20 Cozy Slow Cooker Soups and Stews

A slow cooker soup does most of its work while you are out of the kitchen, which is exactly what makes it good on a cold weeknight. These 20 soups and stews cover creamy potato and broccoli cheddar, chicken noodle and beef barley, cabbage soups, hearty stews and a few chilis, and every one of them can be made in a slow cooker.

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Twelve are from my own kitchen, split between this site and my other site, theyummybowl.com, and the rest are favorites from other bloggers. Start one in the morning and dinner is ready when you walk in the door.

Creamy Slow Cooker Soups

Thick, rich and the kind of soup you want a spoon for. Most of these finish with a little dairy or cheese near the end, so the slow cooker does the long part and you do the last few minutes.

Brothy and Hearty Soups

Lighter broth soups with meat, noodles, beans or lentils in them, filling enough to be a full meal with a slice of bread. The turkey meatball soup is written for the stove, and the post includes slow cooker timing: low for 6 hours, with the noodles added at the end.

Cabbage and Sauerkraut Soups

Cabbage does a lot of the work on this site, and these soups show why. They are cheap, filling and hold up well to a long simmer. All three are written for the stove, and each post includes slow cooker timing: low for 7 to 8 hours for the cabbage roll soup and the detox soup, and low for 6 to 7 hours for the sauerkraut soup.

Slow Cooker Stews To Come Home To

Stews are what a slow cooker does best. Tougher cuts of meat turn tender over a long cook and the sauce gets deeper the longer it goes. The goulash is written for the stove, and the post includes a slow cooker version.

Chilis and Taco Soup

Spiced, thick and easy to feed a crowd with. Set out bowls of cheese, sour cream and chopped onion and let everyone top their own.

Tips for Better Slow Cooker Soups

• Cut the vegetables the same size. Even pieces finish cooking at the same time, so you do not end up with mush next to something still firm.
• Add noodles and pasta at the end. Pasta left in for the whole cook turns soft and mushy, so stir it in for the last 15 to 30 minutes.
• Stir in dairy at the end. Cream, milk and cheese can separate during a long cook, so add them in the last stretch.
• Keep the lid on. Every peek lets heat out and adds to the cook time, so check only when the recipe says to.
• Taste and season at the end. Flavors concentrate over a long cook, so wait until the soup is done to adjust the salt.

If you want more help getting meat tender, start with my 7 Slow Cooker Tips For Tender, Flavorful Meat. And if you are shopping for one, here is my guide to the Best Slow Cookers For Easy Dinners.

Slow Cooker Soup Questions

Should I brown the meat before it goes in the slow cooker?

It depends on the recipe. Browning ground meat, sausage and bacon first adds flavor and lets you drain off extra fat, so follow the steps in the recipe you pick.

Can I put frozen meat in the slow cooker?

Thaw meat completely in the refrigerator first. Frozen meat can take too long to reach a safe temperature in a slow cooker.

How full should the slow cooker be?

Aim for about half to two thirds full. Much less and the soup can cook too fast, and much more can keep it from heating evenly.

Should I cook soup on low or high?

Low gives the most tender meat and the best flavor, and high works when you are short on time. As a rough guide, one hour on high equals about two hours on low.

Pick one for this week, start it in the morning, and let the slow cooker do the rest. If you are still hungry for more, my 21 Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes roundup has plenty more dinners for the same cooker.

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