Description
This Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup is a comforting, creamy vegetarian soup packed with diced potatoes, celery, onion, and flavorful seasonings slow-cooked to perfection in a crock-pot. It’s an easy, healthy recipe that tastes just like a loaded baked potato without the bacon, topped with sharp cheddar, Greek yogurt or sour cream, and fresh green onions for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 5 medium russet potatoes (approx. 2 pounds peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes)
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
Liquids & Dairy
- 3 cups vegetable broth (plus extra to taste)
- 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 cheese (grated)
Seasonings & Toppings
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- a few cranks of ground black pepper
- 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 desired)
- Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream (for topping)
- Freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese (for topping)
- Zesty red pepper flakes (for topping)
- Chopped green onion or chives (for topping)
Instructions
- Prepare Vegetables: Chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes, finely dice the celery, dice the onion, and mince the garlic. Place all the chopped vegetables into your crock-pot.
- Add Liquids and Seasonings: Pour in the vegetable broth, add the minced garlic, salted butter, kosher salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and dried dill. Stir everything gently to combine.
- Cook Soup: Cover the slow cooker and set it to HIGH. Cook the soup for 4 hours, or if you are away for an extended period, set it to LOW and cook for 8 hours. The vegetables will soften and flavors meld.
- Choose Soup Texture: Once cooking is complete, decide if you want a smooth or chunky soup. For smooth, use an immersion blender or potato masher to creamify the soup thoroughly. For chunkier texture, use a wooden spoon to partially mash the potatoes.
- Mix in Dairy and Cheese: Stir in the grated Parmesan, sharp cheddar, and milk. Add more broth or milk if you prefer a thinner consistency. Adjust seasonings by tasting and adding any extra salt, pepper, or dill as desired.
- Serve and Garnish: Ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, zesty red pepper flakes, and chopped green onions or chives for that authentic loaded baked potato flavor.
Notes
- This slow cooker soup is perfect for an easy, hands-off recipe that yields a thick, creamy, vegetarian meal.
- Adjust the dill quantity carefully to suit your taste; start with less and add more if desired.
- For a thinner soup consistency, simply add extra vegetable broth or milk and season accordingly.
- Enjoy toppings like sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and green onions to replicate the loaded baked potato experience without bacon.
- Using an immersion blender is the easiest way to achieve a smooth texture, but a potato masher works well too.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 234
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 864 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 28 mg
