Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
October is steadily moving along and with it brings colder, windy weather up in the North. A warm, comforting soup is the perfect dinner for that sort of weather, and a slow cooker makes it even easier to prepare.
This recipe makes an extra thick, delicious potato soup. Using an immersion blender will make your soup extra smooth, just be careful to avoid any hot splatters. Be warned that this recipe makes an extra thick soup, so if you prefer a thin soup you may want to have some back up chicken broth or milk to thin it out. I reheated leftover soup with a splash of milk to thin it out since it had thickened even more in the fridge.
Be sure to top with cheese, bacon, green onions and possibly a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Loaded Potato Soup Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 1/2 hours
Ingredients:
3 to 3 1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces (about 7 medium potatoes, 8 - 9 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1 cup)
3 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth (this comes to just a tiny bit under 5 1/2 cups)
1 cup evaporated milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
9 oz bacon, cooked and diced or crumbled
4 green onions, diced
Directions:
1. To a 6 or 7-quart slow cooker, add potatoes, onion, chicken broth, evaporated milk and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover with lid and cook on HIGH heat for 4 hours or LOW heat for 8 hours. To check for doneness, poke a piece of potato with a knife. It if easily slides through, it is cooked.
2. Ladle out 2 cups liquid from soup mixture in crock pot into a liquid measuring cup, set aside. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. While whisking, slowly pour 2 cups liquid in measuring cup into butter mixture. Pour butter mixture into slow cooker and stir to blend.
3.If desired, mash potatoes with a potato masher to break down into smaller pieces or use an immersion blender to puree. (High recommended. Be careful when using an immersion blender. If it splatters on you it can be quite hot).
4.Cover and cook on HIGH heat until thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn heat off (or to warm), stir in sour cream. Serve warm topped with cheddar, bacon and green onions.