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Slow Cooker Irish Potato Soup

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This easy Irish Potato Soup is a great easy weeknight slow cooker recipe your family will love! This comforting bowl of soup is studded with bacon, shredded welsh cheddar cheese and freshly chopped chives.

This easy Irish Potato Soup is a great easy weeknight slow cooker recipe your family will love! This comforting bowl of soup is studded with bacon, shredded welsh cheddar cheese and freshly chopped chives.

 

 

irish potato soup in bowl with bread behind

 

For this month’s Historically Hungry Challenge Amy and I wanted to revisit an event in history that totally changed an entire country – Ireland and the Great Potato Famine! Normally when we do our historical recipes, I try and create something that might have been enjoyed during that time and place. But that wouldn’t really work in this case (Because – “Here you go, its a bowl of air! Dig it!” doesn’t normally fly very well).

 

Instead I wanted to pay homage to Ireland and the humble little tuber that caused so much chaos – the potato. During the 1800’s, most people ate a mostly vegetarian meal, and it mostly consisted of soups and stews – so a potato soup that cooks all day in the slow cooker was a perfect choice!

 

Serve this with Irish Soda Bread for a delicious and awesome meal!

 

potato soup being labeled out of bowl

 

 

A Brief Look at The Great Potato Famine

The Great Potato Famine was a period in Ireland’s history around 1845-1849 where a potato blight infected potatoes and caused (to put it lightly) a LOT of suffering.

 

Basically, a disease caused by a type of fungus infected all the potatoes that destroyed both the leaves and the tubers of the potato plant. Before the blight hit, a lot of tenant farmers were already struggling to provide for their families. The potato was a favorite choice for crop because it was hardy, nutritious, and calorie dense and grew easily in the land. In fact, it was such a favorite crop that nearly half of the population had come to depend on the potato as a major (or complete) staple in their diet. When the blight hit, most of the potato crop was rotting in the field, and the people quickly became hungru.

 

The disease spread throughout Europe, but because of Ireland’s dependence upon the potato, it was really catastrophic there. Unfortunately, year after year, things got worse. There was no food, no jobs, diseases ran rampant, the government failed to act adequately, the economy was in shambles, and people were dying. Things were just… crappy.

 

By the end of the famine, over a million Irish people had died, another million and a half had emigrated elsewhere!


To read more about the Irish Potato Famine, read this article from Birtannica.com and this one from BBC is a really great article that explains how the crop failure became such a catastrophe!

Soooo… now that we are all depressed, lets eat some soup, shall we?

 

potato soup in blue pot with ladles

 

How to Prep Irish Potato Soup Ahead

This Irish Soup is easy to prepare ahead of time.

 

  • You can peel and dice the potatoes the evening before. Place the potato pieces in a pot of cold water in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • The onion, celery and garlic can be diced ahead of time and stored in an air tight container in the fridge.
  • Cook the bacon and store in the fridge until the morning.
  • Shred the cheese and store it in the fridge until ready to serve.

 

This potato soup also reheats well, making it really good for leftovers and meal prep.

 

soup in blue bowl with ladle and bread

 

How to serve Slow Cooker Potato Soup

 

How to serve soup as finger foods: This potato soup can be served to toddlers as finger food by straining out the solids from the liquids. Also serve with some shredded cheese, diced soft-cooked bacon, and finely chopped chives.

 

For children, Irish potato soup can be served in a small bowl. Allow the children to top their soup with the toppings they choose – shredded cheese, bacon pieces, chopped chives, and pepper. Sour cream would be a great addition, too!

 

For Adults, this easy potato soup can be topped with your favorite toppings and enjoyed! Serve with crusty bread and butter and enjoy!

 

soup in bowl with soup in pot behind

 

How Kids Can Help Make Slow Cooker Potato Soup

One of the best ways of getting kids interested in eating new foods is to have them help you make the meal! Here are some great age appropriate ways to get your kids in the kitchen with you:

  • Kids aged 1 to 3 can help you measure the ingredients, and wash and dry the potatoes, and celery.
  • Kids aged 4 to 6 can help do everything above, plus help you shred the cheese, and chop the chives.
  • Kids aged 7 to 10+ can help do everything above, plus help you dice the onions and celery, chop the cooked bacon.

*Please note that these recommendations are generalized, and to please use your personal discretion with your child’s skill level. And always, always supervise! Read more about how to have your children help you in the kitchen.

 

potato soup in bowl with soup in pot behind

 

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Slow Cooker Irish Potato Soup

This easy Irish Potato Soup is a great easy weeknight slow cooker recipe your family will love! This comforting bowl of soup is studded with bacon, shredded welsh cheddar cheese and freshly chopped chives.
4.65 from 115 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Crock Pot Recipes
Cuisine: Irish
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 718kcal

Ingredients

Soup

  • 10 strips bacon divided
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1.5 lb Idaho potatoes
  • 4 cups unsalted chicken broth
  • 1 Tablespoon dried parsley
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • cup flour
  • 1 ½ cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • ½ cup sour cream

For Serving:

  • cup chopped chives
  • cup shredded cheddar cheese.
  •  

Instructions

  • Cook the bacon until crispy. When cool, crumble or dice into small pieces. Divide in half - place half in a sealed container and place in the fridge until it is time to serve. Place the remaining half into the slow cooker.
  • Wash, and peel the potatoes. Dice into 2" cubes. Dice the onion and celery. Mince the garlic.
  • Place the diced onion, celery, garlic and potatoes into the slow cooker with half of the bacon.
  • Add in the broth, dried parsley, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for 8 hours (or high heat for 4 hours).
  • Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to mash/puree some of the potatoes in the slow cooker. You don't have to get them all or make it perfect, just give it a good go.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Melt the butter and heat until it starts to sizzle.
  • Whisk in the flour and stir for 1 minute.
  • Slowly (about 1/4 cup at a time) add in the milk, whisking after each addition until the milk is completely mixed in.
  • Continue whisking and cooking for 5 minutes, or until the sauce begins to thicken.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the 2 cups shredded cheese and sour cream.
  • Mix the sauce into the soup and stir to combine.
  • Ladle the soup into bowls and top with reserved bacon, shredded cheddar cheese  and chives.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

A welsch type cheddar cheese is a perfect one to use, but any mild or sharp cheddar will work well here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 718kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 1057mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g

Want a more visual step by step? Check out the how to make slow cooker Irish potato soup story.

28 Comments

  1. Rick Martin says:

    Hi Jenni!
    I’m purchasing the ingredients to make this soup now. It sounds delicious! May I ask where you indicate 2 “stalks” of celery, are you saying 2 “ribs” of celery or do you actually mean the entire stalk? I understand there to be different meanings to different people. Thanks!

    1. Hi Rick! Isn’t it confusing how the same thing can be called different things? I grew up with my family calling each piece a stalk, but I see now that it should actually be called a rib! Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I will get that changed so it is more clear.

  2. Absolutely delicious. My family loved this recipe. They were fighting over who gets the last bowel to take for lunch tomorrow.

  3. Heather Jones says:

    This soup looks lovely but I can’t get Idaho potatoes, are they new potatoes or old ones?

    1. You can use another yellow variety of potato – sometimes they are called Yukon Gold. Typically you want something that is a medium starch level so the cut pieces will hold their shape while cooking but you can also easily mash some to create the right texture and thickness of the soup. If you can’t find a good yellow variety, you can use a russet potato but know that the cut pieces won’t hold their shape as well.

  4. Delicious! I made it stovetop and it turned out awesome. The only thing I did differently, I did half cheddar, half Gruyère, wow so tasty, perfect meal for a cold night in Minnesota.

    1. Stephanie Ridge says:

      Thank you for this recioe ..
      It is yummy .
      Cooked it today for ST.Pattys day ..
      My daughter said we need to have it once a month.
      Had it cooking while at church today and the finish up was so easy 😋

  5. When do you put the bacon in? I’m guessing when you put the onions, celery, garlic, and potatoes? Please let me know if this is correct.
    Thank you.

    1. Yes, step 1 says to add half of them into the slow cooker. I will make that step more clear. Thank you.

  6. Is this able to be frozen and stored for later? What’s the fridge shelf life

    1. Yes, you can freeze this soup! Make sure to store it in a freezer safe container that has been labeled. It should last up to 6 months. Enjoy!

  7. Rick Sorensen says:

    This was a great soup and I will be made many more times. It hit the spot.

    Please note that the ingredients and the directions do not tell you what to do with the potatoes. My guess was to peel and dice, which is what I die. I later found that the blog mentions peeling and dicing.

    I recommend changing the ingredients to read

    1 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peel and dice into 1 to 2 inch pieces

  8. Meghan Rubright says:

    How many people can this feed I have 15 people that I am cooking for?

    1. Hey Meghan! I have 6 listed as the serving size, but those are BIG bowls of soup. I have served it to 10 before without an issue (but some of those were kids). If your slow cooker can handle it, I would suggest doubling it. If you added a salad, some bread, some appetizers before hand, you might be able to squeeze 15 out of it.

  9. Can you cook potato soup if you don’t have slow cooker appliance?

    1. Yes! You can cook this on the stovetop, too! The directions will be a bit different because it will no longer be a recipe where you put all the ingredients in the pot and walk away for the day. You will need to sauté the veggies (not the potatoes), make the broth base, and then add the potatoes and cook until tender.

  10. I only had 4 strips of turkey bacon, which was fine, but definitely increase the salt content of you’re not using pork bacon. Otherwise, good!

  11. Just wondering if you’ve ever made this without slow cooking? I was wondering if I should saute the veggies first

    1. Yes! If you want to make it on the stovetop, make sure to sauté the veggies first!

      1. Good idea..thanks 👍

    2. @Jenni, OMG! This is so good! I didn’t slow cook it and I think the only thing I did different was I used Better Than Bullion instead of chicken broth. I had some Irish Potato soup at Jason’s Deli and your recipe was beyond my expectations! Thank you for an outstanding recipe!

  12. Carl Roberts says:

    I followed the recipe as written. I did not taste test prior to serving this to friends. Everyone said it taste good. When I tasted the soup, I thought I was eating food from a very good restaurant. So delicious. I will be making this soup again. Thank you so much for this recipe.

  13. Mmmm..this soup looks so creamy & tasty!! I love all the ingredients in it! I will be trying it ASAP!

  14. This soup is fantastic. It is so cold where we are that I cant get enough!

  15. Aimee Shugarman says:

    Made this for dinner and it was so delicious. My family asked to have it on our regular rotation!

  16. This is such a great soup – so easy to make and the whole family loved it!

4.65 from 115 votes (107 ratings without comment)

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