The Kitchn: The only potato soup recipe you need for fall
Potato soup is such a fall classic. Tender pieces of creamy russet potatoes mingle with onions, garlic and salty pancetta for a bowl of soul-soothing solace. The only possible upgrade to this classic is to make it easier with the help from the slow cooker. And let's be real -- this soup is 100 times better when it's made in the slow cooker.
To make the absolute easiest potato soup, this recipe relies on pantry staples to create a bowl of creamy, comforting soup that's as easy to make as it is to love.
It's all about the potatoes
First, this is not a chowder; there's no celery or carrot to get in the way of the potatoes. What we have here is a chunky potato soup flavored with onions, garlic and cubed pancetta, made creamy with a can of evaporated milk (yup, no cream here!). Thanks to the slow cooker, the warm and comforting soup is waiting for you when you come home.
Key steps for chunky slow cooker potato soup
1. Use russet potatoes. Russets -- the potato we reach for most often for baked and mashed potatoes -- are ideal for this soup. They hold up to hours of cooking, while providing plenty of starch to make the soup ultra creamy.
2. Skip the cream and use canned milk. Nothing against heavy cream, but for a soup that cooks for hours in the slow cooker without separating, evaporated milk is the best milk for the job. You can add it at the beginning of cooking without any fuss.
3. Thicken with flour just before serving. You may find the soup to your liking without any additional thickening or mashing. Once the potatoes are tender, though, you can adjust the texture in two ways: First, you can take a potato masher to the soup and make it a little bit smoother. Second, you can thicken the soup by making a quick slurry with some of the soup's cooking liquid and flour in a small bowl.
Serving and storing
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