One of the easiest and cheapest ways to cook is with a slow cooker (or Crock-Pot), where you simply add your ingredients and leave it to cook for several hours. Come home to delicious smells and a meal that’s ready to serve the moment the family piles through the door.
Soups are surprisingly versatile in a slow cooker, and many of these recipes are hearty enough to be a meal on their own — no side dishes required. These slow cooker soup recipes are well worth adding to your regular dinner rota.
Soup is also a great way to sneak a variety of vegetables into your family’s diet, and there’s nothing better for warming kids up after a cold walk home from school. Most of these soups freeze beautifully too, so batch-cooking a big pot means you’ll always have something tasty and healthy tucked away in the freezer for a busy night.
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Slow Cooker Soup Recipes to Try
Slow Cooker Smoky Ham and Split Pea Soup
Credit: Jennifer Causey / Styling: Claire Spollen
This classic split pea and ham soup from My Recipes turns out creamy and delicious every time, thanks entirely to your slow cooker. After around 8 hours of hands-off cooking, this flavourful soup is ready to devour — and the leftovers freeze well too, so it’s worth doubling the batch for another meal down the line.
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup
This delicious chicken parmesan soup recipe from Foxes Love Lemons has all the flavours of a classic Chicken Parmesan dish, reimagined as a soup the kids will love. It only takes minutes to prep.
Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup
This homemade minestrone slow cooker soup from Little Spice Jar is easy to make and tastes far better than any restaurant version. Loaded with colourful veggies and protein-packed with beans, it’s a hearty, nutritious meal in a bowl.
Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable Soup
Fresh vegetables are combined with stock, lentils, split peas and barley in this recipe for Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable Soup, a step-by-step video from One Pot Chef that walks you through a deliciously thick and hearty soup.
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Scotch Broth
This cheap and cheerful Scotch Broth recipe from BBC Food is perfect for the slow cooker — simply tip in all the ingredients and cook on high for 6–8 hours, or until the barley is soft.
Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup
For something different, try this Thai Chicken Soup recipe from Foodie Crush — easy to make and full of flavour. It’s easily adaptable too: swap in whatever veggies you have to hand, such as carrots, potatoes or leeks, or make it fully vegetarian by using vegetable broth and leaving out the chicken.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
Hearty, comforting and soothing, this slow cooker chicken noodle soup from Damn Delicious is perfect for cold weather — or for helping someone fight off a cold.
Moroccan Lentil Soup
This recipe from This Gal Cooks for slow cooker Moroccan lentil soup is packed with flavour. It works well served over rice, and you can leave out the chicken for an easy vegetarian version.
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Spanish Chickpea Soup
This easy Spanish chickpea soup recipe from Eating Well is inspired by cocido, the hearty stew of assorted meats, chickpeas and vegetables considered a national dish of Spain. Every region, family and restaurant has its own version, but this slow cooker take has enough meat to satisfy the carnivores and enough vegetables to keep it healthy.
Slow Cooker White Bean Soup
Made with leek, beans (soak dried beans overnight before using them in a slow cooker) and butternut squash, there’s plenty of goodness in this white bean soup recipe from Martha Stewart — and it’s a great way to use up leftover parmesan rinds.
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Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup
This slow cooker beef barley soup from The Recipe Rebel is an easy slow cooker meal, perfect for autumn or winter, loaded with vegetables and tender chunks of beef.
Slow Cooker Tortellini Soup
This slow cooker creamy tortellini soup from Cafe Delites is loaded with carrots, celery and spinach, plus soft pillows of cheese tortellini. It gets its thick, creamy texture without any cream or roux.
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Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Give black bean soup time to simmer low and slow, deepening and building flavour with every hour, and you’ve got a delicious meal on your hands. That’s why the slow cooker is always a great choice for this warm, smoky classic. To make this vegetarian black bean soup from The Kitchn, drop everything in the cooker in the morning and by evening you’ve got a full-flavoured broth loaded with soft, tender beans.
Slow Cooker Taco Soup
This easy Crock-Pot taco soup from Homemade Interest packs all the classic Southwestern flavours into one cosy bowl. With minimal prep, you’ll love making it almost as much as your family loves eating it.
Slow Cooker Carrot Butternut Soup
Roast up a tray of winter veggies, then let your slow cooker turn them into the silkiest carrot butternut soup, like this one from Peas and Crayons.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to brown meat before adding it to the slow cooker for soup?
It’s not essential, but browning meat first can add a deeper flavour to your finished soup. If you’re short on time, most of these recipes will still turn out well if you skip that step and add the meat in raw.
How long do slow cooker soups usually take to cook?
Most of the soups above take around 6–8 hours on low, or roughly half that on high. Times can vary depending on your slow cooker model and how much you’re cooking, so check that meat is fully cooked through and vegetables are tender before serving.
Can I freeze slow cooker soup?
Yes — most of these soups freeze very well, making them ideal for batch cooking. Let the soup cool fully before transferring it to freezer-safe containers, and use within a few months for the best flavour and texture.
Can I make these soups vegetarian?
Many of the recipes above are easy to adapt — simply swap meat-based stock for vegetable stock and leave out any meat. A few, like the Moroccan lentil soup and the Thai chicken soup, even suggest their own vegetarian swaps.
Related Articles
If you enjoyed these slow cooker soup recipes, you might also like:
- 15 Yummy Slow Cooker Recipes Your Family Will Love
- 16 Splendid Soup Recipes That Kids Will Love
- Cheaper, Easier and Tastier: 14 Days of Slow Cooker Family Meals
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