Crockpot Potato Soup - Using Real Potatoes

An easy potato soup recipe to put into the Crockpot with no cream of something soup and uses real vegetables (no hashbrowns). This can easily be made vegetarian if you swap out the chicken for vegetable broth. You can also use full fat or fat free cream cheese - both work out well. This soup is easily modified, and can also be made on the stove top, if you prefer.

• Ready In: 8 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 8  cups chicken broth
• 8  cups potatoes, cubed (peeled or not)
• 1⁄2 medium onion, diced
• 1  stalk celery, diced
• 1  carrot, diced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 2 (8 ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed

Directions

1. Combine broth, potatoes, onion, celery, carrots and spices in a Crockpot. Cook on high for 4 hours, low for 8 hours.
2. Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about a minute to melt. Pull out about 2 cups of potatoes and broth and use an immersion blender to mix the soup into the cream cheese easier.
3. If you don't have an immersion blender, then pull out some potatoes and broth and mash it with a potato masher or fork until the cream cheese has thinned out.
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture back into the soup, and allow the soup to cook on low for about 30 – 45 minutes or until the cream cheese melts into the soup, stirring occasionally. At first the soup will look cloudy on top, but it will melt into the soup to make it creamy. Taste and add more seasoning if needed.
5. Serve it up with cheese, bacon, chives and anything else you want to add on top!