Description
A cheap, hearty, and creamy slow cooker soup made with smoked sausage, russet potatoes, and simple pantry staples. It costs under $1.50 per bowl and requires minimal active preparation time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz smoked sausage (kielbasa), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- 1.5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk or half-and-half
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional, for topping)
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Peel and cube potatoes, dice onion, and slice sausage. Place them in the crockpot.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook diced onion for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add thyme and pepper, cook for 30 seconds, then pour into the crockpot.
- Add liquid: Pour chicken broth over ingredients in the crockpot and stir gently.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (or HIGH for 3-4 hours). Do not open the lid during cooking.
- Finish: Once potatoes are tender, switch crockpot to WARM. Stir in milk or half-and-half. Taste and adjust seasoning. If too thick, simmer uncovered on HIGH for 15 minutes. Serve hot with cheese if desired.
Notes
Do not add milk at the beginning as it may curdle. For a thicker soup, mash some cooked potatoes and stir them back in. If the soup is too salty, add a diced raw potato to absorb excess salt. This soup does not freeze well due to the dairy; freeze the base without milk and add fresh milk upon reheating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 35
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 18
Keywords: budget recipes, crockpot soup, sausage potato soup, cheap meals, slow cooker dinner, comfort food, meal prep