This easy potato soup is made in your slow cooker and is both nourishing and simple to prepare. You'll learn how to make a basic cream soup base from scratch and swap out canned ingredients for a fresher, healthier option, without sacrificing taste or convenience.
Winter just cries out for thick and creamy, hot soup for dinner.
Instead of opening a can of condensed soup, why not enjoy the same (better!) creamy, delicious flavor of potato soup made with healthier alternatives.
Updated February 2025
Easy Slow Cooker Potato Soup from Scratch
Last week one of my daughters tried an easy potato soup recipe that she'd found on Pinterest, one of those open-a-couple-of-cans-and-pour-them-in-the-crockpot type recipes. It's definitely easy, but I thought I'd work on a healthier, but still pretty easy, version for her.
The original recipe consisted of half a package of frozen hash-brown potatoes, a can of cream of chicken soup, a container of chicken broth, a package of shredded cheddar cheese and a block of cream cheese. Dump it all in the crockpot and cook for three hours.
It was definitely easy.
My healthier version is still be an easy meal to fix. It requires making a cream base from scratch which is still easy once you know how, and only takes a few more minutes.
Healthier ingredients
I started by swapping the frozen hash browns for a quart of home-canned potatoes, but frozen potatoes (either hash browns or chunks) would still be acceptable. Or peel and slice two medium sized potatoes.
Homemade chicken broth was used instead of a purchased container of broth. I grated a block of cheddar cheese.
I don't use cream cheese, but this recipe is thick and creamy enough without it. The original recipe used it as a thickener, not to add flavor, so it can easily be omitted.
And since I don't use "cream of" soups, I made a cream base from scratch instead.
Step-by-step directions for homemade potato soup
In a small skillet, melt two tablespoons of butter. When the butter is melted, add a quarter cup of flour and whisk the two together until smooth.
I resisted buying a whisk for so many years. I'm not sure why, maybe because I was "being frugal". I wish I'd bought one earlier, it's so much easier to make soups and sauces with one a whisk than with a fork!
Let the butter and flour cook a bit to remove the "raw flour" taste: letting this brown slightly will give it a deeper, nutty flavor, but be careful not to let it burn.
Next add a cup of cream and use the whisk again to blend it well and prevent any lumps.
Once the mixture is bubbly, add a cup of milk and the homemade chicken broth and whisk it all together.
Simmer and stir until it begins to bubble and becomes thick.
Transfer the mixture to the crockpot and add the shredded cheese.
If it's a bit too thick, you can stir in more chicken broth or milk to thin it to the right consistency before adding the potatoes.
Finally, add the potatoes to the pot. If you're using fresh, chopped potatoes, the soup may need to cook a bit longer than if you are using frozen hash browns or home-canned potatoes, which were partially cooked during the pressure-canning process.
Fresh, shredded potatoes will cook more quickly than fresh, chopped potatoes.
Continue to cook in the slow cooker for 2-3 hours on Low, then serve.
Of course, the addition of sea salt, pepper, crumbled bacon, a garnish of a little more shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream would make any bowl of potato soup taste incredible.
Potato Soup
Potatoes - you can use either a quart of home-canned potatoes, a small package of frozen hash-brown potatoes, two peeled and chopped fresh potatoes, or 1 1/2 cups of shredded peeled, fresh potatoes.
Chicken broth, a quart of homemade or a container of store-bought
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup cream
1 cup milk
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a small skillet, then add the flour. Whisk till smooth and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. Whisk in the cream. Add milk and chicken broth and stir, using whisk.
Transfer to crockpot. Add cheddar cheese, stir until melted.
Thin if needed with milk or additional chicken broth. Gently add potatoes, cook for 2-3 hours on Low. Add sea salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Garnish with crumbled cooked bacon, chives, grated cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.
Variations: Substitute half-and-half or milk for the cream if you wish. You could also add chopped onions and carrots to the melted butter and cook until soft, then add the flour and proceed with the directions. If you add onions and carrots you'll need to cook the soup longer, until the carrots are thoroughly cooked and easily pierced with a fork.
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