Easy Slow Cooker Potato Soup
Adapted from The Kitchn
It's potato soup; it's so good; it means fall is here and you need a place for your scallions to rest atop a bed of creamy potatoes with pancetta. And you need some bread from Berlin Natural Bakery to go with it!
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds russet potatoes (about 8 medium), peeled and diced
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (or can use red), peeled and diced
4 ounces pancetta, cubed (or use bacon)
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more as needed
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
1 tsp Himalayan salt plus more as needed
1/4 cup butter or vegan butter
Serving options: Top with thinly sliced SCALLIONS, Cooked bacon or pancetta, Shredded cheddar cheese or parmesan cheese, crumbled crackers
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the slow cooker on LOW. Before you begin peeling and chopping the vegetables, preheat a 6-quart or larger slow cooker on the LOW setting. This will help jump-start the cooking process.
Pile the vegetables into the slow cooker. Place the potatoes, pancetta, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker.
Add the broth. Pour in the broth. Give the mixture a stir to combine.
Season and cook for 3 to 4 hours on HIGH, or 6 to 8 on LOW. Add the salt, thyme, and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the potatoes and onions are tender, 3 to 4 hours on the HIGH setting or 6 to 8 hours on the LOW setting.
Thirty minutes before serving, thicken the soup. Before thickening the soup, taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Whisk together the evaporated milk, melted butter, and flour in a small pitcher or measuring cup. Add this slurry into the soup and stir to combine. Cover and cook until the soup thickens, about 30 minutes more.
Serving and holding the soup. Serve the soup with the topping options. If not serving immediately, turn your slow cooker to the warm setting for up to 1 1/2 hours. As the soup cools, some separation might occur, but it’s nothing a stir won't remedy. Also add some bread or spelt rolls, and some salad!
