This Easy 4-Ingredient Potato Soup transforms pantry basics into a creamy, comforting bowl of goodness in the slow cooker or on the stovetop. Add bacon, cheese, and green onions to make it taste like a loaded baked potato or serve as is for a classic soup everyone will love.
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I have fond memories of my grandma making this easy 4-ingredient potato soup recipe when I was a teenager. Thanks, Grandma! 🥰 I have always been under the impression she got it from her mother who was of German heritage, but wherever she got it, it's a classic!
She made the original recipe on the stovetop, but I made it work in the crockpot (affiliate)as well. This is one of my all-time favorite soup recipes for a cold day in the fall and winter months! If you love soup, be sure to check out the soup and chili page for even more delicious recipes.
I serve this creamy soup with a simple roll or salad when I am in a time crunch or have very little on hand. However, when I want to earn real mom points I serve it with these BELT sandwiches… it’s a BLT + a fried egg. 😋
🥇 Why It’s Great!
- With only 4 ingredients it's a great way to stretch your grocery budget.
- It’s an easy, homemade soup with only 15 minutes of prep time.
- It is made without flour so it is naturally gluten-free.
- It can be made in either a crockpot or a large pot (or Dutch oven) on the stovetop.
- Awesome recipe to serve to a crowd of people! See the section below on tips for serving a crowd.
🥔 Potato soup ingredients
Potatoes: The best potatoes to use when making potato soup are russet potatoes. Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes will work as well, but the texture will be different.
Onion: Yellow onion is the best for this although white onion will work as well. Stay away from red onions because they will turn the soup a color that isn’t very attractive.
Milk: Any milk you have on hand or half and half will work, although my favorites are 2% milk or whole milk.
Butter: Adds richness to the soup. Don’t skip this ingredient.
🥓 Best toppings for potato soup
Optional: These are my favorite toppings.
Bacon: A couple strips of cooked bacon are all that is needed to really make this soup something special. Bake the bacon in the oven, microwave it, or fry it on the stove top while you prep the potatoes. Then when it is time to serve the bacon is ready.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar cheese is my favorite but any cheddar will do.
Green onions: Just a quick slice and you have the perfect touch of freshness.
🔪 How to make potato soup
Slow cooker instructions
Begin by chopping the potatoes and yellow onions. Then add the diced potatoes and onions to the slow cooker along with the water. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
Once the potato chunks are falling apart, remove 1 cup of the cooking water. Add in the butter along with 1 cup of the milk, then carefully put in the immersion blender and blend until creamy and smooth.
For a thicker soup leave as is or for a thinner creamy texture add in additional milk if necessary to reach the desired consistency.
In our opinion the best potato soup recipe has minimal ingredients and is served with a smooth texture free of potato chunks. If you want more of a chunky soup or don't have an immersion blender on hand, feel free to use a potato masher. The texture won't be exactly the same, but it will still be a delicious bowl of soup.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve as is or with the optional toppings. If you opt for crispy bacon bits as a topping, try baking your bacon according to this recipe. No more bacon grease on the stovetop! It's life changing!
Stovetop instructions
After chopping the potatoes and onions, add the raw potatoes and onions to a large pot or large dutch oven along with the water. Turn the pot on to medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are falling apart. Continue preparing according to the slow cooker instructions. Once the soup is smooth, continue warming over medium heat until hot.
👨👩👧👦 For a Crowd
The best way to do this for a crowd is to have several slow cookers at your disposal. When serving a crowd I like to build in a little flex time by starting the slow cookers an hour or two earlier than usual. Once the soup has been blended, then the slow cookers can be set to “warm” for a couple hours. Stir the soup occasionally or it will form a skin on the side of the crock.
Note:
A 6 qt. slow cooker should fit 1 ½ recipes and a double batch will fit in a 7 qt. slow cooker. It may take several more hours to cook a double recipe in 1 slow cooker.
🥣 Variations
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Use salty bacon, cheddar cheese, chives and a dollop of sour cream for a fully loaded potato flavor.
- Use up leftover ham for a protein boost.
- Play around with different seasoning. A little bit of thyme or even cajun seasoning would be a fun twist.
- For a lower calorie version use skim milk and skip the toppings.
- For a richer soup, use heavy cream in place of the milk.
🙋 Questions and Answers
Potato soup can be made a few hours in advance. However, it will thicken as it cools so be sure to have some extra milk on hand to thin as necessary.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat according to the instructions below.
The best way to heat potato soup in on the stovetop thinning with a little more milk as needed. However, the microwave works as well. Just be sure to stir the bowl often of the edges of the soup will over cook. Thin with milk to the consistency you prefer.
I do not recommend freezing potato soup. Once frozen it can develop a grainy texture that is quite unpleasant.
📖 Other Great Recipes
- 🍲 For chicken stock or chicken broth based soups, this amazing Tortilla Soup and this famous White Chicken Chili are both warm and comforting additions to your winter rotation.
- 🥔 Extra potatoes to use? This freezer-friendly Twice Baked Potato Bake is busy chef's friend and the ultimate comfort side dish.
- 🥃 This Ice Tea Concentrate recipe is an easy way to serve homemade iced tea to a crowd.
- ❄ Fall Apart Roast in the crock pot is an easy recipe and the ultimate comfort food during the cooler weather.
- 🍫 Don't leave without trying this Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe. It’s chocolate comfort on a plate. Truly perfect. Every. Single. Time.
👨🏼🍳 Tips & Tricks
- Test one of the larger potato pieces before blending. When you touch it with a fork it should break apart effortlessly. It should be super soft!
- Don’t turn on the immersion blender until you have put at least 1 cup of milk or the potatoes will become gummy.
👋🏻 Connect with us!
If you try this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating to let us know how it is! We’d also love to connect with you on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag @borrowedbites or hashtag #borrowedbites to show us your food!
📋 Recipe
4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lb russet potatoes peeled, chopped, and rinsed (8-9 cups cup into 1-inch pieces)
- 1 onion chopped
- 5-6 cups water
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup milk may need an additional cup to reach desired consistency
- salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- bacon cooked and crumbled
- cheddar cheese shredded
- green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Chop potatoes and onions. Add to slow cooker with water. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. (May take several more hours if doubling the recipe)
- Once potatoes are falling apart, remove 1 cup of water. Add butter and milk, then carefully place immersion blender in the slow cooker and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can place contents in a blender until smooth. Add additional milk if necessary until desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is or with toppings.
Stovetop
- Chop potatoes and onions. Add to large pot or dutch oven along with water. Cook on medium-high heat until the potatoes are falling apart.
- Once potatoes are falling apart, remove 1 cup of water. Add butter and 1 cup of milk, then carefully place immersion blender in the slow cooker and blend until smooth. Alternatively, you can place contents in a blender until smooth. Add additional milk if necessary.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as is or with toppings.
- We love comments! Please come back and leave us one after you’ve tried this recipe.
Video
Notes
- Test one of the larger potato pieces before blending. When you touch it with a fork it should break apart effortlessly. It should be super soft!
- Don’t turn on the immersion blender until you have put at least 1 cup of milk or the potatoes will become gummy.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Emily says
Delicious and easy! I boiled my potatoes in chicken broth instead of water. The butter was a game changer
Danielle says
Emily,
I am so happy to hear how you made this recipe your own! Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
Mary says
Outstanding! I can't believe this is only four ingredients.It tastes hearty & healthy.
It is company-worthy.
Misty says
We're so glad you thought so! Thank you for taking the time to share.