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Creamy Slow Cooker Potato Soup with Bacon & Chives

creamy slow cooker potato soup with bacon - featured image
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This creamy slow cooker potato soup is rich, velvety, and packed with smoky bacon flavor. Made with Yukon Gold potatoes, cream cheese, and fresh chives, it’s the ultimate comfort food that’s easy enough for a busy weeknight.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 ½ cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme (optional)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into cubes
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled
  • ¼ cup fresh chives, chopped
  • ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
  • Extra sour cream for garnish

Instructions

  1. Cook the bacon first. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon slices until crispy, about 6-8 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Once cool, crumble into small pieces and set aside. Save about 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
  2. Prep your vegetables. Peel and dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
  3. Layer everything in the slow cooker. Add the diced potatoes, onion, garlic, chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and thyme. Drizzle in the reserved bacon drippings if using. Stir to combine.
  4. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until potatoes are fork-tender.
  5. Blend about half the soup using an immersion blender directly in the slow cooker, leaving some chunks for texture. If using a regular blender, carefully transfer about 3 cups of the solids (not too much liquid) to the blender, blend until smooth, then stir back into the pot.
  6. In a small bowl, mash the softened cream cheese with a fork until smooth. Stir in the sour cream and heavy cream until combined. Add this mixture to the slow cooker and stir until fully incorporated. Let cook on low for another 15-20 minutes to heat through.
  7. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
  8. Serve ladled into bowls and top with crumbled bacon, fresh chives, shredded cheddar cheese, and a dollop of sour cream.

Notes

For best results, let cream cheese come to room temperature before adding to avoid lumps. The soup thickens as it sits; add a splash of milk or broth when reheating. This soup tastes even better the next day as flavors meld.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker potato soup, creamy potato soup, bacon chive soup, comfort food, easy soup recipe

Find it online: https://willarecipes.com/creamy-slow-cooker-potato-soup-with-bacon-and-chives/