Slow cooker soup recipes are just the thing when you need a rich, warming dinner. Just throw the ingredients in and come back later to a hearty dinner!
Warming winter soups are often made up with hearty, starchy vegetables that can take a long time to cook. But the flavour they bring to a soup makes the effort worth it. If you plan ahead and prep your slow cooker, you can say goodbye to the hours spent milling around a hot stove, and hello to a ready made dinner on your return from work.
Whether you prefer to top your soup with croutons or sour cream, make one of these slow cooker soup recipes for the cold nights ahead.
Looking for more slow cooker recipes?
You’ll need these…
32 slow cooker soup recipes
Slow cooker pea and ham soup
Slow cooker chicken noodle soup
Slow cooker beef soup with chickpea & chorizo
Slow cooker chicken and vegetable soup
Slow cooker chicken pot pie soup
Slow cooker curried lentil and tomato soup
Slow cooker beef ramen with shiitake mushrooms
Slow-cooker coconut pumpkin soup
Slow-cooker pumpkin soup
Slow cooker vegetable minestrone
Slow-cooker borscht
Slow cooker tomato soup with basil dumplings
Slow-cooker ribollita
Ham and cheese tortellini broth
Chicken and mushroom soup
Cuban black bean soup in the slow cooker
Slow cooker chicken and corn chowder
Cock-a-leekie soup
Beef and vegetable soup
Spanish oxtail and chickpea soup
Chicken mulligatawny
Cream of celeriac soup
Slow cooker tips
Slow cookers are available in a range of shapes and sizes and come with a variety of features. Each recipe will specify the size of slow cooker used when testing the recipe. If you have a smaller or larger cooker you will have to decrease or increase the quantity of food, and almost certainly the liquid content, in the recipes.
The first step when using your slow cooker is to read the manufacturer’s instructions as each cooker will differ depending on its features. They will also outline appropriate safety measures, such as not leaving the appliance unattended at any time.
Slow cooker settings
Generally, the longer meat takes to cook the more tender and more intense the flavours will be. If you have the time, set your cooker to a low setting. However, if you’re pressed for time, setting the slow cooker on high will halve the cooking time. No matter which setting you use, the food will reach simmering point.
Some slow cookers have a warm setting. This is not used for cooking but rather to maintain the temperature of the food until it’s time to eat. Over time you will find what works best for you and your slow cooking needs.
How to freeze slow cooker soup
Throughout our recipes we’ve suggested whether or not recipes are suitable to freeze. We’ve chosen to say ‘not suitable’ when coconut milk or large quantities of mushrooms and potatoes are used, and often when large pieces of meat are an ingredient. However, if you don’t mind the food looking a bit sad after it’s thawed, almost anything will tolerate freezing.
Slow-cooked soups will freeze for up to three months. Transfer the meat and vegetables to freezer-friendly containers, then pour in enough of the liquid to cover the meat and vegetables. Leave a 2.5cm space between the food and the lid to allow for expansion then seal the container. Label and date the container before placing in the freezer.
