I got this recipe from a food blog.
- Carbohydrate 51.078886258752 g
- Cholesterol 71.6421084352 mg
- Fat 22.31670737408 g
- Fiber 3.16199989557266 g
- Protein 12.611409085568 g
- Saturated Fat 12.1261618025664 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (478g)
- Sodium 770.554435969315 mg
- Sugar 47.9168863631793 g
- Trans Fat 2.6571466361856 g
- Calories 447 calories
Step-by-step
- Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
- Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
- Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!
Home cooks frequently turn the slow cooker dial and walk away, assuming that time alone guarantees a velvety finish. Russet potatoes contain high levels of starch, which breaks down during long cooking cycles to naturally thicken the surrounding chicken stock without requiring a separate roux. Keeping the potato dice uniform at roughly one-half inch ensures that every piece softens at the identical rate over the six-hour high or ten-hour low cooking window. Softened cream cheese and heavy cream introduce milk fats that stabilize the pureed starch molecules, preventing the soup from breaking or separating as it cools.
Evaluating Doneness and Texture Control
Determining when this soup is ready requires relying on physical cues rather than digital instrumentation. Press a potato cube against the interior wall of the slow cooker using the back of a wooden spoon; if it yields with zero resistance and begins to feather at the edges, the starches are fully gelatinized. Introducing the immersion blender directly into the pot allows for precise control over the final mouthfeel, letting you leave half the cubes intact for rustic body while liquefying the rest to absorb the dairy. Softening the cream cheese completely to room temperature before stirring it in prevents stubborn white lumps from forming in the finished broth.
- Refrigerate leftovers within two hours in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze individual portions without the heavy cream addition if planning for long-term storage, as high-fat dairy can occasionally curdle upon thawing.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring constantly to redistribute the separated fats.
