Homemade Slow Cooker Potato Soup

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 6 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 servings

This simple slow cooker homemade potato soup is a surprisingly easy preparation, and the slow cooker makes cooking nearly hands-free.

Feel free to add bacon or ham to the soup, or make it vegetarian with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. See the tips and variations for more ideas. The recipe calls for bouillon or base.

Serve the potato soup with a salad or sandwich for a tasty lunch or dinner.

Homemade potato soup

The Spruce

Ingredients

  • 6 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cubed

  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

  • 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced or diced

  • 2 large stalks celery, sliced, including some leaves

  • 4 chicken bouillon cubes, vegetable bouillon cubes, or equivalent base

  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish, if desired

  • 7 cups water

  • 5 tablespoons (2 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, or light cream

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • Green onion tops, sliced, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for potato soup
    The Spruce
  2. In the slow cooker, combine the cubed potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, chicken bouillon or base, parsley, and water.

    Combined soup ingredients in slow cooker
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  3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours until the vegetables are tender.

    Soup ingredients in a slow cooker
    The Spruce
  4. Stir in the butter and evaporated milk for about 30 minutes before serving time; taste and add kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

    Potato soup with butter added
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  5. Garnish servings with fresh chopped parsley or sliced green onion tops.

    Potato soup ready to serve
    The Spruce
  6. Serve the soup in bowls with crackers or croutons on the side.  

Tips

  • You can replace the water with 5 cups of chicken stock (low-sodium or unsalted) and omit the bouillon or base.
  • To freeze potato soup, cool it and transfer it to a zip-close bag or freezer container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, simmer gently. If the defrosted soup appears watery, add a bit of cream or evaporated milk.
  • Low starch potatoes, such as Red Bliss or new potatoes, hold up better in the slow cooker than the higher starch baking potatoes. Or use ​moderate starch potatoes, like Yukon Gold.

Recipe Variations

  • Cook 4 to 6 strips of bacon. Drain and crumble. Add the bacon to the soup when you add the milk.
  • Dice about 6 ounces of smoked sausage. Brown it in a small amount of oil in a skillet and add to the soup.
  • Add about 1/2 cup of diced cooked ham to the soup mixture along with the vegetables.
  • Sprinkle servings with fresh chopped parsley, green onion tops, or chives.
  • Add 1 to 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese along with the milk, or top servings with shredded cheese.
  • Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian potato soup.
  • Add chopped spinach or kale to the soup for additional color and nutrients.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
404 Calories
11g Fat
67g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 404
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 445mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 67g 24%
Dietary Fiber 7g 25%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 38mg 188%
Calcium 191mg 15%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 1796mg 38%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)