Crockpot Potato Soup

Method

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1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat for 8 minutes until crisp. Drain on paper and crumble.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Put the potatoes, onion, garlic, stock, thyme, salt and pepper in the slow cooker.

   Mark done

3. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, or on high for 4 hours, until the potatoes are completely soft.

   Mark done

4. Mash roughly in the pot with a potato masher, leaving about a third of the potato in chunks.

   Mark done

5. Stir in the cream cheese cubes and milk and cook on high for 15 minutes with the lid on, until smooth and hot.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

6. Stir in half the cheddar and half the bacon and taste for salt.

   Mark done

7. Ladle into bowls and top with the remaining cheddar and bacon, the spring onions and a spoonful of soured cream.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Use russets, not waxy potatoes. They break down and thicken the soup for free.
• Mash by hand. A blender turns potato starch gluey.
• Add the milk and cheese at the end. Long cooking can make dairy grainy.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of spring onions? A small regular onion, finely sliced, or a few chives stirred in at the end both cover the job.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Crusty bread
• A wedge salad
• Grilled cheese sandwiches

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days. It thickens overnight, so loosen with milk or stock when reheating. Potato soup freezes poorly, so make what you will eat.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.