The Ultimate in Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

• This Slow Cooker Potato Soup Is Whole30 and Keto Friendly
• The Soup's Mainstay: How to Choose Ingredients
• Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup
• Making the Best Potato Soup with Tips
• Recipe Variations and Substitutions
• Serving and Storing Your Soup

This Slow Cooker Potato Soup Is Whole30 and Keto Friendly

It's So Easy: In almost all cases the slow cooker does the job. With just a tiny bit of prep work in the morning, return home to a piping hot, deliciously aromatic dinner that awaits you. that's the definition of an easy, high-ammage meal.

Creamy and Thick-Rich: This isn't some watered-down, brothy soup. Using a combination of cream cheese and heavy cream creates a silkily thick, velvety consistency that closely resembles the inside texture you find when you crack open baked potato.

"Fully Loaded": Also present At the top! Crispy bacon, tangy sharp cheddar cheese and fresh green onions bring all the flavors you Love in a loaded baked potato meal.

Suitable for All Occasions: This soup is ideal for whatever your occasion might be. Whether you need a simple weeknight supper, a comforting meal to divide with a friend or an impressive dish that will hold up during game day, it's versatile. Yet no matter how many people sit down to eat you dish out plenty of praise.

The Soup's Mainstay: How to Choose Ingredients

The beauty of this recipe is its simple, accessible ingredients. You probably already have most of them in your kitchen.

Soup Base:

• Potatoes: With their high starch content, russet potatoes take center stage in this recipe. They break down very effectively and help create a naturally thick, velvety soup. You'll use about 2 1/2 pounds, which is approximately 5-6 medium potatoes.
• Onion and Garlic: A yellow onion supplies a sweet-and-savory base note, while fresh garlic adds an aromatic layer of flavor.
• Chicken Broth: This is the liquid foundation that cooks the potatoes and imparts their flavor. To make the soup vegetarian, you can substitute vegetable broth (just be sure to leave out the bacon).
• Seasoning: A simple mixture of salt, black pepper and paprika will suffice. The paprika adds a faint smoky warmth that pairs perfectly with the bacon.
• Grated Cheddar Cheese: You can use regular or reduced fat since the cream cheese and bacon provide plenty of flavor. we have an ongoing debate about the fifth element--grated Parmesan and heavy cream-- for now we leave it out and garnish our bowls with a little Parmesan just before serving.

In the form of Grated Cheddar Cheese:

• Cheddar grates easily and provides a tangy bite. You can use mild, medium, or sharp cheddar; it's up to your personal preference. There are also other cheese options that number in the countless numbers.

Green Onions:

• Finely chopped green onions add a slightly spicy bite and balance the flavors in this dish. A just little bit of green delivers so much bite that it's very difficult to stop eating. Also, note that the finished dish itself does not show very much green at all.

Sour Cream:

• A dollop of sour cream on top give a bite at the end, the same as on a real baked potato.

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

We are about to proceed with the cooking process. See the steps below.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 4-6 hours

Serving size: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
• 8 ounces bacon, chopped
• 8 ounces cream cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• 1-1/2 cups Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, divided
• 1/2 a bunch green onions, sliced for garnish
• Sour cream for garnish, optional

Here are instructions on how to make Potato Soup

1. Cook the Bacon: Over medium heat, in a large skillet, a chopped pound of bacon should be cooked until crispy. The bacon should be moved to a paper-towel lined plate as it becomes crisp, but enough of it (2 tablespoons' worth) should remain in the skillet so that it can hold this cooked-over with cleaner flavors. The crispy cooked bacon can be used for later.
2. Sauté the Aromatics: In the remaining bacon grease from last process, extracts/yellow onions are added to the skillet. Sauté gently for 4-5 minutes until it becomes soft but not browned and somewhat porridge-thick. Add garlic and cook, lettuce leaves are meant to tango here with the onions.
3. Combine in Slow Cooker: Put the sautéed extracts in the bottom of your six-quart crockpot. Add in diced potatoes and chicken broth, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir everything together until fully incorporated.
4. Slow Cook to Perfection: Close the lid on the slow cooker and cook for 6-8 hours on LOW, or 3-4 hours on HIGH. The soup is ready for the next step when its potatoes are fork-tender and falling apart easily (this will usually mean you just have to check them with one of those black plastic hairpins).
5. Mash the Potatoes: When potatoes are tender, their texture can be adjusted according to your preference. For a slightly chunky, old-fashioned potato soup, use a potato masher in the slow cooker to mash about half of the potatoes. For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender and pulse 2-3 times until you reach your desired consistency (do not over-blend or potatoes will become gummy).
6. Add the Creaminess: Mix softened cuts of cream cheese and 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the pot. Off the heat, keep stirring until cheese is melted and soup smooth.
7. Finish the Soup: Pour in the heavy cream, stirring to combine. Let the soup warm up again for 10-15 minutes, tasting and adjusting the seasoning if needed.
8. Serve and Prepare: Pour the hot soup into bowls. Each serving with a generous sprinkle of the cheddar cheese, the remaining half cup of cheese, reserved fresh chopped green onions on top. If you want put a little sour cream into bowl.

Making the Best Potato Soup with Tips

• Don't forgo sauteing: Whilst it is tempting to throw your raw onion and garlic directly into the slow cooker, this is a new ball game with bacon grease. It provides that deep, rich flavor foundation which simply cannot be replicated any other way.
• Room Temperature Does Matter: Do be sure that your cream cheese is truly softened. If cold it will not melt well and you may end up with little bits of it in the final soup. I usually take it out of the fridge at this point in time.
• Shred Your Own Cheese: Block cheddar cheese will generally result in a far creamier, tastier soup instead of pre-shredded. Shredding a block of cheddar only takes a couple minutes longer, and it is worth that small delay very much indeed.
• Control the Texture: The final texture is up to you! I like my put into bite-size pieces, so use a potato masher for just a few quick turns. If you prefer your soup of course smooth as silk and utterly rich, immersion blender will be your good friend then. But go slow with it.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

This loaded potato soup recipe is excellent as is, but it's also very forgiving. You can adapt the seasonings to your individual taste-pressure your own way!

• Make it Vegetarian: First of all, leave out the bacon. Instead of butter used in step or olive oil can be used for sautéeing onions and garlic, 2 tablespoons the following: Swap out chicken broth for vegetable broth. A pinch of smoked paprika, used to add smoky flavor.
• Add Some Veggies: Are you ready to try more vegetables? Just mix in together with the onion some finely diced carrot and celery. And right at the end, toss in a cup of frozen corn kernelsthat will add texture as well as sweetness to your soup.
• Spice it Up: Adding chopped jalapeño here instead of garlic would perk things up quite nicely, or even some cayenne pepper. One other idea--if you prefer more heat in your food, a can each of diced green chiles and diced tomatoes would work wonderfully too.
• Protein Boost: Add some shredded rotisserie, diced ham during the last 30 minutes of cooking to give this soup an even heartier flavor.

Serving and Storing Your Soup

This soup is a one-dish meal all by itself. But it's also good with several simple sides. You absolutely must dip a crusty piece of bread in it! If you have a simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing (I'll provide the recipe if anyone wants), which can stand up to the soupy thickness of the dish yet slice through brilliantly when taken with each bite at any time in the meal.

Storing Leftovers:

Before sealing in an airtight container, let it cool completely. In the refrigerator, it will keep for up to 4 days. As it cools down, the soup thickens.

Reheating:

To gently reheat the soup, put it into a saucepan and heat on low with stirring. You may need to add a bit of milk or broth in order to get back the consistency you want. Do not use a microwave, as this can cause the dairy products used for thinning to break.

Freezing Potato Soup? Can it be done?

Due to its abundance of dairy materials, freezing this soup will be a problem. The texture can become grainy when it thaws. If you want to freeze it, you must following the recipe in detail through step 4. Let the potato and broth mixture cool, then freeze it. When you can eat it at last, thaw it out then reheat over the stove and proceed with steps 5-8, putting in the cheeses and cream ladle by ladle.

What is slow cooker loaded baked potato soup?

More than just a dish, it's the mood attached to the person cooking it. It's arriving home after a long day of work and knowing you have something savory waiting for you, inviting friends over to enjoy good food together with people they've proven themselves close to, and finding deep satisfaction in producing something tasty from start to finish by your own hands... At least give it a try. I assure you it is a keeper.