Hearty Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes: Your Ultimate Comfort Meal
Do you ever have those days when you wish dinner would magically appear on the table? While a self-cooking meal isn’t quite possible, there’s a fantastic solution that comes pretty close: a slow cooker recipe! Forget those take-out menus and embrace the incredible convenience and flavor of this Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes. It’s a remarkably hearty meal that requires minimal effort at that often chaotic dinner hour, leaving you more time to relax. Pair it with a crisp green salad and some crusty bread, and you’ve got a complete, satisfying dinner that feels both gourmet and homey.
This isn’t one of those “dump everything in and forget it for 8 hours” kind of slow cooker dishes. Instead, it strikes a perfect balance: it’s finished in less than five hours, but after some initial, hands-on prep, it becomes largely hands-off. The only intervention required is adding the potatoes halfway through, ensuring they cook perfectly without turning to mush. This strategic timing allows for deep flavor development while still being an achievable weeknight meal.
The Foundation of Flavor: Crispy Bacon and Rich Drippings
- The journey to this incredibly flavorful soup begins with the star ingredient: bacon. Rendering bacon drippings creates a foundational depth of flavor that elevates the entire dish.
- Once the bacon is perfectly cooked and crispy, remove it from the pan. Be sure to set it aside (it’s a delicious garnish later!) and leave a small amount of that precious rendered fat in the skillet. This bacon fat will be the base for sautéing your aromatics and browning the chicken, infusing every layer with its savory goodness.
Choosing Your Chicken: Bone-In for Maximum Flavor
For this recipe, we highly recommend using bone-in chicken thighs. Before seasoning, remember to remove the skin for a healthier soup base, then generously season the entire surface with a blend of Herbes de Provence. While boneless thighs would also work if that’s your preference, keeping the bones in the mix during simmering can significantly enhance the flavor of your finished dish.
As the culinary experts at Bon Appétit aptly explain, “when you cook chicken thighs with the bone in, the flavor that’s housed inside the bone spreads out into the meat, leaving you with chicken with a deeper, meatier, more chicken-y flavor.” This means a richer, more complex broth for your soup, making the extra step well worth it.
Let’s talk about Herbes de Provence… The Aromatic Secret
This exquisite blend of herbs, deeply rooted in the southeastern region of France, gained significant popularity among American home chefs thanks to the legendary Julia Child in the 1970s. While readily available in most supermarkets, creating your own blend of Herbes de Provence at home offers the flexibility to tailor it precisely to your family’s taste preferences. This aromatic mix often features a harmonious combination of savory herbs that evoke the sunny landscapes of Provence.
According to the experts at The Spruce Eats, there’s no single definitive recipe, but a typical blend includes “fennel, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, and thyme. Other recipes include (or omit) basil, bay leaves, savory, chervil, sage, oregano, mint, and lavender.” The beauty of making your own is experimenting with these elements to find your perfect balance.
When mixing up my own jar of Herbes de Provence, this is what I use as a basic, yet wonderfully fragrant, formula:
- 3 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
- 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
Building the Soup Base: Sautéing and Deglazing
- After browning the chicken thighs on all sides until they develop a beautiful golden crust, use a slotted spoon or spatula to carefully transfer them to your slow cooker. It’s important to leave any delicious drippings that remain in the pan – these are key to building the soup’s rich flavor profile.
- Next, add your prepared vegetables – leeks, carrots, and celery – to those flavorful drippings in the skillet. Sauté them for a few minutes until they begin to soften, absorbing all that wonderful bacon and chicken essence.
- Now comes the critical step of deglazing. Pour in one cup of chicken stock, and actively scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, or “fond,” that might be stuck to the skillet. This fond is packed with concentrated flavor, and you absolutely want to incorporate all of that goodness into your soup. This simple technique prevents flavor loss and ensures every drop of your broth is rich and savory.
This is where your Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes starts to really come together…
Once you’ve successfully deglazed your pan, it’s time to bring all those wonderful components together in your slow cooker. This is the moment where the magic of slow cooking truly begins to work its wonders.
- Carefully transfer the sautéed veggie mixture and all the rich liquid from your skillet into the slow cooker, joining the browned chicken thighs.
- Add the remaining chicken stock, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the fresh thyme sprigs. These aromatics will slowly release their essence into the broth, creating an incredibly fragrant and complex flavor.
- Gently mix all the ingredients to combine them well, ensuring everything is submerged in the flavorful broth. Then, cover your slow cooker and walk away for a full two hours. This initial simmer allows the chicken to tenderize and the flavors to meld beautifully.
Mid-Cook Magic: Adding the Potatoes
- After the initial two-hour simmer on low, it’s time to introduce the potatoes to your slow cooker. This precise timing ensures that the potatoes cook through to perfect tenderness without becoming overly soft or mushy, maintaining their pleasant texture in the hearty soup.
- Gently mix the potatoes into the simmering soup, ensuring they are well-submerged. Cover the cooker once more and let it continue to work its magic for another two hours. During this period, the potatoes will absorb the rich flavors of the broth, and the chicken will become incredibly tender.
We’re on the home stretch now… Finishing Touches for Your Hearty Soup
With the potatoes now tender, your slow cooker has nearly completed its work, and you’re just a few steps away from enjoying a truly comforting meal.
- First, check to ensure the potatoes are perfectly tender. They should be easily pierced with a fork but still hold their shape.
- Carefully remove the chicken from the soup using a slotted spoon and place it on a plate to cool slightly. It will be very hot and fall-apart tender.
- Also, remove and discard the thyme sprigs. They have imparted all their wonderful flavor and are no longer needed.
- Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. The slow cooking process will make this incredibly easy; the meat should practically fall off.
- Cut the tender chicken meat into bite-size pieces. This ensures every spoonful of soup gets a perfect balance of ingredients.
- Return the bite-sized chicken pieces to the slow cooker, stirring them into the rich broth with the vegetables and potatoes.
As for the bones, you can simply discard them, or for the savvy home cook, place them in a freezer-safe ziplock bag. Freeze them to be added to your next batch of homemade chicken stock, enhancing its flavor and making the most of your ingredients!
- Once the chicken has been thoroughly reheated in the slow cooker, it’s time for the final touch: adding the chopped spinach.
- Stir the mixture gently just until the spinach begins to wilt. This preserves its vibrant color and slight texture, adding a fresh, green element to your hearty soup.
Soup or Stew? Defining Your Hearty Creation
Looking at the rich consistency and abundance of ingredients in this dish, you might wonder if it leans more towards a stew than a traditional soup. And you’d be right to think so! With its generous chunks of tender chicken, substantial potatoes, and plenty of flavorful vegetables, this creation indeed blurs the lines between a classic soup and a hearty stew. It’s thick, comforting, and packed with texture, making it an incredibly satisfying one-pot meal that truly sticks to your ribs. Whether you call it soup or stew, its deliciousness is undeniable.
Complete Your Meal: Perfect Pairings for This Hearty Soup
To truly elevate your Slow Cooker Chicken Soup with Bacon & Potatoes into a full and satisfying dining experience, don’t forget to include some essential accompaniments. A crisp, fresh green salad provides a wonderful contrast to the richness of the soup, offering a refreshing lightness. And, of course, no hearty soup is complete without some crusty bread. It’s perfect for soaking up every last drop of the incredibly flavorful broth, ensuring you get all that deliciousness!
slow-cooker chicken soup with bacon & potatoes
Adapted from Cooking Light
A wonderfully hearty, stew-like soup that promises comfort and rich flavors. Simply add a fresh green salad and some crusty bread to sop up the savory broth for a complete and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
-
4
center-cut bacon slices, diced -
1 1/2
pounds
bone-in chicken thighs, skinned -
2
teaspoons
herbes de Provence -
2
cups
thinly sliced leek from 2 large leeks, light green & white part only
(about 8 ounces) -
1
cup
sliced carrot, from 2 large carrots
(about 6 ounces) -
1
cup
sliced celery, from 2 large stalks
(about 6 ounces) -
4
cups
chicken stock, divided -
1/2
teaspoon
kosher salt -
1/2
teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper -
5
fresh thyme sprigs -
14
ounces
baby potatoes -
2
cups
coarsely chopped baby spinach
(about 2.5 ounces)
Instructions
-
Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Set bacon aside.
-
Sprinkle chicken with the herbes de Provence. Add chicken to bacon drippings in pan; cook for about 8 minutes, browning on all sides. Transfer the chicken using a slotted spoon to a 6-quart electric slow cooker, reserving any drippings in pan.
-
Add the prepared leek, carrot, and celery to the drippings in the pan; sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the chicken stock, scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits. Add the leek mixture, along with the cooked bacon, remaining 3 cups of stock, salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 2 hours.
-
Add the potatoes; cover and cook on LOW for 2 more hours, until the potatoes are tender.
-
Remove the chicken from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon; discard thyme sprigs. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces; discard the bones. Return the chicken to the slow cooker; add the spinach, stirring until the spinach wilts.
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality. We appreciate your support.
More Hearty & Comforting Soups to Explore…
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might be looking for more warming and satisfying soup ideas. Here are a few other favorites that are perfect for chilly evenings or simply when you need a little culinary hug:
- Feel-Good Chicken Soup With Ginger Over Rice Noodles: A soothing and aromatic soup, perfect for when you need a little pick-me-up. The fresh ginger adds a bright, comforting kick.
- Hearty Hungarian Mushroom Soup: Rich, creamy, and deeply savory, this mushroom soup is a delightful vegetarian option that doesn’t compromise on robust flavor.
- Ina Garten’s Lentil & Sausage Soup: A classic, satisfying soup featuring tender lentils and flavorful sausage, inspired by the Barefoot Contessa herself.