Crock-Pot Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup: Let your slow cooker do all the work with this thick, creamy, vegetarian loaded baked potato soup! It’s healthy, sketch-free and full of flavor!
Bacon. I grew up thinking it was pretty much the best invention ever.
It was one of the first things I learned how to cook and I could make a perfectly crispy strip of bacon with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. (well… in theory) You can imagine everyone’s surprise when I went full on veggie and swore off the stuff.
But can you imagine my surprise when I realized not only could I not have my favorite sandwich, the ever-glorious BLT, but my favorite soup as well? It was a little slice of torture! Restaurant after restaurant offered up delicious baked potato soup and, every time I asked, I was notified that the bacon was not only a topping, but in the soup recipe itself. I was devastated. We’re talking years of rejection.
Well it’s time to break out the crock-pot and tackle the soup! Sorry bacon… but you have to get the heck out of my soup.
Healthy Crock-Pot Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup... in the Crock-pot!
Let your slow cooker do all the work with this thick, creamy, vegetarian loaded baked potato soup! It's healthy, sketch-free and full of flavor!
Ingredients
- 5 medium russet potatoes (approx. 2 pounds peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery (approximately 3 stalks)
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cups vegetable broth plus extra to taste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 cup milk plus any extra to taste
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2-3/4 cup sharp cheddar grated
- a few cranks of ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried dill (add 1/4 tsp first, taste, then double if you love it!)
TASTY TOPPINGS
- plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese
- zesty red pepper flakes
- chopped green onion chives work too!
Instructions
- Chop your veggies and toss em in the pot!
- Next add veggie broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.
- Set your slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 4 hours, or, if you're gone for the day, set it to LOW for 8 hours.
- After returning to your slow cooker, you have a very important (ok not that important) decision to make. Do you want your soup chunky or smooth? For smooth soup, use a potato masher or even an immersion blender (my tools of choice) to creamify the soup. For chunky potato soup, grab a wooden spoon and mash the potatoes partially.
Ready to eat? Simply mix in your cheese, milk, spices, and a spoonful or two of green onions or chives. For a thinner soup, you can totally add more broth or milk as desired; simply add extra seasoning and mix-ins along with it and you're good to go!
Give it a taste, add any extra seasoning as desired, toss on some toppings, and dig in! I like adding extra dill and a little more garlic powder! The flavor was spot on and I didn't miss bacon one bit! Success! It legit tastes like a loaded baked potato when you top it with sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, and green onion - love it so!
Recipe Notes
I like my baked potatoes with a crispy kosher salted skin, so I used salted butter and kosher salt in the recipe. Feel free to use unsalted butter and then salt to taste. You can always add more at the end if you decided to later. Let your tastebuds be your guide! xo
Using unsalted butter? Season a with a little extra salt, to taste.
Nutrition facts below are an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Adjust as needed based on toppings and extras.
If you get a chance to try this Crock-Pot Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup, let me know!
You can leave me a comment here or tag @PEASandCRAYONS #PEASANDCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations!
Say Cheese!
Why do I use sharp cheddar and parmigiana cheese in this soup? They’re more flavorfu! This way you can actually taste them in the soup without having to use a boatload of cheese <– aka they save me calories so I can sprinkle a little fabulous cheddahhh and a dollop of greek yogurt as a garnish before I dive in! See?
There’s a method to my madness. Well, sometimes.
So . . . How was it?
I’m at a loss of words to describe how truly awesome this soup is. It’s everything I dreamed it could be and I could easily eat it at every meal. Ok, ok — I HAVE been eating it at nearly every meal day after day. The fact that I’m not even close to being tired of this comforting crockpot wonder is a surefire sign of its amazingness.
Is it still cold where you are? Make this! If it’s warm… let me come crash on your couch and I’ll make you a bowl. We can crank up the AC while we eat it and then hit the beach afterwards. Tempting, eh?
Potato Oops
Don’t buy super giant mutant potatoes. You know the ones you look at and wind up with a food baby? If you use 5 of those you will end up with a crockpot filled to the brim with mashed potatoes. I am bound by an unspoken sisterly bond to refrain from ratting out the person responsible for this note 😉 Buy normal potatoes, lol.
We make this Crock-Pot Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup ALL. THE. TIME.
I’m a tad obsessed and hope it’s a hit in your house too! Enjoy!
krista fracker
What size slow cooker is this recipe designed for.
Jenn
Hi Krista! I use my 6 quart slow cooker to make this recipe.
Gracie
Do you think you could use almond milk and vegan cheese to make this vegan?
Jenn
Hi Gracie! The recipe relies on the butter, milk, and cheese for flavor so to veganize it you would want to rework the recipe with herbs, spices, etc… to amp up the flavor. Cashew milk is a fan favorite for creamy soups and extra garlic is always a tasty option! I’d skip using vegan cheese but would for sure opt for a salted vegan butter (or salt to taste) and just experiment from there. Both “bacon bits” and vegan tempeh bacon are tasty optional toppings. I’ll try to work on a completely vegan version for the blog this Fall! xoxo
Kischel Sutton
Just to verify, we don’t add cheese or creams in till we are ready to eat it?
Jenn
Hi Kischel! Yes exactly! After you’re done cooking the dairy will be added to prevent the dairy products from overcooking and changing consistency. The soup will be warm enough to heat them and blend well.
Aman Rossing
Absolutely delicious, my husband loves this soup. Very easy to make, lots of servings, and so filling.
Jenn
Thanks Aman! I’m so glad it was a hit! xoxo
Jessica
This is BY FAR the best soup recipe I have ever made. It’s easy, delicious, and SO filling. I used low fat cheese and 2% milk. I also sautéed the onions, celery, and garlic before putting them in the slow cooker.
Seriously the best recipe. I cant wait to make it again.
Jenn
Ahhh yay!!!! Thank you Jessica!
Bo
Literally followed the recipe and it turned out like crap! So disappointed! I’m going to order pizza now ?
Jenn
Gahhh! So sorry to hear it Bo! What wasn’t working for you? There are adjustments that can be made if you’re going for something different. Adding more cheese/milk (or even cream if you’re used to cream based potato soups which like 99% of them are) can help deliver that consistency if you’d like. Extra seasoning can always be added as well.
Ruth
Don’t need a crock pot to make this. Works great on the stove top!
Jenn
So happy it worked on the stove. Thanks Ruth! xo
Tammy K Russell
I used yellow potatoes and left them whole and heavy whipping cream instead of milk. It was amazing! Best soup we’ve ever eaten. I will use this recipe as a base starting point for ALL my soups and chowders from now on.
Tammy K Russell
The only reason I gave this recipe 5 stars was because you wouldn’t let me give it 6. Tyler says hi.
Jenn
LOL! I’m so glad you loved the soup! Hi Tyler!
Jamie
I made this yesterday (I forgot the dill, though!) and it was just delightful. Even my husband who claims he “doesn’t like potato soup” ate two bowls so calling that a win. Thanks for a super easy, awesome recipe!
Kelly Clayton
Can you freeze this ahead of time before putting it in the crockpot?
Jenn
Hi Kelly! I don’t see why not! I haven’t tested it to know for sure but I’ve seen people use that method with similar soups. Let me know if you try it!
noah
I’m trying to put this recipe in my calorie tracker app… it says that one serving is 1,978 calories?? but it says in the nutrition facts that the cals are 234? is it really 1,978 calories per serving or is my app just wrong?
Jenn
Hey Noah! I think maybe there was a glitch when the app calculated things – let me try it in mine and get right back to ya!
Jenn
So it should be 234 calories per cup of soup and there are 8 cups total. The values will vary a tad based on swaps and variations but I think your app was trying to calculate the entire slow cooker’s worth of soup, lol.
Beth
My husband said this is the best potato soup he’s ever had! Bold statement, I know, but I agreed! The dill is such a great touch. I’ll be making this recipe for years, thank you for sharing!
Jenn
Eeeeee!!! So over the moon excited y’all re loving it! Thank you Beth!
Lydia
What size slow cooker did you use? I only have a 3 quart.
Jenn
Hi Lydia! I used a 5 quart. You could halve the recipe and still wind up with quite a few bowls of soup!
Suan
Absolutely delish! I’m making it for New Year’s Eve party for vegetarians. I know it will be a hit and perfect dipped right from the crock pot!
Robyn
This is one of the best potato soup I have had ever or made. I was a bit dubious with how much butter is in it, but I am glad I didn’t reduce the amount. The only sub was I used all cheddar 2/3 smoked cheddar and 1/3 regular sharp cheddar as that was what I had on hand.
Definitely looking forward to leftovers for lunch this week!
Erin
Absolutely loved this soup. My 12 year old daughter, Ryan, decided to become a vegetarian about 6 months ago. I have been adjusting family recipes and searching out recipes on line. I found this and tried it immediately. It was a huge hit with the whole family but especially and more importantly Ryan. I have shared the recipe with the folks at work and received the same response, I am going to try the baked blueberry oatmeal tomorrow, I bought some cranberries to throw in it as well. Tis then season you know! Love your site!
Jenn
Erin I’m so thrilled y’all have been loving this soup and especially that Ryan loves it too! Hearing this totally makes my day! Don’t hesitate to let me know if there’s ever a vegetarian version of something y’all are looking for or if you need some vegetarian dinner ideas! xoxo
Christa
Made this soup and my husband and I both loved it! Added Dill and Smoke Paprika and fresh corn. We are doing the veggie thing so tried vegan bacon aka facon. It was okay. Gave us the crunch on top we were looking for. We both decided we would like to try adding some fish or crab next time.
Monika Moskwa
Please I would like to know the nutrient facts for that recipe
Jenn
Hi Monika! I used my recipe card’s nutrition calculator to add the soup’s nutrition facts, great suggestion! xoxo
Brit
Just a heads up, Parmesan cheese isn’t considered to be vegetarian! I’m gonna try the recipe without it! Thanks for sharing.
Jenn
Ohmygosh Brit I just fell down a Google rabbit hole reading about the specifics! Since the parm adds a bit of flavor here I would add some extra sharp cheddar (all the Cabot cheeses are considered vegetarian) and then any extra seasoning to taste to amp up the flavors. I’m big on adding extra scallions and like to add a little smoked paprika too lately!
Jann
I know I’m late to the party here, but I just found this recipe two days ago, made it in the crockpot yesterday and WOW!! My husband even thought it was phenomenal, and it’s hard to please him with a new recipe. Thanks for sharing this! My only variation is, I used almond milk instead of regular milk, I doubled the amount of crushed garlic, and I added about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning. Our new fave for fall/winter!
pam
Thank you for leaving this comment! I was just wondering if almond milk would work instead of regular milk. Now, I am DEFINITELY going to try this recipe!
Renee Goerger
When this soup is cooking in the crockpot my entire family is excited about dinnertime!
Jenn
Super happy to hear it Renee, thank you! We are always pretty stoked to faceplant into this soup as well!
Stefanie
Followed this recipe exactly and it turned out horrible. The potatoes sucked up all the broth and now I just have potatoes.
Jenn
So sorry to hear you found the potato soup too thick it as written Stefanie. Our family likes our soup nice and thick (Not quite mashed potatoes thick but pretty hearty haha!) so I wrote it as so. If you prefer a soupier soup you can by all means add some milk and/or broth to the soup to reach your perfect consistency. It’s really one of those soups that you can totally adjust to taste to make as creamy, thick, or soupy as you’d like.
shirley
How is this baked potato soup?
Jenn
Hey Shirley! It tastes like a loaded baked potato in soup form – we love it!
Lexie
I loooove this soup. So creamy, yummy, and filling. And so easy to make! My family all gave good reviews. I halve the recipe all the time and make it in my smaller crock pot just for me!
Thanks for this one!
Jenn
So so so happy to hear it Lexie, thank you!!
Emily
Ummm…okay. This is amazing. Had to give you a quick shoutout because of how seriously wonderful this is (hubby agrees)!
Jen C.
My husband went NUTS over the Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup! Another hearty yet healthy recipe and we love it! This is one of those nice meals to go to on a cold, rainy day. It is very flavorful and zesty. I am a huge parmesan fan so I may have gone a bit heavy here. 🙂
Niya
Can we freeze left overs?
Jenn
Hi Niya! I’ve frozen this with great results!
Barbara Alfeo
Ok, I am clearly obsessed with your blog now. I absolutely love your recipe! I am writing vegetarian recipe round ups on my blog in 2018 (to encourage people to try meatless monday- everyone has to start somewhere) and would love to feature you. You can check out my blog (for beginner environmentalists) at sunshineguerrilla.com. Is it alright if I share this link to your recipe?
Jenn
I’d be honored, thank you!
Amanda
I love the idea of making baked potato soup in the slow cooker! What a great way to make a comfort food classic without having to babysit the pot. It looks so thick and creamy, and I love that you’ve used both cheddar and parmesan in it. YUM!
Jennifer
This potato soup is perfect! Not too rich, yet still full with tons of flavor!!
Heather Siebers
what size crock pot should be used? I have a 5 quart size.
Jenn
Hey Heather! I used a 5 quart so you’re good to go! I think I’m actually going to be making it this week as well – I’ve been craving a big bowl of potato soup. 🙂
Jennifer
I find regular potato soup recipes to be very heavy… fat laden and just too much. This recipe was perfect and satisfying!!! And get this…I’m not even vegan! ILOVE your recipes and blog!
Jenn
Thanks Jennifer! So glad you loved it!
Sarah
I had to make a lot of changes, the soup was very bland as well as not having enough fat. Called my friend who is a vegan chef and he helped me make these adjustments. I ended up adding, 1/4 cup or so Nutritional Yeast, 1 can unsweetened full fat coconut milk, 1/2 tsp or so more dill, Onion Powder, Sage, and more pepper.
Jenn
Hey Sarah! Though the recipe can indeed easily be made vegan, the recipe itself does contain sharp cheddar, parmesan, and butter, all of which add both fat and flavor to the soup so it’s very important to make swaps to add both fat and seasoning back in for the soup to not be bland, ya know? Nutritional yeast is always a great option, as is coconut milk and more spices to make up for the loss of the cheese flavors. Making changes/swaps/additions are very essential when taking out a large portion of the recipe’s ingredients as it is no longer the same recipe but something entirely new.
Sarah
Sorry I didn’t express this more clearly. I did use the non vegan ingredients, as I am not vegan myself. I called my friend who IS vegan to help with kicking it up a bit because he is a chef and would know what I could put in that would keep the soup vegetarian for my sister. I followed the recipe exactly before I called him, and I only did that when it was supposed to be ready to serve.
Jenn
Ahhhh gotcha! We had it last night with the extra dill I mentioned in the recipe, sharp cheddar on top and a dollop of sour cream and still found it crazy flavorful. We make this one a lot! I *totally* get that everyone has different taste buds though and likes different degrees of seasoning. I have some readers that want basic flavors and some that want #alltheseasoning – we all have a set palate for sure. Hoping the extras your friend suggested rocked your socks and thanks for stopping over to chat, it means a lot to me! 🙂
Susannah
I just made this as my first crockpot recipe I’ve ever made! It was delicious. I left the skins on and it actually gave the soup a nice texture as i also mashed it so it was moreno chunk. I also added a couple handfuls of spinach for some extra green and chives and a little rosemary as well. Love that it’s so simple, flavorful and gluten-free!!
Nancy
Has anyone tried adding corn.
I’m thinking it would be a good variation.
Jenn
Sounds tasty to me! Totally let me know if you try it Nancy! 🙂
Sasha
DELISH! , which includes the sentiment of my 4 yr old. I hate to be “that guy” but i did a few variations. I olimated the parm cheese, simply bc i didnt have any. i added broccoli bc i love it on baked potatoes, AND its my 4 yr old’s fav veggie. I used lil heavy cream for its creamyness, and im new to vegaterianism, and too would miss the bacon so i garnished with fresh dill, chives, cheese and a vegan bacon and it was PERFECT to fool the palette! ps, the 4 yr old thought it was our reg old turkey bacon 🙂
Jenn
So glad y’all enjoyed it Sasha! Broccoli sounds like a magical addition and I love the fakin’ “bacon” on top with dill/cheese/chives – I hope you saved me a bowl! 🙂
Daniellie Conley
Tried this tonight. Didn’t have enough time for the crock pot so I did it as a stove top and it was so easy and great! The only problem is I didn’t make enough! Can’t wait to make this again!
Jenn
Bahaha that’s my exact problem – once the last bowl is licked clean I’m like gahhh need more! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Holly
I love the idea of this!! I have a question for anyone able to answer- if I will only have about an hour and a half to prepare and cook this, is it cool to just throw all of this yummy goodness into a pot and let it hang on med-high heat for an hour or so?
Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
Jenn
Hey Holly! You can 100% make this on the stove-top and have it done way faster. Do you have a large dutch oven by any chance? Those work great but a large stainless steel pot will work as well! Add the broth, potato, onion, celery, and garlic to your pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and let it simmer until potatoes are very tender and easily mashed and then just follow along the remaining instructions from the recipe above. If you’d like you can also opt to sauté the onion/celery/garlic in butter before adding the potatoes and broth – browning the onion will give it extra flavor 🙂 Happy cooking!!! xo
Jon
Made THE recipe TONIGHT. I love it. Not too fat and creamy like many baked potatoe soup RECIPES are. Added 1/2 cup sour cream. Added more seasonings to taste than recommended. Added bacon to the top which was necessary, Imo. FORGOT the green ONIONS which were SOARLY missed. Don’t be shy on the sharp cheese on top, more is better!
Shona
Whoa! This soup has loads of flavour. My 17 month old son and I ate 2 big helpings each and I’ll definitely be making it again. Super tasty!
Hilary
HI Jenn,
You are the Loaded Potato Soup Godess! I just made it for the first time and ate TWO bowls! It is seriously delicious! Can’t wait to try all your other recipes! So glad I found you!
Jenn
I’m so glad you found me too Hilary! And I’m over the moon that you loved the recipe 🙂 For sure let me know what you end up trying next! xoxo
Shari
I chose the vegan substitutes and it was a hit with my vegan daughter, and me. Thanks, I’ll be making this often.
Jenn
So thrilled y’all enjoyed it Shari!! Thank you! 🙂
Jessie
So glad i came across this on Pinterest! It was so easy and turned out delicious! My two year old loves it, so that’s a big plus!
I diced up and threw in a green bell pepper that I had laying around, and it turned out well too!
Jenn
So thrilled you enjoyed it, Jessie! Love the addition of a bell pepper too! That’s such a great way to clean out the crisper drawer.
Amber Burton
Just made this for a potluck with some friends and it was delicious!! Turned out perfect! I added a bit more garlic (we’re garlic lovers over here) and will definitely be making this again and again!! Thanks for sharing!! ?
Rebecca
Would it be okay to leave the skins on the potatoes? Or is that a no no?
Jenn
Hey Rebecca! If you’d like to use yukon gold or red potatoes instead of the russet (just use a little more b/c they’re smaller – their skin is thinner and tastier) and leave the skin on you 100% could but it will take on a different texture, kind of like when we make skin-on smashed/mashed potatoes. I always let a little bit of the skin sneak by whenever I make it, but don’t use entirely skin-on potatoes just because it wouldn’t be an overall creamy soup anymore. I worry it might be gritty? I’m totally rambling haha – Let me know if you try it either way! <3 xoxo
Bethesda Lily
I’ve been thinking of making this for some time, but haven’t gotten around to it. I’ll probably try making this in the next few days or so. How well does it keep if there are leftovers? Does this soup freeze well? Also, how should I handle the cheese if I hope to keep leftover soup? Thanks!
Jenn
Leftovers are just as good (if not better!) than the first bowl! I usually keep mine in the fridge for up to 4 days and freeze the rest if any is left over. The cheese in the fridge is no big deal since it reheats well from chilled but if you’re making it with intent to freeze it the texture will change a smidge. It bothers some people and not others so if you’re unsure, you can always swirl in your cheese just before serving in both cases 🙂 Hope you adore it! This is one of our favorite soups to make and devour!
Kelsey
I have this lovely concoction simmering in the crockpot now, but just discovered I am out of dill. 🙁 Do you have a suggestion as to another herb to substitute?? Thanks!
Jenn
Fret not! It’s a super versatile soup! You can add anything that floats your boat. Sometimes I’ll add chives or extra green onion, other times I’ve added basil and given it a pesto spin (LOVE!) – follow your tastebuds and it’ll be a-ok 😉 <3 Hope you love the soup, Kelsey!
Kelsey
Thank you for the suggestion! I tried the basil and it was delicious! I’ll look forward to trying it with the dill next time. 🙂
Angie
Thanks for the recipe. My family and I enjoy it. I double the recipe but it takes me about an hour of prep time. I think it takes me more than 15 minutes just to peel and chop the potatoes.
Jenn
So glad you all love the recipe! How much time does it typically take you prep-wise? I chop entirely too fast for my own safety (according to my husband, eek!) and plan on timing myself next time I make the recipe to see. I’d love to compare notes on timing to get a good average 🙂 Loving the input and thanks so much for the sweet comment Angie! <3
Megan
I made this two days ago and have been thinking about it ever since…it was super delicious and all bowls were licked clean. Thinking about making it again this weekend!
Jenn
Aw thanks for making my day Megan! So stoked you love it! Save me a bowl next time will ya? 😉
ellen
If you were really desperate for some “bacon,” Bac~o’s are vegan, believe it or not 😀
Jenn
haha YES! I know that now but at the time was utterly clueless 😉 Thanks Ellen!
Laurel
This came out really intense! It’s nothing like any potato soup I’ve ever had. My boyfriend loves it, but I may need to water it down a little for myself.
Jenn
Hey Laurel! I love my soups intense and flavor-packed – Absolutely feel free to add extra broth to the mix, that should dial down the flavor profile and be perfect for you! That’s the glory of soups – so easy to customize to taste!
Claire
Made it and it was so good. I’m a bit late to the party but you know that bacon bits are usually vegetarian? They were really good on too of it. I mean like the ones you buy in the spice aisle. Just thought you would like to know!
Jenn
Thanks Claire! Glad you loved the salad! Ohmygosh and YES! I keep forgetting that! They’re soy-based, right?
Rachel
oh yum. my husband has a thing for potato soup, and so we always have (gasp) several cans of it lying around. I’ve been looking to make a homemade version, so will definitely give this a go!
Whitney
Made it and love it! Does it freeze well?