Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup is hearty, creamy, and very comforting! Warm up during the cold days and cook it hassle-free with this easy crockpot recipe!
Slow Cooker Recipes are ideal during the fall and winter seasons. Especially, during the holidays, I get so busy that I always use my crockpot. I simply dump the ingredients, and it slowly cooks for hours. For more delicious and flavorful meals, check out my Crockpot Crack Chicken, Baked Apples, and Beef Stew!
Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup Recipe
This recipe for Crockpot Ham and Potato Soup is so easy that you can prepare your other entrees while this dish cooks. And, I love how the kitchen smells when cooking it!
The Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup pretty much is the ideal comfort food when it comes to cold weather. A bowl of this hearty soup will warm up your soul.
Also, it is super easy to assemble, with less than 20 minutes of prep work. The vegetables are cooked to perfection in a delicious creamy base. The heavy cream adds a ton of richness and flavor here, so do not hesitate to use extra!
I would suggest for you to serve it with some fluffy dinner rolls and use them for dipping into the creamy goodness.
This creamy soup is packed with delicious flavors from the veggies and also a nice smoky layer from them ham and bacon.
Make the cold days of autumn and winter a lot warmer and more bearable with this simple dish!
How to make Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup?
Please refer to the recipe card below, and watch the video attached. But this easy recipe follows a few simple steps:
- Prep the ingredients: Dice the ingredients and season with salt, pepper, and other herbs and spices you wish to add.
- Cook: Put everything in the pot and add the broth. Cook it on LOW for about 8 hours, or on High, for about 4 hours.
- Mash: Thicken the dish by adding mashed spuds. You need to get a portion of the veggies, mash that portion, and then, put it back into the pot. Or, you can add a mixture of water and cornstarch.
- Add dairy: To make it creamy, add in dairy, either cream or regular milk. You can add this in the last few minutes of cooking to avoid curdling.
- Serve: Let it simmer further, add toppings, then, serve warm.
How to Thicken it:
There are several ways on how to go about it. Here are some:
- Add a slurry of cornstarch and water.
- Add potato flakes.
- Mash some of the veggies and then, put them back into the dish.
- Cook uncovered to evaporate more liquid.
- Make a flour roux by combing butter and flour. Simply drizzle the mixture into the soup. As it simmers, it will thicken.
Instant Pot Version:
Alternatively, you can make this Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup. It is a quick and easy option, that is ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
Just perfect for busy weeknights.
What are the best toppings for this Soup?
Since the dish is already creamy and chunky, you can add texture and more flavors by adding the following on top:
- bacon bits
- parsley
- green onions
- shredded cheese
- a dollop of sour cream
Can I make it with other meats?
Absolutely! Feel free to swap the ham with leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken, turkey, or even sausage.
More hearty soup recipes:
What to Serve with it?
Serve it warm, garnished with your favorite toppings, alongside the following:
- dinner rolls
- French bread, sourdough, or any crusty bread
- grilled cheese sandwich
- baked potato
- a salad like the Broccoli Cauliflower Salad
How to store leftovers?
First, let it cool at room temperature. Then, transfer leftover soup to an airtight container. Then, refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Can you freeze Potato Soup with Ham?
Yes, you can! It makes for a great freezer meal. Simply let it cool completely, then, transfer it into freezer bags.
Also, lay each bag flat on top of each other.
To reheat, simply thaw and reheat on the stovetop. Adjust the ingredients and add the dairy.
If you are wondering why I suggested adding the dairy during reheating, this is because if you freeze it with dairy, it tends to separate and become watery.
Hence, there is a lot of considerations when you want to freeze it. So, if you intend to freeze it, plan accordingly.
Recipe Tips:
- This crockpot ham and potato soup is great to make if you have leftover ham.
- Also, you can use an immersion blender or masher in the pot itself to mash the spuds — no need to get and put back a portion.
- To make it creamy, use waxy spuds and at the same time, use heavy cream. But if you are worried about the calories, just try mixing it with half and half, light, or regular milk.
- Also, feel free to top it with croutons or your favorite cheese.
- Remember, that the soup will thicken after refrigerating. Therefore, add a bit of stock, cream, or milk when reheating it.
Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon cooked and diced
- 2 cups diced ham
- 5 cups chicken broth low sodium
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and diced
- 1 medium sweet onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 carrot cut into cubes
- 1 cup celery cubed
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Roux Mixture:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
Toppings:
- Cooked bacon
- Chopped green onions
- Sour cream
Instructions
Slow Cook:
- Add diced potatoes, diced onion, minced garlic, cooked bacon, ham, carrots, celery, dried parsley, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper.
- Stir and cook for 6-8 hours on low or on high for 3-4 hours.
Roux Mixture:
- Once the soup has cooked, add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Whisk in the flour until completely combined and gradually add in the heavy cream.
- Whisk well the flour mixture, until smooth. With the heat on the lowest stove setting, let the mixture cook until it starts to simmer and is getting thicker, stir occasionally.
- Immediately add the cream-flour mixture to the slow cooker and stir to combine.
After the Thickening Mixture was added:
- Using a potato masher, mash about 3/4 of the potatoes. Let the soup cook for another 30 minutes for it to thicken.
- Stir in the sour cream until fully combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- If the soup is too thick, add more WARM chicken broth, make sure you first heat it up in the microwave until it's hot. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
- If you added more liquid, make sure to let the soup simmer for a few minutes.
Serve:
- Serve warm, garnished with bacon, green onions, and sour cream.
- The soup will thicken more once it cools. When reheating, add more water, broth, or milk to dilute it and simmer for a few minutes.
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