Slow Cooker Potato & Poblano Chowder
Made with potatoes, poblano peppers, onion, garlic, and spices, Slow Cooker Potato & Poblano Chowder is a wonderful warm and cozy meal that is perfect comfort food for cold nights! This thick & hearty soup is a cinch to make thanks to the convenience of the slow cooker!
Slow Cooker Potato & Poblano Chowder
Soup season is here and you’re gonna love this delicious, hearty chowder made with russet potatoes and fresh poblano peppers!
It’s a satisfying, warm-you-up, chunky soup that will check all your comfort food boxes!
Plus, it’s made in the slow cooker for maximum convenience!
Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Potatoes – I like russets
- Poblano peppers
- Onion
- Garlic
- Seasonings – smoked paprika, cumin, white pepper, salt, pepper
- Bay leaf
- Broth
- Cream cheese – full fat melts better
- Chipotle pepper (optional – see notes below)
What kind of potatoes should you use for potato chowder?
Different kinds of potatoes will give your potato soup a different texture.
Russet potatoes – the type used in this recipe, are high in starch. They will fall apart and create a thick soup when mashed.
Red potatoes – are waxy, not starchy, so they will hold their shape more. Use these when you want a vegetable soup with chunks of potatoes in it. Also great for potato salad.
Yukon gold potatoes – fall in the middle of russet and red potatoes. They’re not as starchy as russet and not as waxy as red potatoes. If you don’t use russet potatoes in this recipe, this is the type I would recommend.
Do I need to peel the potatoes?
Whether to peel the potatoes or not is personal preference.
There are lots of nutrients and fiber in the potato skins, so I leave them on. Plus, I think the skins add a nice texture to the soup!
What are poblano peppers?
Poblano peppers are dark green, mild chile peppers that come from Puebla, Mexico.
The have a Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) of 1,000-1,500.
Comparatively, the jalapeno comes in at around 5,000 SHU.
So the poblano is very mild, but not a “0” on the scale like a green bell pepper.
My family and I love chile peppers and spicy food, so I incorporate a lot of them in my recipes.
As written, this Slow Cooker Potato & Poblano Chowder is delicious, creamy, and full of flavor.
However, if you also like a little heat, I recommend adding a chopped chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles in adobo. They’re smoky, spicy, and add a wonderful flavor to the soup!
Once the potatoes are soft, use a potato masher to smash the potatoes.
You can leave them in bigger chunks or you can mash them until the soup is thick. Personal preference!
Can I use a different chile pepper?
A good substitute for the poblano peppers in this soup would be Anaheim peppers. However, they are more mild than poblanos.
If you like spicy food, you could use 3-4 jalapeno peppers instead.
How to serve this Potato & Poblano Chowder?
We serve this soup as a main course with either rolls, spoon bread, or some kind of crusty bread.
Some great garnishes for this soup are:
- Sliced scallions or chives
- Shredded cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Hot sauce
- Bacon
- A sprinkle of smoked paprika
How to store Potato Chowder? Can I freeze it?
Once cooled, store this soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Because it contains dairy, freezing is not recommended. The soup may become grainy and separate when reheated.
Looking for more slow cooker soup recipes? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup (shown below)
- Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Spicy Chipotle Chicken Chili
NOTES:
- If you like spicy food, I sometimes add a chopped chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce. It adds a wonderful spicy & smoky element to the soup.
- Make sure to use full fat cream cheese; it melts better.
Slow Cooker Potato & Poblano Chowder
Equipment
- 5 quart slow cooker
- potato masher
Ingredients
- 5 russet potatoes scrubbed and cubed
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 poblano peppers diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cumin
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 2.5 cups broth
- 8 oz. full fat cream cheese cubed
- 1 chipotle pepper (chopped) from a can of chipotles in adobo optional (only if you want to make it spicy)
Instructions
- Add your potatoes, onion, poblano peppers, and garlic to the slow cooker. You can peel your potatoes, but I like the skin on. Add your seasonings (bay leaf, salt, black & white pepper, cumin, smoked paprika).
- If you want to make the soup smoky and spicy, add the chopped chipotle pepper, otherwise continue on. Pour the broth over everything and give it a stir. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8.
- When the cooking time is done, the potatoes should be tender. Remove the bay leaf, and using a potato masher, mash the chunks of potato to your desired size. Mash it well for little to no chunks, or choose to leave some potatoes in large chunks, it's up to you.
- Add the cubed cream cheese to the slow cooker and stir. Put the lid back on and in about 10-15 minutes, stir the soup until the cream cheese has fully dispersed in the soup. Taste for any needed salt and garnish with a little smoked paprika. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
This was delicious! I had to substitute poblano since my store was out of it but a red pepper and a jalapeno seemed to work just fine. It was sweet with the perfect amount of spice. Definitely a new crock pot staple in my house