Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
Soft potatoes and small pieces of ham make a simple soup feel generous. Some of the potatoes are mashed into the broth, leaving a mixture of smoothness and tender chunks. Ladle it into bowls while it is hot and settle down with a savory spoonful.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 480 min
- Total
- 500 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Slow cooker
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
- Dish type
- Soups · Soups & stews
A few quick notes
1. Season at the end
Leave out salt and pepper during slow cooking, then taste after mashing to decide how much the soup needs.
2. Wait for soft potatoes
Cook covered until the potatoes are fall-apart tender before using the masher, so they break down easily into the broth.
3. Mash some, not all
Lightly mash directly in the cooker, leaving potato pieces alongside the mash for a mixture of textures in the finished soup.
Get to know the ingredients
Small ham pieces
Cut the ham into small pieces before adding it with the vegetables and liquids, ready to distribute through the finished soup.
Russet potatoes
Peel and dice the Russets before slow cooking. Their tender pieces provide both the chunks and the mashed portion of this soup.
Chopped vegetables
Peel and chop the carrot, then chop celery and onion before adding them together at the start of cooking.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 2 steps completeMake room for Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Taste and ladle
After lightly mashing, adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve immediately, keeping both potato pieces and broth in each bowl.
A little more help as you go
A larger cooker
This soup uses a seven-quart slow cooker, with all the initial ingredients cooking together under its cover.
Broth plus water
Use both the listed broth and water in the initial mixture. They cook with the ham, vegetables and potatoes from the start.
A few questions you might have
Can I use low-sodium broth?
Use low-sodium chicken broth if salt is a concern, then taste and season the finished soup.
Does the ham need browning first?
The directions put it straight into the slow cooker with the other ingredients, keeping only salt and pepper for the finish.
Can I use either cooker setting?
The directions allow six to eight hours on low or three to four on high, aiming for fall-apart tender potatoes.
Do I have to transfer soup to mash it?
Use a potato masher directly in the slow cooker, lightly breaking down some potatoes while leaving other pieces intact.
When does the garlic go in?
Add the minced garlic at the beginning with vegetables, ham, potatoes, Italian seasoning and the liquids before covering the cooker.
Any more cooking tips?
This is the 7-quart Crockpot I used to make this recipe. Here’s the stovetop version of this soup, and I’ve also got an Instant Pot version of this soup. Use low-sodium chicken broth if salt is a concern for you.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: saltandlavender.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
