Slow Cooker Potato and Leek Soup (Healthy & Easy)

Makes: 8 Servings
Per Serving: 33g Protein | 333 Cal

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Whether you’re looking for a healthy, filling, creamy, warm meal to serve up for a crowd, or are on the hunt for new healthy crockpot recipes for all of the meal prepping and healthy cooking you’ve got planned for the rest of the winter, you absolutely must try this creamy, lightened-up potato and leek soup.

A lower-calorie twist on a classic, this simple recipe is boosted with tons of veggies, packed with protein to fill you up, and more nutritious than you might think. It’s an ideal dinner for busy weeknights and something that your whole family will enjoy.

Why You’ll Love This Lighter Loaded Potato & Leek Soup Recipe

This easy meal is the perfect blend of everything you love about a traditional loaded potato soup (it’s rich and creamy, thick and hearty, and finished with your favorite toppings) mixed with smart swaps to help make it a bit healthier and more macro-friendly. Here’s why I love it so much (and you will too!):

• It’s creamy, but won’t weigh you down: This soup relies on a mixture of blended cauliflower and potatoes instead of all potatoes plus the addition of loads of butter or heavy cream.

• It’s high in protein: Add chicken and Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese to amp up the protein content.

• It’s a crockpot recipe: Just prep it, set it, and forget it, and you’ll have a healthy dinner with minimal effort (and dishes to wash).

• It’s super family-friendly: So incredibly cozy and comforting and packed with lots of familiar flavors, this is one recipe that will be picky-eater approved.

• It’s easy to adapt and customize: If you have dietary restrictions, are appealing to different palates and preferences, or have a specific goal in mind, it’s super easy to fit this recipe into your repertoire.

• It's great for meal prep: Simply mix up a batch, portion it out, and have healthy meals for days to come.

It’s indulgent-tasting, but still healthy and weeknight-friendly.

What Makes This Soup “Loaded”, But Lighter

Loaded potato soups are generally packed with high-calorie butter, heavy cream, and tons of cheese, sour cream, you name it. And while that’s undoubtedly delicious, it’s not something you want to eat all the time. If you’re looking for some of the best healthy slow cooker recipes that you can add into your rotation more regularly, look no further than this lightened-up version.

Here’s how:

• Blended cauliflower: When you blend cauliflower, you end up with a creamy, silky smooth puree that makes your dish much creamier without adding all of the calories that come with adding cream, cream cheese, or sour cream.

• Using Fairlife or almond milk: These lower-calorie milks add richness in place of cream (you won’t even miss it!).

• Greek yogurt or cottage cheese: Whether you use yogurt or blended cottage cheese, you’ll add a little extra creaminess, thicken your soup, and bump up the protein.

• Make it a meal: Add chicken breast or leftover chicken to your soup for a more complete meal.

• Top with cheese and bacon: Yes, we’re still going to add some cheese and bacon on top, but we’re using sharp cheddar and turkey bacon for the feel of a loaded baked potato, but in a healthier way.

How to Get the Perfect Texture for This Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Traditionally, a potato soup is blended until smooth and creamy. In this crock pot version, you blend only part of the soup (about half to two-thirds, though you can blend as much or as little as you’d like) so that the end result is a rich, creamy, and velvety base, chunks of potato throughout, and a soup that’s been thickened without the help of flour or roux.

It’s a creamy and delicious dinner that tastes like it spent all day simmering on the stove, even though it wasn’t.

The Best Topping Options for This Loaded Potato Soup

Once your soup is all done and you’re ready to eat, it’s time for the best part—adding your favorite toppings. Here are some of my favorite toppings to add to the top of your bowl of soup:

• Cheddar cheese

• Crumbled turkey bacon

• Minced chives

• Minced parsley or cilantro

• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or sour cream

• Fresh cracked black pepper

• A drizzle of your favorite hot sauce

• A sprinkle of smoked paprika

• A spoonful of caramelized onions

Don’t forget to get creative with your toppings! They really take the soup from okay to great.

Swaps & Substitutions

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can make adjustments to it if you need to in order to make it fit your preferences.

• For extra protein: If you want to amp up the protein content of this soup, add the full amount (1 ½ lbs) of chicken, up the amount of blended cottage cheese you add, use bone broth, or use Fairlife milk instead of almond milk or another lower protein milk.

• Make it creamier: For a creamier version, blend more of the soup (you can blend it all if you’d like!) or add extra blended cottage cheese or an extra scoop of Greek yogurt.

• Make it dairy-free: Don’t tolerate dairy? No problem! Instead, opt for almond milk, oat milk, cashew milk, or coconut milk, use a dairy-free yogurt like coconut yogurt or another plant-based yogurt (or just leave the yogurt out entirely), and make sure to use a dairy-free cheese if you’re going to add it on top of your soup.

• Add more veggies: If you’d like your soup to include even more vegetables, add carrots and celery, zucchini or summer squash, add extra cauliflower, or even add sweet potatoes for an orange version (then you could also add some winter squash like pumpkin, butternut squash, or acorn squash). You could also add Yukon gold potatoes or swap out the russets in favor of the creamier Yukon golds.

• Add more depth of flavor: If you want your soup to have even more flavor, add (or top) with a little smoked paprika, stir in a little Dijon mustard or a splash of Worcestershire sauce, or roast the cauliflower before adding it to the soup. You can also use homemade bone broth for extra depth if you’d like.

FAQs

• Can I make this soup vegetarian instead?

  This soup is perfect for vegetarian and veggie-focused eaters. All you’ll need to do is use vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken and either leaving the chicken breasts or chicken thighs out entirely, or swapping in white beans, chickpeas, or lentils in its place.
  

• Can I freeze this soup or is it better to make and eat fresh?

  You can freeze this potato and leek soup recipe, but for best results, freeze the soup prior to adding the Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Then, when you’re ready to eat, reheat the soup, add the dairy, then garnish and serve. The texture will be better that way.
  

• Is there anything I can use in place of the Greek yogurt called for in this recipe?

  If you don’t like or don’t have any Greek yogurt on hand, you can use blended cottage cheese for added protein and creaminess (but without the tang of yogurt), or you can swap in a plant-based yogurt, though the macros will shift a bit.

• Do I have to use fresh cauliflower?

  No, you don’t! If you prefer using frozen cauliflower in this recipe, that’s totally fine. It’ll cook and blend well. If you want to add extra flavor by roasting it first, that’s fine too.
  

• How can I blend this soup if I don’t have an immersion blender?

  Don’t have an immersion blender? No problem! You can use a standard blender or food processor instead if you’d like. Just add a few cups of soup to the blender, blend until smooth, then add it back into the crockpot. Make sure you don’t add too much soup to the blender—hot liquids expand when they’re blended and you don’t want it to overflow (it can cause burns and make a big old mess). If you do have an immersion blender, you can just blend right in the slow cooker itself.

This creamy crockpot potato and leek soup is cozy, nourishing, and wholesome. Packed with protein, but just as delicious as the classic you love, it’s a lighter, healthier option for a cold day, meal prepping (make a big batch!), or whenever you’re craving a comforting dinner.

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Potato and Leek Soup

Yield: 8

Author: Ashley aka The Protein Snack Queen

Looking for more healthy crockpot recipes? This lightened-up potato and leek soup is the perfect thing. Creamy, wholesome, and super delicious, it’s a protein-packed, meal prep-friendly dish that’ll quickly become a new favorite.

Ingredients

• 2–3 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 leek, thinly sliced (white + light green parts; rinse well)
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 ribs celery, diced (optional but adds great flavor)
• 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk (Fairlife for protein or almond milk for lighter calories)
• ½–1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1–1½ lbs chicken breast (optional, but recommended)
• ½–1 cup plain Greek yogurt or blended cottage cheese
• Sharp cheddar, for stirring in or topping
• Turkey bacon bits, chives, and extra cheese for serving

Instructions

1. Build the soup: Add the potatoes, cauliflower, onion, leeks, garlic, celery, chicken broth, milk, salt, pepper, and chicken directly to the crockpot.
2. Stir to combine.
3. Cook the soup: Turn the slow cooker on and cook on either low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4 hours. Everything should be cooked through and fork-tender when done.
4. Shred the chicken: Pull the chicken out of the soup and shred or dice.
5. Blend part of the soup: Use an immersion blender or separate blender or food processor and blend about half to 2/3 of the soup. Return the blended soup to the crockpot.
6. Add the yogurt or cottage cheese: Whisk or stir in the Greek yogurt (1/2-1 cup) or blended cottage cheese. Let the soup warm through for about 5-10 minutes.
7. Add the chicken: Put the shredded chicken back in the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
8. Garnish and serve: Top with sharp cheddar, turkey bacon bits, chives, and a little extra Greek yogurt or sour cream. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

333

Fat

12 g

Carbs

23 g

Protein

33 g