Potato Soup in the Crockpot

This is the potato soup of your dreams! My recipe for Potato Soup in the Crockpot combines frozen hash browns with a microwave roux for pure, creamy potato soup perfection!

Since discovering how well a microwave roux thickens sauces and gravies in my Crockpot, I am rethinking a lot of my go-to recipe favorites. I’ve made a Loaded Baked Potato Soup recipe thanks to Cooking Light for years. My kids love it, and so do I. But it’s kind of (no really, it is) fussy to make the mashed potatoes first before making a soup. It’s not a quick recipe. But what I’m giving you now is definitely an easy Crockpot Potato Soup Recipe!

I know it sounds cliché, but my recipe really is a game changer. It’s completely unique when compared to other recipes for Crock Pot Potato Soup you’ll find when searching on Google. I promise you’ll never know this recipe starts with a bag of frozen hash browns. And the chicken broth + fat free half and half used to help thicken this soup creates the most luscious, creamy, and flavorful texture. It tastes rich and comforting, but the calorie count is reasonable. Put this soup in your dinner rotation right now. Your family will love you for it!

Why this recipe works

This is an easy recipe that uses just a few simple ingredients to create a comforting bowl of potato soup that everyone loves. Frozen hash browns combine with green onions, salt and pepper. Raw potatoes can be substituted. But I love the convenience of a bag of cubed hash browns. You won’t know the difference once it is cooked!

The broth thickens naturally in the slow cooker. It’s made with just butter and flour that are microwaved together to form a roux. Then whisked together with the best quality chicken stock you can find. And some fat free half and half to provide a rich and creamy texture without adding unnecessary calories.

Once everything has slow cooked to tender, sour cream and freshly shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese are stirred in for even more flavor. Puree it all together with an immersion blender. Then top your potato soup with cooked bacon, green onions, more sour cream and a sprinkle of extra cheese. It is pure comfort food!

Ingredients for Potato Soup in the Crockpot

• Frozen Hashbrown Potatoes – this recipe uses one bag (32 oz) of frozen Ore-Ida Diced Hash Brown Potatoes. No need to thaw them before cooking. You are welcome to substitute the hash browns with an equivalent amount of peeled and diced Yukon Gold Potatoes or Russet Potatoes. The cooking time will be the same.
• Green Onions – use one bunch, white and light green parts only. Be sure to remove the root ends. Reserve and chop the green parts for garnishing the finished soup. Fresh chives in addition to the green onions would be great as well!
• Salt – I really like using this Himalayan Pink Salt in simple recipes like this one.
• Pepper – The varying colors you see on this soup are thanks to this fantastic Peppercorn Medley I found at my local Kroger.
• Butter – I use salted butter in this recipe. If you use unsalted butter you will likely need to season the soup with a little more salt at the end.
• Flour – Whisked in and microwaved together with the melted butter, the flour forms a roux that is perfect for thickening this easy Crockpot potato soup. Especially when making a roux or gravy, I love this Wondra quick-mixing flour.
• Chicken Stock – I prefer this brand the best for making soups like this one. You are welcome to replace the chicken stock/broth with vegetable broth if you prefer.
• Fat Free Half and Half – This provides a rich and creamy texture with less calories.
• Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese – Be sure and shred your own cheese for this recipe.
• Sour Cream – Added at the end, the sour cream adds both flavor and more creamy texture to this potato soup. A substitute for sour cream would be plain Greek yogurt.

Instructions for How to Make Slow Cooker Potato Soup

1. Add the frozen hash browns and chopped green onions (white and light green parts) to your Crockpot insert.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Make the microwave roux (keep scrolling for full instructions, or click on the link for more explanation as to why a microwave roux works so well for Crockpot recipes).
4. Whisk the chicken stock and fat-free half and half into the roux until smooth.
5. Pour the thickened broth mixture into the Crockpot with the seasoned potatoes and green onions and give it a good stir.
6. Cook on LOW power for about 6 hours, or HIGH power for about 4 hours – until the potatoes are nice and tender and the soup has thickened.
7. Stir in about one cup of shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese and one cup of sour cream into the cooked potato soup.
8. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth.

Pro Tips/FAQ’s

How do you thicken potato soup in the Crockpot?

With my method, you thicken potato soup with a microwave roux. Just two ingredients combined together, melted butter and all-purpose flour, are all you need for perfectly thickened soup. This roux works magic in a Crockpot!

How long does it take for potatoes to cook in a Crockpot?

About 4 hours on HIGH power or about 6 hours on LOW power. If I’m home to monitor my slow cooker, I’ll sometimes start the cooking process on high heat. And after a couple of hours, I’ll give it a good stir and finish on low heat.

Can you cook potatoes from raw in your slow cooker?

Yes! These hash brown potatoes are started from frozen. You can start peeled and chopped raw potatoes in a slow cooker and the cooking time will be about the same as for frozen potatoes.

Can you overcook soup in the Crockpot?

Actually you can. On high heat, my Crockpot seems to run quite hot. I have to monitor it and I prefer to use mine on low heat. Maybe that means it’s time for a replacement? But it is possible to overcook soup. So monitor your recipe accordingly, especially if you are reheating leftovers in the slow cooker.

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this soup with sandwiches or a green salad. Here’s some of my favorite go-to recipes:

• Air Fryer Frozen Fish Sandwich
• BLT Sandwich
• Chicken Patty Sandwiches
• Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Spinach Strawberry Salad

Storage Directions

Store soup leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator or up to one month in the freezer. I like to re-heat mine gently over low heat on the stovetop. Re-heating in the microwave works too. Add a little more chicken stock to your soup if the leftovers are too thick. Honestly this soup is almost more delicious the next day!

Kitchen Tools

• I test all of my slow cooker recipes in a 6-quart Crockpot
• Glass 4-cup measuring cup from Pyrex for making the microwave roux
• Small whisk for whisking the roux, chicken stock and fat free half and half
• Immersion blender for blending the potato soup to the desired consistency

More Crockpot Soup Recipes

• Slow Cooker Taco Soup
• Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup
• Slow Cooker Short Rib Chili
• Crockpot Turkey Chili
• Slow Cooker Summer Chowder

Foodtastic Mom is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Any highlighted, clickable Amazon link you see is an affiliate link that I may earn advertising fees on.

Thank you so much for being a faithful reader and supporter of Foodtastic Mom. Be sure to PIN and print this recipe!