Food and Recipes Slow Cooker Recipes 34 Satisfying Soups You Can Make In The Slow Cooker By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on November 14, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Grab the crackers, toasted bread, and ready your spoon. When you crave comfort and convenience, look no further than soup you can make in your trusty slow cooker. While we love soup, we can do without the hassle and time it takes to prepare a homemade pot. And let's be honest, the canned, sodium-filled stuff simply won't do on some nights. That's why we're breaking out the slow cooker for a hands-free approach to a complete dinner made from scratch. It doesn't get any easier—or any more delicious—than throwing a few fresh ingredients in the slow cooker and letting it do all the work while you enjoy your day. All you have to do is set it and forget it in the morning and come home (with an empty stomach) to these warm and satisfying stews and soups that are just waiting to be devoured by your family. 01 of 34 Slow-Cooker French Onion Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis After using your slow cooker to make this classic soup, you may never make it on your stovetop again. Caramelize the onions right in the pot all day, then add the broth and cook until warm. While the soup is finishing, you’ll have time to put together crispy cheese toasts to crown each bowl. 02 of 34 White Chicken Chili Hector Manuel Sanchez Take a break from tradition with a bowl full of white chili, complete with tender chicken, white navy beans, and spicy seasonings. Everything goes in the slow cooker to cook all day. Just add toppings like cheese, cilantro, and avocado to serve. 03 of 34 Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup with Bacon Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Think of this recipe as a guide to get your soup started. You can then customize it with your favorite beans and the greens of your choice. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes for some heat. 04 of 34 Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Mushrooms A package of long-grain and wild rice mix and prepackaged chopped veggies help this chicken soup come together quickly. A rotisserie chicken makes it even easier. Add in the convenience of slow cooking, and you’ll keep this comforting, healing soup on your regular winter dinner rotation. 05 of 34 Slow Cooker Turkey Chili Recipe Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox While turkey chili is a great dish to prepare with leftover holiday meat, you can also make it any day of the year. Combine the ingredients, set it, and come home to a warm and satisfying meal. 06 of 34 Slow-Cooker Chipotle-Tomato Soup Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Adjust the heat level of this soup by adding more (or less) chipotle chile and crushed red pepper. Make a batch of grilled cheese sandwiches to serve alongside—and dip into this comforting soup. 07 of 34 Ham-and-Bean Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Torie Cox Since ham bones freeze well, store them in the freezer to have ready whenever you want this flavorful soup. To make sure everything cooks evenly, we recommend trying to slice the celery, carrots, and onion in similar sizes. 08 of 34 Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup Southern Living Proving that black beans can be more than just a side dish, this slow-cooker soup is a great base for toppings like sour cream, avocado slices, fresh cilantro leaves, and chopped fresh tomatoes. You don’t even have to soak the beans for this recipe. Just add dry beans with the broth, and they’ll be done by dinner. 09 of 34 Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Don’t skip the step of browning the beef in the skillet. It produces flavors that a slow cooker can’t duplicate. Cooking low and slow ensures every piece of beef is tender and packed with flavor. Serve with warm tortillas on the side. 10 of 34 Slow-Cooker Cheddar Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Christine Keely Use any soft cheese you have for this recipe. We recommend serving Cheddar soup in pretzel bowls for maximum enjoyment. 11 of 34 Lemon Chicken Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez Just what the doctor ordered—our take on the childhood classic has a grownup spin that we know you'll love. The zip of lemon takes this comforting soup up a notch. 12 of 34 Slow-Cooker Peas-and-Greens Soup with Turkey Sausage Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling; Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This soup can be customized to your family’s tastes. Trade the turkey sausage for a pork version, and use frozen peas or beans for the black-eyed peas. Make sure to reserve the kale and tomatoes until the last 10 minutes of cooking. 13 of 34 Slow Cooker Lentil Soup Jennifer Causey Although it lacks meat, this bean and veggie soup is still packed with plenty of protein. Quick processing in the blender thickens it without adding flour. 14 of 34 Slow-Cooker Turkey and Dumplings Soup Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Melissa Gray; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Chicken steps aside in this take on the classic Southern recipe. Plus, even the dumplings are cooked in the slow cooker. This meal makes great use of Thanksgiving leftovers. 15 of 34 Chicken Sausage and White Bean Stew Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia DeGaris Pursell Say hello to a simple meal for dinner tonight. White beans, carrots, spinach, rosemary, and chicken sausage make up this rich stew. 16 of 34 Slow-Cooker Corn Chowder Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Soup is suitable to serve year-round, even during summer. This soup calls for 14 ears of fresh yellow corn, so you can make the most of the in-season crop. Blend half of the soup for a creamy, indulgent meal. 17 of 34 Chicken, Sweet Potato, and Corn Slow-Cooker Chowder Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This chowder recipe is perfect for game days or weeknights when the family is all together. Top with a dash of hot sauce and chopped chives. 18 of 34 Navy Bean and Ham Soup Photo: Hector M. Sanchez If you like the savory combination of ham and beans but don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen, let this savory slow-cooker recipe come to the rescue. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all the broth. 19 of 34 Slow-Cooker Green Minestrone Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Green veggies shine in this bright, warming soup. Slow cooking builds layers of flavor. Finish each serving with Parmesan, fresh dill, and a drizzle of olive oil. 20 of 34 Slow-Cooker Brisket Chili Hector M. Sanchez Enjoy the ball game, go shopping, or work in the yard. Return to the kitchen a few hours later to find a warm pot of flavorful brisket chili waiting for you and your family. Loaded with black beans and veggies, your family will come back for more. 21 of 34 Soulful Chicken Soup Iain Bagwell No dish is quite as soothing as a hearty bowl of chicken noodle soup, and the slow cooker couldn't have made the road to comfort any easier. This version adds celery root and a splash of lemon. It’ll be your new favorite. 22 of 34 Beef-and-Bean Chili Photo: Hector M. Sanchez Chili is a wintertime staple, and this slow-cooker version is excellent served on its own with cornbread or on top of hot dogs. Fire-roasted tomatoes add smokiness. This hearty chili is full of both ground chuck and chunks of chuck-eye steak. 23 of 34 Chicken and Cornbread Dumplings Iain Bagwell Carrots, parsnips, and celery cook with chicken breasts and thighs in a creamy, flavorful soup mixture. The soft and fluffy cornmeal dumplings bake up right in the slow cooker on top of the aromatic chicken stew. 24 of 34 Kentucky Slow-Cooker Burgoo Antonis Achilleos; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Burgoos include a mix of pork, poultry, mutton, and beef, along with a variety of fresh vegetables. This recipe uses pork shoulder and pork sausage. It makes enough to feed a crowd, or enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. 25 of 34 Slow Cooker Texas Chili Greg Dupree; Prop Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Thanks to the slow cooker, the flavors and spices in this chili have time to mellow. The flavors in this meaty chili get even better throughout the week. Serve with a wedge of cornbread and your favorite toppings. 26 of 34 Peppered Beef Soup Southern Living A steaming hot bowl of hearty soup served out of a toasted bread bowl warms our hearts in such a distinct and fulfilling way. This comforting soup requires some prep work, but the soul-warming result is worth every minute. 27 of 34 Slow-Cooker Turkey Chili Jennifer R. Davick Lean ground turkey replaces the usual ground beef in this richly spiced, veggie-rich chili. Cook the ground turkey before adding it to the slow cooker to bring out its flavor. 28 of 34 Creamy Potato-and-Ham Hock Slow-Cooker Soup Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Ginny Branch Stelling; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall This potato soup is creamy and rich from ham hocks and spending time in the slow cooker. Add a dash of hot sauce for a kick. Serve with a side salad and bread for a full meal. 29 of 34 Loaded Potato Soup Southern Living You need just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of hands-on time to pull this potato soup together. It has everything you love about your favorite side dish combined into a thick, creamy soup. Set up a topping bar so everyone can finish as they wish. 30 of 34 Pork Chili Verde Hector Sanchez This is how chili should be: spicy, savory, and delicious. Grab a spoon and savor every bite. Pork rib pieces are the savory meat that makes this chili so irresistible. 31 of 34 Creamy Turnip Soup Hector Manuel Sanchez With only 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can put this soup together on even your busiest of days and have dinner ready when you get home. Top with bacon and greens or croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. Make this soup vegetarian by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and omitting the bacon topping. 32 of 34 Sausage-and-Collard Greens Stew Recipe Hector Manuel Sanchez This two-step soup combines Southern and Italian flavors for a rich and comforting meal. Swap out ingredients to customize this stew to your liking. Use any type of sausage, and replace the collards with any hearty greens like kale, winter greens, or turnip greens. 33 of 34 Mexican Stew Photo: Hector Sanchez This version of classic posole combines all the flavors of the slow-cooked pork stew right in your slow cooker. Pork becomes very tender simmering in broth enhanced with dried ancho chiles. Top with sliced radishes, lime, and cilantro. 34 of 34 Slow-Cooker Veggie Chili Hector Sanchez; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham This meatless chili is so packed with veggies, beans, and flavor, you won’t miss the meat. Use a combination of your favorite beans, and add hot sauce for some heat. If you have any leftovers, this chili freezes well. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit