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The slow cooker is great at so many things. It can churn out tender meatballs, the most succulent pulled pork, and even dessert. However, if we were to declare one task the slow cooker is absolutely best at, it’s cooking up big batches of soup and stew.
Few things are better than the smell of a spice-laden, aromatic-rich soup, stew, or chili that’s been simmering away all day. All that’s usually required of you is to toss a handful of ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and come dinnertime you’re rewarded with the most comforting meal. We’ve rounded up more than 40 slow cooker soup recipes, so bookmark this page and make a new one every week.
Slow Cooker Chicken Soups
Opting for boneless, skinless chicken thighs over boneless, skinless chicken breasts is the key to preventing the meat from drying out as it cooks in the slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Whole Chicken SoupThe key to a good soup that’s intensely chicken-y is a long, slow simmer. Naturally the slow cooker is chicken soup’s best friend, as it can cook all day without any supervision from you.
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Slow-Cooker Chicken and Wild Rice SoupFilled with shredded chicken, wild rice, and classic soup veggies like celery and carrots, this soup is a set-it-and-forget-it recipe that asks little of you and lets you go about your business for as long as eight hours.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla SoupNone of the ingredients in the soup base need to be pre-cooked — just chop and throw them right into the slow cooker. It’s worth seeking out fire-roasted canned tomatoes, since the fire-roasting adds a light charred flavor.
Go to Recipe Slow Cooker Beef and Pork Soups
A slow cooker soup filled with beef or pork is not only extra hearty, it’s a great way to prepare tougher cuts of the meat.
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Slow Cooker Beef StewIf you’ve long considered beef stew a Sunday-only dinner affair, then allow me to introduce you to the beef stew you can start on a weekday morning and come home to in the evening.
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The Best French Onion Soup in the Slow CookerHere’s a step-by-step recipe for blissfully delicious French onion soup made from start to finish in the slow cooker. Well, right up until the cheesy toast. You still need the oven for that, but with soup this easy, what’s a little broiling at the end?
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Slow Cooker Ham Bone SoupIf you don’t have a ham bone on hand, ask your butcher: they often have a few available in the freezer or can substitute a smoked ham shank in its place.
Go to Recipe Slow Cooker Vegetarian Soups
The slow cooker isn’t simply for cooking meaty dishes! Vegetarian soups filled with a mix of veggies and beans are also great choices.
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Slow Cooker Easy Lentil SoupReach for green lentils over the more brightly hued red or yellow. They hold their shape after cooking, which means they'll remain intact despite extended cooking in the slow cooker.
Go to Recipe Creamy Slow Cooker Soups
If you’re craving something luxe and creamy, you can do know wrong with these recipes. Some are enhanced with dairy, while others get their creaminess from starchy vegetables.
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Slow Cooker Potato Leek SoupThe refined flavor of potatoes and leeks are often overshadowed by bacon and fennel, so here we’ve gone back to basics by simmering the classic combo all day in the slow cooker.
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Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar SoupThis kid-friendly recipe is worthy of being in your regular weeknight rotation. It’s a cinch to pull together, requires minimal prep, and doesn’t involve dirtying any other pots or pans.
Go to Recipe Slow Cooker Chili
Chili is a thick, hearty one-pot meal best cooked low and slow, so put away the Dutch oven and plug in the slow cooker for this vegetarian number.
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Slow Cooker Chili VerdeChile verde is a pork-based stew simmered with green chiles and tomatillos. Sometimes called Colorado or Denver Green Chili, this stew gets its emerald hue from two types of green chiles (jalapeño and poblano).
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Slow Cooker Vegan ChiliThis hearty vegan chili starts with a classic tomato base and chili powder, but the addition of green lentils, sweet potato, and kale make it a little earthy, slightly sweet, and substantial enough to keep you full.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili Using chicken breasts means there’s less fat in this chili than a typical beef variety, and the slow cooker perfectly poaches the breasts in the chili mixture to keep them juicy and delicious.
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Slow Cooker Vegetarian ChiliThe heat of this vegetarian chili quickly thaws frozen corn kernels, preserving the pop of fresh, sweet flavor. The zing of apple cider vinegar wakes up the earthy, umami-rich flavors that mellow during cooking.
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Slow Cooker Turkey ChiliThe surprise ingredient here? Beer! It’s an oft-forgotten cooking liquid that’s great as a replacement for (or an addition to) water or stock in a stew or braise, and lends a rich depth of flavor. You’ll want to use a lighter beer, like a lager, for this chili.
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