Crockpot soups are a form of comfort food that crosses the line into abundance flavors with rich and hearty tastes, that warm the soul. The cooking time allows the flavour of the ingredient to come together so beautifully and deeply that you can’t rush it. If you’re like me, relaxing with soup on busy days—simply set it up and let it cook—sounds fantastic! The outcome is a comforting, home cooked meal that’s low effort, encompass the spirit of comfort food.
One of the unique things about this Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is the amazing balance of texture and taste. It is creamy, a velvety base made from tender potatoes. A perfect piece of ground beef—cooked—pays the heartiness and savory robustness, marrying the creaminess. The herbs and spices have more time to flavour throughout their cooking process making for a richer dish, and one that feels like a warm hug on a cold day.
But this soup is different because it is versatile and able to be customized. There are also a few ways you can adjust the seasoning, swap protein, or add fresh vegetables. If you’re seeking a hearty family night dinner in a bowl, or a decadent indulgence for tonight, Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup has you covered.
Ingredients
Best Crockpot Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey for a lighter option
- 6 medium potatoes peeled and diced (preferably Russet or Yukon Gold)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half for a lighter option
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese optional, for added richness
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour optional, for thickening
- 1 tbsp olive oil for browning the meat
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley or chives for garnish
Instructions
Directions:
- Prepare the Ingredients
- Peel and dice the potatoes, chop the vegetables, and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until browned. Drain excess fat.
- Layer the Ingredients in the Crockpot
- Place the diced potatoes at the bottom of the crockpot, followed by the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Add the browned ground beef on top. Sprinkle with thyme and smoked paprika.
- Add the Broth
- Pour in the beef broth, ensuring the ingredients are fully submerged. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, until the potatoes are tender.
- Thicken the Soup
- If a thicker consistency is desired, mix the flour with 2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Stir it into the soup during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
- Add Cream and Cheese
- Stir in the heavy cream and shredded cheddar cheese (if using) during the final 15 minutes of cooking. Mix gently to combine.
- Serve and Garnish
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley or chives, and enjoy your warm, hearty Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup!
Notes
Ingredients for the Best Crockpot Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup
The starting point for composing a good soup is picking the best ingredients, without which depth and balance are unheard of. The most important items for a Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup are ground beef, potatoes, aromatic vegetables, broth and seasonings. A hearty, savory base to counterpoint the creamy texture, and onions, garlic, and celery provide their own aromatic undertone. The base is a quality broth—beef or chicken—and it gives the soup a flavorful punch.
How to choose the right type of potatoes is key to getting that signature creaminess. The starch of russet potatoes breaks down more easily while cooking, so they leave you with a velvety texture. Another great choice are Yukon Gold potatoes for their buttery flavor, which lend a nice complement of creaminess and firmness. However, avoid the waxy varieties such as red and fingerling varieties as they will hold their shape and will not contribute good to the creamy consistency.
Fresh herbs – thyme, or parsley – add to the overall profile, and a bit of cream or milk ties it all together. Using only these thoughtfully selected ingredients means it’s not only delicious but also exceptionally smooth and comforting.
Classic Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is built around ground beef, providing the savory foundation to match the creamy base. Full of rich flavor and tender texture, it’s a winner as a protein choice, every bite filling and satisfying. But that doesn’t mean that if you’re not eating protein today, you are doomed to a life of the same repetitive diet cycle day after day (or week after week, or month after month, or year after year).
Italian sausage can offer a spicier and more robust kick if ground turkey or chicken isn’t your favorite (but it is more fatty), or it’s simply better to lean. If you want a plant based twist, I think crumbled tofu, tempeh or lentils would be great in the creamy potato foundation.
Optional Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup add-ins and other ingredients can help make this soup have a better flavor and added nutrition. Carrots and celery are cut into little pieces and introduce a nice subtle sweetness and crunch, and fresh spinach or kale offers a bit of vitamins and some pretty color. A little bit of natural sweetness can be added to the soup with canned corn or peas. Mushrooms, too will provide another level of earthiness to the mix. With a sprinkle of shredded cheese or our c rumbled bacon as a garnish, each bowl could be that much more indulgent without being too heavy in calories.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making the Soup
The first aspect to note is that preparing the ingredients for Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is a way to prepare a taste and well balanced dish. Slice the potatoes to even diced or cubed and place in the soup for the creamy texture and even cooking. Cut the onions, garlic, celery, whatever other vegetables you have in small pieces, so they spread through that thing. Brown your ground beef in skillet and then add to the crock pot. At this point it reduces its savory notes and makes sure it’s cooked through.
A simple, yet critical step in crockpot cooking is layering the ingredients. Start by putting in the cooked potatoes since they take the longest to cook and love direct heat. Sauté vegetables, and layer over them with the broth, using the natural juices of the veggies to help incorporate the broth. Top on browned ground beef out and spread out coat every bite in even flavor. Pour the broth over all ingredients, to cover them all. Seasons and herbs at the end to give you an aroma and taste spurt.
And the layers meld in the crockpot making the hearty, flavorful base for your Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup, and all of the sudden it’s ready to be enjoyed by all.
To get the best texture and flavor in your Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup, it’s important to cook your Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup at the perfect time and temperature. For 6-8 hours on low or three to four on high, based on your schedule. For low and slow cooking, flavors balance beautifully, but for higher heat, this won’t slow you down without losing the heartiness of the dish. Check your potatoes regularly because they should be fork tender, not over soft, to avoid that contribution to the soup’s creamy consistency.
For the best, creamy texture, the treatment of the potatoes and type are really important. Since Russets are starchy potatoes, they’ll break down in the cooking and naturally thicken the soup as they do. If you like your consistency nice and smooth, then remove a chunk of cooked potatoes, mash them, then stir them back into the soup. Once those cookies are cool, you can for a richer finish floating a splash of heavy cream, milk or even sour cream over top during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Do not mix too much, to avoid having the ingredients overmixed and breaking it too much.
What we end up with is Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is velvety sweet and savory and every spoon will be a delight.
Tips and Tricks for Enhancing the Recipe
You can easily modify Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup to fit your dietary needs by making certain substitutions. Replace cream with coconut milk or a dairy free creamer to get dairy free. If you are flexible with the ground beef, try ground turkey, chicken or even my light suggestion: plant based crumbles. If you want to make the dish gluten free, use gluten free labeled broth and thicken with cornstarch or arrowroot powder instead of flour.
By controlling the consistency of the soup you can make it the consistency you want. Or add mashed cooked potatoes, or combine a small amount with a handheld blender before shaking in. To lighten, add more stock or milk in a little bit by little bit, correct until the proper consistency is reached. With this flexibility, there’s no reason that the soup can’t be eaten by everyone, regardless of their texture preferences.
Herbs and spices can take your Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup from an every day dish to a flavor packed one. A pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne, a bit of cayenne, or a splash of vinegar or lemon can boost brightness with fresh thyme, parsley or dill. It’s a heady combination of aromatics and depth in the soup, as a bay leaf simmers, but it’s also a hearty, flavourful dish, that is also perfect comfort food.
Serving Suggestions and Pairings
Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is a simple and impactful way to add flavor and texture to this comforting dish, with the simple addition of toppings. Shredded cheddar or Parmesan cheese melts beautifully over warm soup for a little richness, crispy bacon bits add smoky crunch. The heartiness of this base calls for a dollop of a tangy contrast: sour cream or Greek yogurt. Freshly chopped chives, parsley or green onions adds a burst of fresh, vibrant color that will not only make the dish look great, but taste great as well.
Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup goes well with the right side dishes to make up a perfectly rounded meal. It’s nice with a slice of crusty artisan bread or warm dinner rolls to soak the broth up. To suit a lighter palate, a mixed green salad dressed with a tangy vinaigrette make a fine foil for the richness of the soup. Adding roasted vegetables to the table helps up the nutrition ante (carrots or Brussels sprouts) and to inject some diversity.
In order to make this a complete meal, make your focus on balance. If you wish a protein chunk, commendably add grilled chicken or tofu, or if you want more vegetables in the soup itself, include some spinach, kale, or diced zucchini. Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is versatile, allowing it to be a central ingredient in a heart warming, fulfilling meal.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storing leftovers correctly means you’ll have Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup that tastes and looks great days after you make it. When cooled to room temperature, be sure to transfer it to an airtight container. It will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. It keeps the soup’s flavors and stops unwanted bacteria growth. To portion, stir the soup into individual servings and then store, reheating may be more convenient for the smaller portions.
When reheating, don’t overheat the soup or you will lose the creamy texture and robust flavor. Stir occasionally, and use a stovetop on low to medium heat to avoid sticking or separating. Or if your soup thickens in the fridge, just add a splash of milk or broth to make it the way it was. Don’t go too high with the heat, where it could break down the creaminess and mess with taste.
If you want to freeze Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup for later meals, it is fine to use freezer safe containers or resealable freezer bags. Allow some space at top, for expansion on freezing. The soup can be frozen for up 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, then place in the fridge overnight to thaw. Here, you’re always guaranteed to have a bowl of homemade soup whenever you want, as long as you use this method.
Conclusion
But the Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is a great recipe if you’re looking for something quick to make during busy days because it’s so simple and such a satisfying flavor. As the slow cooker is our friend, this meal only takes a small amount of effort to prepare, yet it delivers a homecooked meal with the heartiness that makes you think you spent more than perhaps you did. On creamy potatoes, which are comforting enough, and the rich, savory ground beef give a depth. That’s a one pot wonder that means fewer dishes to wash and more time to chill.
It’s a recipe that also doubles as a vehicle for variation—the more you make adaptations and experiment, the better I think it is. To keep it healthy, mix in more veggies like carrots, spinach or zucchini, or swap in ground turkey for the less healthy protein. Use smoked paprika or a little cayenne for a spicy twist. Mash some of the potatoes or blend a portion of the soup to make it thicker if that’s what you prefer and, presto—creamier soup. You can also top it all off with extra indulgence with shredded cheese.
It’s a creamy potato soup tax on either the classic or kick up your heels with your additions, because Creamy Potato Hamburger Soup is a comforting, customizable base. For feeding your family or meal prepping, it’s perfect and shows you that busy days don’t have to mean less flavor or quality.
