Crockin...Potato Soup Version

Hi my name is Jules and I love to eat....especially anything that contains cream...hmmm creamy goodness... I have to snap out of that thought and drown myself in a slightly healthier yet still super creamy potato soup.

I have been on a mission to make everything a little healthier for my family and in that mission I never dreamt of potato soup because all the cream combined with potatoes is never a good combination. Until I was flipping through the recipe book that came with my newest crock and ran across a recipe for potato onion chowder and thought I have a ton of potatoes and some fresh mushrooms that need to be used so I began testing out ways that I could use the base recipe for the chowder and end up with a creamy potato soup using everyday items found in most kitchens and no cream so I could enjoy it without feeling too terribly guilty!



Chop a small onions, 2 celery stalks and 2 cloves garlic and sauté them in olive oil until the onions are cooked through. As you can see I like the onions and garlic to be a little more on the brown side.
I typically have garlic, celery and onions on hand at all times, but if you don't no worries this will still come out amazing if you leave these out. You can also substitute fennel, carrots, or any other veggies that you like as this just adds a kick of flavor to the soup.

I used a 6 quart smart pot and basically just about filled the bottom with the garlic, onion, and celery mixture. If you like more veggies add them in as I haven't found a way that this can be a mess yet! I must add that I have tried hard to mess this up and have quite a few quarts of super yummy potato soup to vouch for it in my freezer.

I used the mix of gold potatoes I had on hand when I was photographing, but have used a mix of white and reds as well. Just use what you have and aim for about 10-12 small to medium large potatoes.

I make a mixture of larger and smaller chunks of potatoes as I want some to turn to mush and mix into the base and others to remain firmer so there are some chunks in my soup. This is completely my preference, but if you want perfectly smooth soup make all your chunks uniform and on the smaller side. If you are adding fresh mushrooms, slice and add them here as well. I have added up to a pound of sliced mushrooms here without changing anything.

 Once the potatoes are in I open my very messy spice/random kitchen stuff cabinet and wanted to share this picture since I was recently told that my house is always spotless! Hello I have kids...there is always kid stuff everywhere and I am terrible at organization..see pic to right if you need confirmation of that.

Please note that I do not endorse any specific brand of spices or herbs..these are just what is readily available and non budget breaking in my area.

Since I already had the garlic and onion I added the Herb Provence mix..this is not an everyday spice mix I buy but a nice size container under 5 bucks how could I pass and it is primarily Rosemary, Marjoram, and Thyme..and some Sea Salt. If you didn't have any garlic or onion and have some powder feel free to add generous amounts of both here. This is 2 heaping tablespoons of the herb mix and 1 teaspoon of the Sea Salt. When I am not documenting the recipe I shake away until my heart is content then give and extra shake for good measure and that works too!

Once you have your spices added you need to add water until you cover your potatoes. Using the same amount of potatoes that I used it comes to 6 cups of water. This is where you might go awry....make sure the potatoes are covered by the water but don't get too upset if the spices collect on the sides of your crock. I use a wooden spoon and push them down into the water but there is no need to stir at all. Maybe you are a better water pourer than I am and don't make an herb mess on the side and I say woohoo you rock....I aim to get the water in the crock and not on the floor!

 I usually mix up everything at night and put it in the fridge so in the morning there is minimal time needed to get dinner going. So if you have your soup chilling in the fridge put it straight into the base and turn your time to low 10 hours and forget about it while you are working. No stirring or worry needed.....right up my alley.

 When you get home, if you have a stick blender get after the soup with it. If not a blender of food processor also work amazingly well. I used a gift card to get my stick blender at an amazing price online, but I am addicted to buying kitchen gadgets!

 I added 1/2 cup sour cream to the mix to get the creaminess that I crave. Here is where if you have food sensitivities especially to gluten to watch your sour cream to ensure that it is gluten free as not all are gluten free. I know this as a friend has recently had to go gluten free for her daughter's health, so as part of her support net I am trying to get educated.

 Once it's all mixed this is what it is going to look like. It is thick like the potato soup my Grandma made and just as flavorful as I recall.
I do have a confession to make here that at first I was also adding cheese to the soup and mixing it in......oh so good but I ultimately cut out the cheese in the soup to save on a few calories....but I won't tell if you walk on the wild side and add it in!

I, of course, add cheese to the top of the soup once I get it into my bowl, but would be good with anything you like to add to the top.










I hope that this is a super easy soup that can help you through the long winter without breaking the bank or your calorie count if you are counting them. As I mentioned this soup freezes like a dream and is super thick when it is cold but once you reheat it goes back to the same consistency as the day you made it.


For printable recipe visit here.