooked this soup on high for 4 hours. When I first made this soup, I wasn’t sure if I would be blending the potatoes into the broth like I normally do, or if I would leave them in tact. I ended up leaving them in tact which makes this soup so hearty. Amazingly tender chunks of potatoes in the most delicious creamy soup. This is the perfect soup to eat after a long cold day.

I chose to add greek yogurt at the end, but you can easily swap this for sour cream. I like that the greek yogurt gives this soup a boost of protein. The soup is very filling on it’s own but mostly potatoes, so having the extra boost of protein in their from the bacon, cheese, and greek yogurt makes this a more balanced meal.

Adding your bacon to the soup during the cooking process gives the soup a lot of flavor. Not only is there salt in the bacon, but it gives the soup a smokiness that I love. You can choose to only add the bacon at the end or omit it completely, but please note that this will change the flavor of the soup. If you omit it completely, you may need to add additional salt to the recipe.

How to cook potato soup in the slow cooker?

If you want to make potato soup in a crock pot or slow cooker, it will take about 6 hours on low or 4 hours on low. I like to use my slow cooker when I have things to get done around the house, but still want to make a meal.

I crisped up my bacon in a small pan prior to making the soup. This added so much flavor to the soup and honestly, in my opinion, it is necessary. If you do not have bacon, you can also use crisped up peices of ham, kielbasa, or any sausage.

Next, I added about 2lbs of chopped potatoes to the slow cooker. Peeling the potatoes helps the soup maintain a creamy white color. If this does not matter to you, then you can keep the skin on your potatoes. There is a lot of nutrients in the skin, so if I was short on time, I would keep the skin on the potatoes too.

Add your chicken broth to the slow cooker. You can also use vegetable broth, or a combination of chicken broth and water.

Then, add your green onions. I add just the white parts of the onion to the soup, and then I use the green parts as a topping for the soup later on.

Once the soup has cooked on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours, I made my roux.

How to make a Roux

I added 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan. Once it is melted, I added 2 tablespoons of flour. I mixed it around until the flour was coated in butter. I cooked it for a few minutes so that the raw taste of flour cooks out. Then I slowly added 1 cup of milk to the pan. I whisked the butter, flour, and milk together until smooth and let the mixture come to a slow boil. Once it starts to bubble, I turn off the heat and continued to mix. Once you get a thick and creamy mixture, it is ready and you can add it to your soup in the crock pot.

Ingredients

• 8 oz Bacon cooked and crumbled
• 2 lbs Potatoes peeled
• 3 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 bundle Green Onions
• 2 tbsp Butter
• 2 tbsp Flour
• 1 cup Whole Milk plus a little more
• 10 oz Cheddar Cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt or sour cream

INSTRUCTIONS 

• Chop up your bacon into 1″ pieces and then cook them in a medium size skillet on medium heat. Crisp them up and set it aside.
• Chop up your potatoes into 1″ cubes and dice up your green onions.
• Add the potatoes, half of the bacon, and the whites of the green onions to your slow cooker.
• Add the broth to your slow cooker and then set the slow cooker on high for 4 hours.
• When the soup is almost done cooking, make your Roux. I added 2 tablespoons of butter to a pan. Once it is melted, I added 2 tablespoons of flour. I mixed it around until the flour was coated in butter. I cooked it for a few minutes so that the raw taste of flour cooks out. Then I slowly added 1 cup of milk to the pan. I whisked the butter, flour, and milk together until smooth and let the mixture come to a slow boil. Once it starts to bubble, I turn off the heat and continued to mix. Once you get a thick and creamy mixture, it is ready and you can add it to your soup in the crock pot.
• Mix your soup so that the roux is mixed in well. Then, add your cheddar cheese and greek yogurt (or sour cream). Mix well again
• Ladle the soup into bowls and top with remaining bacon and the green parts of green onions. 

If you like this recipe, you may also like:

Cheddar Leek Potato Latkes

Instant Pot Broccoli Cheese Soup

Slow Cooker Pulled Beef