Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
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Everyone’s favorite comfort food soup in crockpot form! Hands-off and incredibly easy with 15 min prep work! That’s it!
Can I just be the first one to admit how relieved I am it is sweater weather right now?
Because I just had my fair share of this loaded baked potato soup. Which also means I had my fair share of garnishes. AKA. Extra bacon. Cheese. And green onions.
Wait. Green onions aren’t that bad for you. So I think we’re just fine.
We’re also fine because we are making this in the slow cooker. All you have to do is dump in your ingredients – then you can let it do its thing for 7-8 hours.
There’s no babysitting here. Your only job is to have your garnishes ready for serving.
Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 3 cups chicken stock
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Place potatoes into a 4-qt slow cooker. Stir in chicken stock, onion, garlic, thyme, butter and bacon until well combined.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high heat for 3-4 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
- Using a potato masher, mash potatoes until desired consistency is reached. Stir in cheese, sour cream and heavy cream until smooth; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Cover and cook on low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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Will this one freeze well? Please let me know if you have tried that. thanks
Amazing. Flavor was chefs kiss. Only thing I did differently and because I didn’t have heavy cream was use half and half. And since I had so many green onions I just cooked them instead of yellow. Will most definitely make this again and half to double the recipe as it was a hit.
To kick off our first rainy, cold day, I made this soup. It was creamy, and quite tasty. I’ve made several more of your recipes, always turn out fantastic!!! Thank you for sharing, keep it up!!
Can I substitute canned coconut milk in place of the heavy cream?
I 1 1/2 this recipe so I would have leftovers and added a cup of broccoli finely chopped but followed the rest and it was amazing Thank you
This was delicious, and really, really easy.
I didn’t have time to peel and chop potatoes, so, I used a 1.5lb bag of baby yukon gold potatoes and then .75lb of baby reds and just quartered them no peeling. followed the recipe exactly other than that and my kids ate 3 bowls each. no leftovers.
I’m making again this week but will likely use the full 1.5lbs of baby reds too to see if maybe we can have some leftover.
This soup is very tasty. I doubled the recipe, but used 4C broth. It was still a little runnier than I’d like. We enjoyed it.
Girl how are you peeling and chopping two pounds of potatoes, onion, garlic and cooking bacon in 15 minutes 🙁 I can’t even peel and chop all those potatoes in 15 minutes.
Delicious recipe tho
That is hilarious, but I thought the same thing myself! It’s gonna take me at least 15- 20 for the potatoes alone. Recipe is amazing too by the way!
Love this soup so much! I make it frequently.
Has anyone calculated the calories per serving for this yet?
Too many haha. Best not to know
It says 8 servings, I’m assuming a serving is one cup. If that’s correct, it’s roughly 307 calories per cup.
I love this recipe, and actually make it in my instant pot instead, so I can make stews in my crock pot. And usually this turns out soooo good, people ask me for the recipe!
Delicious! This was my first time making potato soup but it was not my first visit to your site. I have pinned, tried and enjoyed lots of your recipes. I will definitely make this soup again. Thanks!
Easy and delicious!
I didn’t have heavy cream so I used whole milk. And I didn’t have bacon but used real bacon bits instead. Didn’t have broth but used bullion. Turned out so good even making all these adjustments I love flexible recipes.
Fabulous soup and super easy to make
So easy and delicious! I have a 2 quart slow cooker, so I halved the recipe. Loved it!
So the soup broth was delicious however , my potatoes never got soft enough to mash with potato masher. I cut the potatoes into small bite size pieces, but still were crunchy. I did everything to get them soft, but nothing worked. Perhaps boiling the potatoes before they go in the slow cooker would work, though I read and reread the recipe and it doesn’t say to do that.
you can microwave the potatoes first for about 15 mins, let cool and cut up.
Even a non-cooking husband can handle this project. Taste great!!
Beautiful recipe, perfect and forgiving process. I’d recommend adding the cooked bacon with the dairy because I got a meat consistency of pork brisket when I was mashing up the potatoes. Bonus: it would also make it easier to use an emulsion blender and still have small chunks of bacon. Good soup
I don’t understand how people say they love a recipe after making a million changes to it. Once you change ingredients it’s not the original recipe.
I followed the recipe as written, no substitutions, and it came out great. Everyone liked it a lot, and I’ll be making it again. Thanks for sharing such a good recipe.
Amen!! I never understood that!! And I don’t think you should give it a rating until you actually made the recipe!!
Good soup
This is a great creamy potato soup recipe! I was out of sour cream, onion, & garlic, so I used extra butter, cheese, & half and half in place of the sour cream, and I used garlic and onion powder. Also, I used half and half instead of heavy cream to make it a little lighter. It was VERY good. I also didn’t add the bacon grease to the crock pot, but just used the bacon on top. I’d definitely recommend this recipe. It was a perfect recipe for a rainy after church lunch!
I have made baked potato soup for years. I wanted to try a recipe for the crockpot This soup is wonderful. It has become my go to soup. I made it exactly like the recipe. Great soup.
I tried this recipe today and it was delicious! Unfortunately, it did turn out a little thin. I’m not quite sure why, other than the possibility that I didn’t mash the potatoes enough, before adding the sour cream, heavy cream, and cheese. I will definitely try it again though! I also cooked my onion in bacon grease as suggested from other reviews.
OH YUM. I took the advice of another reviewer and sauteed the onions in the bacon grease when I added the onion and I think that is a GREAT addition (because TEXAS). It was a little thick for me at the end, but I cooked on high for a little longer, but just added a little more milk and cream and it was good. I used a whole package of bacon because my husband doesn’t like “meatless meals” (insert eyeroll), so it was very bacon-y, but I’m not complaining. I also used red potatoes – there is ice everywhere here right now and didn’t want to go to the store, but unpeeled red potatoes taste amazing, so it’s a great sub. Made with your Mile High Biscuits which are loved by all in this house. Super filling and delicious, as always! 🙂
This is easy forgiving and yummy. If possible cook your onions,etc right in the bacon fat then dump into crock pot makes a world of difference in flavor! My new go to soup recipe!
This is SOOOOOO GOOD! Y’all, even my super picky 4-year-old ate this. I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon since we don’t eat red meat, and added celery and carrots to make it healthier. Will def be making this again!
This is sad. I made this wonderful soup in my crockpot, scooped enough out for dinner (this soup really is divine and left it to cool ). Later I attempted to put the crockpot in the fridge . Disaster. The top slipped off and the whole pot of soup sloshed onto the kitchen floor. Never mind the mess, and it was epic but I weep a bit still for that pot of delicious soup.
But I’m going in again!
Think good thoughts for me!
I made just a bit quite a bit bigger batch, but I would suggest leaving I in a little bit longer than suggested for both low and high, potatoes aren’t quite as the consistency they should be for the soup
Making this tonight. I haven’t tried it yet but I’m sure it will be good. I doubled the recipie, added extra bacon, 1/4 tsp celery salt, and I subbed out 1 cup of broth for a Guinness extra stout.
Absolutely to die for!!!!!!
Potato soup is the best soup, in my opinion, so I was in search of a really good crockpot recipe and I found it here! The only issue for me though is that the recipe as is only gives me 3 servings. I am going to double the recipe next time.
Want to make this overnight so I can take some for dinner to work and my family can have for dinner tomorrow night. It says serve immediately? Any major reason why!?!?
Yummy! I just cooked this for tonight’s dinner and it was amazing! I added about 1 cu each fresh chopped celery and carrots, along with some steamed broccoli (I had it on hand and it would have gone bad). I had to sub half and half for the sour cream and heavy cream because that was what I had. Accidentally left out the butter. But it was still delicious! I think this is a forgiving recipe. So good! Thank you!
Forgot to add- I only stirred in steamed broccoli at the end so it wouldn’t get mushy cooking all day.
Hi – wondering how this can be adapted to make in the Instant Pot?
I put two extra bacon strips. It’s a wonderful receipe. Its so yummy.
I am wondering about using frozen diced hash brown potatoes instead of fresh potatoes.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream? Is there a difference between when cooking?
This Looks so good!
Can I use vegetable broth in this? Im on a low sodium diet and this soup sounds righteous!!! I really want to make it!
Hi Jennifer. This is my first time making this recipe. I just made it with vegetable broth and it taste AMAZING! I hope it suits your taste buds.
In the slow cooker now!! Rainy and in the house (Corona!!) wish me luck!!
I accidentally threw everything in at once instead of holding the cheese, sour cream and cream. Fingers crossed it still works!
amazing, such easy delicious soup
Super excited to try this recipe this week. We always substitute plain greek yogurt in place of sour cream. Hoping it’ll be okay to do the same thing here.
How did using the Greek yogurt turn out? Making this soup today and I was planning on substituting Greek yogurt for the sour cream too.
The Greek yogurt turned out fabulous in the soup! I doubled the recipe and I used an immersion blender. My whole family loved it!
This was delicious! Best potato soup I’ve had!
This recipe looks amazing — I am planning to make it for a function for a bunch of teenagers. I need to FILL my crockpot, and I’m having trouble telling how much volume this recipe makes. Should I double it to fill my crockpot or does one batch fill it?
LOVE how easy and delicious this is! Last potato soup recipe I tried involved cooking something with flour prior to putting it in the crock pot, but this one is just throwing everything in and it’s so simple! I made a few changes, I used bacon bits instead of actual bacon strips, parsley instead of thyme & I didn’t have heavy cream OR milk ♀️ so I added extra chicken broth and water to thin it out, delicious!!!
Husband says this one is a keeper! Super easy to make and impressive to serve. Very yummy! I made it exactly as the recipe says.
Was a huge hit the first time it was made. The whole family and friends ate it. Making it again in double the batch.
Absolutely delicious, a favorite with the family. Just adjusted the seasoning.
Excited about making this on Halloween- just in time for a huge temperature drop in my area! Question: Can it be cooked on low for longer than 8 hours? I leave for work at 6:30 am and won’t be home until around 3:30 pm. I figure if anything the potatoes and onions will just be extra soft. Thoughts?
Hi Angela! Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee or predict the outcome of the recipe with the added hour. As always, please use your best judgment when making substitutions and modifications. Good luck!
Update- it turned out well! Very easy to blend everything with the potato masher since they were extra tender! THanks for the great recipe!
Thanks for the update! I have a somewhat similar work schedule, so this is good to know!
Very good recipe! My husband and I enjoyed it but my toddler did not. I cooked it as stated in the recipe but I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (Original) instead of unsalted and I did end up adding more salt and pepper and more chicken stock to thin it out. Very tasty in my opinion.
Made it without bacon and it turned out fantastic.
This soup is cooking right now, it should be ready by 12pm tomorrow. It already smells good!
Smells and tastes amazing!!!!!
Thank you for another wonderful recipe..
You are so welcome, Lisa!
Delicious! I made a couple slight modifications – my husband is a weirdo that won’t eat onions, so I left that out and subbed in 1 1/2 tsp onion powder. Also, I used Yukon gold potatoes because that’s what I had. Finally, I drizzled in about a half tbsp bacon grease when I added the potatoes to the crockpot because I’m southern and I just have to! This was so creamy and satisfying and had a fantastic flavor. Husband approved! I’m totally making it for myself with onions next time he has to travel for work.
We’re so glad to hear this was a winner for you, Laura! Thanks for sharing!
I didn’t have any cream so I used coconut milk and some turkey bacon. no salt required. Will do it again with some veggies.
Can bacon be omitted?
Yes, of course, but please note that the flavor profile may change with this omission.
Do you think you could use an immersion blender?
Sure!
This soup was so good and so easy. Will be my go to potato soup from now on.
I have been trying to make potato soup that my daughter like for years now. She finally said I nailed it! Thank you!!
Oh amazing!
Make it at least once a month for my family of 8. We all love it!! It is damn delicious
Wow that’s awesome!
Love this soup….I did add a little too much thyme. I also used half and half and some condensed milk…
Here’s a question, on your stove top recipe you indicate green onions, but for this it is just onions and my husband and I weren’t sure which one is correct. We used regular sweet onions which wasn’t bad at all, but haven’t tried green onions. Which one are you using here? 🙂 Big time fan! I have served your dishes to many of friends and it’s a big hit everytime- I give you credit every time and last year I got your cookbook for Christmas from one of those friends!
You’re so sweet, Megan!
So this recipe calls for 1/2 onion, chopped, but the stovetop version calls for 2 green onions, thinly sliced. However, both recipes (the stovetop and this slow cooker version) is garnished with green onions.
Great recipe….a tip I learned years ago…if the soup, any soup even chile, isn’t thick enough for you…sprinkle in instant potatoes a tiny bit at a time. No one will ever know!
I mistakenly put in my cream too early. Will it alter the soup in any type of way?
Yes, the soup may curdle. Fingers crossed it turns out okay!
I do not have 7-8 hours but this recipe is making my mouth water….I must have it! Would it work to cook on high for half the time in a crock-pot?
Yes, absolutely.
Made this tonight, it was delicious! The only modifications I made were that I added an additional cup of broth and added some additional herbs and chives, along with the thyme. This will be my go to recipe for potato soup from now on, thank you!!
Can I sub half & half for the heavy cream?
Yes!
Made this soup tonight. D-Delicious! Savory and comforging on a chill night. I have saved several of your recipes and they are all yummy! Thank you!!
Wondering about using the Instant Pot for this recipe?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Diane, I made this today in the IP and it was a hit. Brown (on sautee) and drain the bacon first, then add everything except for the heavy cream and sour cream (and cheese and garnishes), and set to manual high pressure for 10 mins and then quick release. Then mash and add remaining ingredients per the original recipe. Came out fantastic.
Thank you for this! I will be using my instant pot to make it!
Hi how much is 2 pounds of potatoes? I know they are different sizes!!! thanks in advance.
Two medium-sized potatoes, big enough to comfortably fit in your hands, equal one pound. You can read more about it here:
https://www.thekitchn.com/heres-what-1-pound-of-white-potatoes-looks-like-231831.
Err on the side of extra potatoes and you’ll be fine. I have made this soup many times as it’s easy and SO delicious. I usually add 3 lbs of potatoes (I have a kitchen scale) to make it go farther and just increase the salt accordingly. Another damn delicious recipe that’s a hit in my house!
Would this freeze well?
It’s finally getting cold enough in Southern California to make soup, Yay! I’ve got it in the slow-cooker now 🙂 Only thing I did different was to sauté the onions and garlic in some of the bacon drippings before putting them in the pot. Only problem I have with this recipe is hiding the cooked bacon from the kids so we have some garnish by dinnertime 🙂 Thank you for the easy peasy dinner.
Comfort soup! So delicious!
Buffalo Bills!
What a great looking comfort food! I will definitely be enjoying this during the holidays!
Was looking for a good cream of potato soup for Christmas then your recipe popped up. Looks delicious, wondering if chopped ham would be ok to add instead of bacon?
Yes, absolutely. What a great idea!
Do you think you could use an immersion blender instead of mashing?
What a great idea – yes!
How much salt would you recommend if salt is not an issue in ones diet? I know potatoes NEED salt to enhance their flavor.
Yes, potatoes certainly need salt! I recommend starting at 1/2-1 tsp salt, and adding more to taste. Hope that helps!
Delicious! Can’t wait to try!
This soup looks amazing! Definitely adding it to the menu plan for the week!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Hi! Would you know if way to cook this on a stovetop instead of a slow cooker?
Yes, here’s my stovetop recipe! 🙂
https://damndelicious.net/2013/10/14/loaded-baked-potato-soup/
I started making this just a few minutes after I saw the post! It is the best when my kitchen ingredients on hand perfectly align with a delicious looking recipe – especially on a day when I don’t have a dinner plan. This is making my house smell delicious and will be ready soon. Thank you!
Thanks for your many shares of recipes. This one sounded wonderful for a cold night but was so bland/ blah and we’re not into highly spiced foods…….We added almost a cup of extra cheese and a lot of Oscar Mayer Bacon Bits besides what was called for in the recipe. Also added Cayenne Pepper, Montreal Steak Spice, Parsley but nothing saved this one. Didn’t even try to eat it and it went in the trash.
Sue, I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested and retested. But with a little bit more information, we can troubleshoot what went wrong to have a successful turnaround next time. Did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
Also, please note that with this volume of potatoes, it is very important to season generously. It’ll make all the difference in the world!
Hi Chungah, I appreciate your diplomatic comment to this post. I am trying this recipe today because it sounds delicious, and every recipe that I have ever made of yours has been delicious. Thanks for sharing delicious and wholesome recipes!
Recipe sounds good, want to try but need a little help first.
To what dry measurements does two sprigs of thyme convert too?
I enjoy your recipes, thank you for sharing.
Two sprigs of thyme will yield perhaps a tablespoon of leaves when stripped from the stem, depending on the size of the sprigs.
Tried someone else’s recipe for a loaded baked potato soup and it DID NOT turn out how I expected lol. There was too much back and forth to the stove and none of the potatoes were tender. Total disaster and waste of time. But this seems a lot more simple since it’s in a Crock-Pot. This is definitely going on my list to try within the next couple of weeks. I can’t wait to make this.
Hi, Chungah,
What do you suggest to make this recipe diabetic friendly?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications. Sorry, Pamela!
You could substitute cauliflower for the potatoes. Everything else is low carb and thus diabetic friendly.
Have you tried freezing leftovers? Does it change texture/split upon reheating, if you have? 🙂
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself. Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I haven’t tried freezing this recipe, but, in general, potato dishes don’t freeze well.
Well, I didn’t think potato dishes froze well either. BUT, this particular dish DOES freeze exceptionally well! I have made this dish multiple times in the crock pot. After it’s cooled down I put it in pint glass jars and freeze them. When I don’t feel like cooking I just pop a jar in the microwave for 3 minutes. Amazingly, it tastes just as good as it did when it was first made.
mmm I’ve been dying to try new soups this winter, might have to give this a try!