9 Cozy Slow Cooker Soups to See You Through Soup Season

It is just after four, the light outside the kitchen window is already going, and there is a bag of carrots, half a cabbage and a pack of chicken in the fridge that all need using this week. Soup season is exactly the season for a fridge like that. This post gives you nine cosy slow cooker soups to see you through it — a white chicken chilli, a proper chicken noodle, a beef and barley that eats like a stew, two ham soups built for leftovers, and three vegetarian pots for the nights in between. Every soup is prepped in 10 to 20 minutes in the morning, cooks itself in one 6-quart slow cooker, and states its honest times and its cost per serving, dated October 2026. Load the pot, put the lid on, and let the day do the cooking.

Quick Facts

• Prep time: 10–20 minutes per soup, stated on every recipe below
• Cook time: 4–8 hours on Low, or 2–4 hours on High — both settings stated per recipe
• Total time: Prep plus slow cooking, nothing hidden
• Servings: Each soup feeds 4–6 (about 8–10 cups / 2–2.4 litres per pot)
• Cost per serving: About $1.45–$2.65 per serving — based on standard supermarket prices, October 2026; yours will vary
• Equipment: One 6-quart (5.7 litre) slow cooker — the one equipment angle for the whole post. A board, knife and ladle are assumed; recipe 6 also uses a blender at the end
• Best for: Soup season and freezer restocks

Why This Works on a Weeknight

• The work happens in the morning. Ten to twenty minutes of chopping and loading, then dinner is ready when you walk back into the kitchen.
• One pot, nine different dinners. Chilli-style, creamy, brothy, blended — the same 6-quart cooker covers all of them.
• Built for the freezer. Almost every soup freezes well, so one session can stock two or three future dinners. The honest exceptions are flagged below.
• Costs and times you can plan around. Every recipe states its prep time, both cooker settings, and its cost per serving, dated October 2026.

These soups are the natural next pot after our 12 Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dinners — same cooker, same hands-off promise, in a bowl instead of on a plate. For more set-it-and-forget-it dinners, try our 13 Dump-and-Go Slow Cooker Recipes next.

The 9 Slow Cooker Soups

1. White Chicken Chili Soup — 15 mins prep, Low 6 hrs / High 3 hrs · about $2.40 per serving · feeds 4–6
2. Creamy Potato Soup with Ham — 15 mins prep, Low 7 hrs / High 3½ hrs · about $1.85 per serving · feeds 4–6
3. Beef, Barley & Vegetable Soup — 20 mins prep, Low 8 hrs / High 4 hrs · about $2.65 per serving · feeds 4–6
4. Lentil & Root Vegetable Soup — 15 mins prep, Low 7 hrs / High 3½ hrs · about $1.45 per serving · feeds 4–6
5. Classic Chicken Noodle Soup — 15 mins prep, Low 6 hrs / High 3 hrs · about $1.95 per serving · feeds 4–6
6. Butternut Squash & Apple Soup — 20 mins prep, Low 6 hrs / High 3 hrs · about $1.70 per serving · feeds 4–6
7. Split Pea & Ham Soup — 10 mins prep, Low 8 hrs / High 4 hrs · about $1.55 per serving · feeds 4–6
8. Stuffed Cabbage Soup — 20 mins prep, Low 7 hrs / High 3½ hrs · about $2.30 per serving · feeds 4–6
9. Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup — 10 mins prep, Low 4 hrs / High 2 hrs · about $2.10 per serving · feeds 4–6

The rules that apply to every recipe below: pantry staples — salt, black pepper, cooking oil and water — are listed separately under every recipe and never counted as bought ingredients. Everything cooks in one 6-quart (5.7 litre) slow cooker, never more than two-thirds full. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes. And never cook raw meat from frozen in a slow cooker: thaw it in the fridge first.

1. White Chicken Chili Soup

Ready in: 15 mins prep, then 6 hours on Low or 3 hours on High · About $2.40 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
• 2 × 15 oz (425 g) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1½ cups (225 g) sweetcorn, frozen or canned
• 1 × 4 oz (115 g) can diced green chillies
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 3 cups (720 ml) chicken stock
• 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese, cubed

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Lay the chicken in the bottom of the 6-quart slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the beans, sweetcorn, chillies, onion, garlic, cumin and oregano. Pour the stock over and stir once.
3. Lid on, and cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours — do not lift the lid; every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
4. Lift the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and stir the cream cheese into the soup until melted.
5. Stir the chicken back in, taste for salt, rest 10 minutes with the lid on, and serve.

Food safety: Cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Never cook the chicken from frozen — thaw it in the fridge first.

All the comfort of a chilli in a lighter bowl — the beans thicken it, and the cream cheese at the end makes it taste stove-simmered.

2. Creamy Potato Soup with Ham

Ready in: 15 mins prep, then 7 hours on Low or 3½ hours on High · About $1.85 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 lb (900 g) floury potatoes — russets are ideal — peeled, in ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
• 1½ cups (225 g) diced fully-cooked ham
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g)
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup / 130 g)
• 2 sticks celery, diced (about ¾ cup / 100 g)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 4 cups (960 ml) chicken stock
• 1 cup (240 ml) milk, plus ½ cup (120 ml) double cream / heavy cream (or 1½ cups / 360 ml milk alone)
• 1 cup (115 g) grated cheddar

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the potatoes, ham, onion, carrots, celery and garlic into the 6-quart slow cooker. Season, pour the stock over, and stir once.
2. Lid on, and cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 3½ hours, until the potatoes collapse when pressed with a spoon. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
3. Mash roughly in the pot, about 8–10 presses, leaving some chunks.
4. Stir in the milk, cream and half the cheddar. Lid back on, 15 minutes on Low, until steaming hot throughout and the cheese has melted.
5. Taste for salt — the ham does much of that work — and serve with the remaining cheddar over the top.

Food safety: The ham is fully cooked before it goes in; it still needs heating through until the finished soup is steaming hot throughout before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

The soup leftover ham was invented for — thick enough to feel like dinner, with the potato doing all the thickening.

3. Beef, Barley & Vegetable Soup

Ready in: 20 mins prep, then 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High · About $2.65 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1½ lb (680 g) beef stewing steak — chuck is ideal — in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
• ¾ cup (140 g) pearl barley, rinsed
• 1 × 14 oz (400 g) can chopped tomatoes
• 3 carrots, peeled and chunked (about 2 cups / 260 g)
• 2 sticks celery, thickly sliced (about ¾ cup / 100 g)
• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce (or soy sauce); 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 cups (1.2 litres) beef stock

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Optional but worth it: brown the seasoned beef in 1 tablespoon oil, 3–4 minutes a side in two batches, and tip it and the pan juices into the 6-quart slow cooker. Skipping it still works, with less depth.
2. Add the barley, tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Pour the stock over and stir once.
3. Lid on, and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, until the beef breaks with a spoon and the barley is plump. Do not lift the lid early — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
4. Stir in the peas, lid back on, 15 minutes more. Barley keeps drinking the broth as it sits, so loosen with hot water if it has gone stew-thick. Taste, season, and serve.

Food safety: Cook whole cuts of beef to at least 145°F (63°C); check with a food thermometer if cooking on High or your cooker runs cool. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Never cook the beef from frozen — thaw it in the fridge first.

The priciest bowl in the post, and the one that eats most like a Sunday dinner.

4. Lentil & Root Vegetable Soup

Ready in: 15 mins prep, then 7 hours on Low or 3½ hours on High · About $1.45 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1½ cups (300 g) dried red or brown lentils, rinsed (no soaking needed)
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, in ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes (about 2 cups / 300 g)
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced (about 2 cups / 260 g)
• 1 parsnip, peeled and diced (about 1 cup / 130 g) — or 1 more carrot
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 2 sticks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
• 1 × 14 oz (400 g) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 5 cups (1.2 litres) vegetable stock
• Lemon wedges and parsley, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the lentils, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip, onion, celery and garlic into the 6-quart slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, cumin and paprika, season, pour the stock over, and stir once.
2. Lid on, and cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 3½ hours, until the lentils soften and the roots are tender. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
3. Stir well. Red lentils thicken the soup towards a stew; brown lentils hold their shape more. Both are right.
4. Taste, adjust the salt, and serve with lemon wedges — the squeeze of lemon genuinely lifts the whole bowl.

Food safety: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.

The cheapest soup in the post, and one of the most filling — lentils need no soaking and no attention once the lid goes on.

5. Classic Chicken Noodle Soup

Ready in: 15 mins prep, then 6 hours on Low or 3 hours on High, with the noodles going in for the last 30 minutes · About $1.95 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into coins (about 2 cups / 260 g)
• 3 sticks celery, sliced (about 1 cup / 130 g)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups (1.4 litres) chicken stock
• 4 oz (115 g) dried egg noodles
• Chopped fresh parsley, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the carrots, celery, onion and garlic into the 6-quart slow cooker. Lay the chicken on top, season, and add the thyme and bay leaves.
2. Pour the stock over — the chicken should be mostly covered; top up with a little water if not.
3. Lid on, and cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
4. Lift the chicken out, shred it with two forks, and take the bay leaves out.
5. Stir the noodles into the hot broth, lid back on, and cook on High for the last 30 minutes until just tender, stirring the chicken back in for the final 10 minutes. Serve straight away — noodles keep drinking broth in the pot.

Food safety: Cook chicken until the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F (74°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Never cook the chicken from frozen — thaw it in the fridge first.

The soup everyone asks for, with one firm rule: noodles go in at the end, or they turn to mush and drink the whole pot.

6. Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ready in: 20 mins prep, then 6 hours on Low or 3 hours on High, blended at the end · About $1.70 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash, about 2½ lb (1.1 kg), peeled, deseeded, in 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes — or 5 cups (750 g) ready-prepped squash
• 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped (about 2 cups / 240 g)
• 1 onion, chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1 tablespoon grated fresh)
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a pinch of nutmeg if you have it
• 4 cups (960 ml) vegetable stock
• ½ cup (120 ml) double cream / heavy cream, stirred in after blending (optional — or milk)
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the squash, apples, onion and garlic into the 6-quart slow cooker. Add the ginger and cinnamon, season, and pour the stock over — the squash need not be fully covered; it collapses as it cooks.
2. Lid on, and cook on Low for 6 hours or High for 3 hours, until the squash is completely soft. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
3. Blend until smooth — a stick blender in the pot is easiest. With a jug blender, blend in batches, never more than half full, lid held down with a tea towel.
4. Stir in the cream if using, taste, and adjust the salt and cinnamon — it should taste of squash and warmth, not of pie.
5. Serve in warm bowls with pumpkin seeds scattered over, if you have them.

Food safety: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat until steaming hot throughout before serving.

The one blended soup in the set — the apple keeps the squash from tasting flat after six hours in the pot.

7. Split Pea & Ham Soup

Ready in: 10 mins prep, then 8 hours on Low or 4 hours on High · About $1.55 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) dried split peas, green or yellow, rinsed (no soaking needed)
• 1½ cups (225 g) diced fully-cooked ham — or a leftover ham bone plus 1 cup (150 g) diced ham
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups / 200 g)
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 2 sticks celery, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (or ½ teaspoon garlic powder)
• 2 bay leaves; ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 cups (1.4 litres) chicken stock (or water — stock gives the deeper flavour)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the split peas, ham, carrots, onion, celery and garlic into the 6-quart slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and thyme.
2. Pour the stock over and stir once. Season lightly — the ham brings salt. If using a ham bone, push it down into the peas.
3. Lid on, and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours, until the peas have completely broken down. Do not lift the lid early — every lift adds 15–20 minutes, and split peas need every one of them.
4. Take out the bay leaves and the bone if used, shredding any meat on it back into the soup.
5. Stir, taste, and season. The soup thickens as it stands — loosen with a splash of hot water.

Food safety: The ham is fully cooked before it goes in; it still needs heating through until the finished soup is steaming hot throughout before serving. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

The old-fashioned one, and proud of it — split peas are among the cheapest things in the supermarket, and eight slow hours do the rest.

8. Stuffed Cabbage Soup

Ready in: 20 mins prep, then 7 hours on Low or 3½ hours on High · About $2.30 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef
• 1 small green cabbage, cored and cut into ribbons (about 6 cups / 450 g)
• 1 × 14 oz (400 g) can chopped tomatoes, plus 1 × 8 oz (225 g) can tomato sauce / passata
• ½ cup (95 g) long-grain white rice, uncooked, rinsed
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet paprika)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
• 4 cups (960 ml) beef stock
• Sour cream, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Brown the beef first — the one soup here where it is not optional. Cook it in 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Drain the fat and tip the beef into the 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Add the cabbage — the pot will look impossibly full; it collapses — then the tomatoes, sauce, rice, onion, garlic, paprika, sugar and vinegar. Pour the stock over and push the cabbage down.
3. Lid on, and cook on Low for 7 hours or High for 3½ hours, until the cabbage is silky and the rice tender. Keep the lid on — every lift adds 15–20 minutes.
4. Stir, taste, and balance it: a pinch more sugar if sharp, a splash more vinegar if flat. That adjustment is the whole trick of this soup.
5. Serve in deep bowls with sour cream on top, if you like.

Food safety: Cook ground beef until the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F (71°C). Use a food thermometer — colour alone is not a reliable guide. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Never cook the beef from frozen — thaw it in the fridge first.

All the flavour of stuffed cabbage rolls — golumpki-style — with none of the blanching, rolling and tucking.

9. Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

Ready in: 10 mins prep, then 4 hours on Low or 2 hours on High, with the tortellini and cream going in for the last 30 minutes · About $2.10 per serving · Feeds 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 × 14 oz (400 g) cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup / 150 g); 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or dried basil plus oregano)
• 1 teaspoon sugar — it takes the edge off the tomatoes
• 3 cups (720 ml) vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
• 9 oz (250 g) fresh cheese tortellini, from the refrigerated section
• ¾ cup (180 ml) double cream / heavy cream
• 2 cups (60 g) fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)

Pantry staples you probably have: salt, black pepper, cooking oil, water — declared here and never counted as bought ingredients.

Method

1. Put the tomatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning and sugar into the 6-quart slow cooker. Season, pour the stock over, and stir once.
2. Lid on, and cook on Low for 4 hours or High for 2 hours — the shortest cook in the post; nothing in the pot yet needs longer.
3. Thirty minutes before serving, stir in the tortellini and cream. Lid back on, High for the last 30 minutes, until the tortellini are tender.
4. Stir in the spinach for the final 5 minutes, until wilted. Taste, season, and serve straight away — tortellini keep swelling in hot broth.

Food safety: Serve the tortellini piping hot, refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, and reheat until steaming hot throughout.

The fastest soup here, and the one that tastes most like a treat — pasta and cream are held back to the end so both stay as they should.

What It Costs

Based on prices checked in October 2026 at a large US supermarket. Your cost will vary by store and season — the point is the ballpark, not the penny. Per serving: Lentil & Root Vegetable Soup about $1.45, Split Pea & Ham Soup about $1.55, Butternut Squash & Apple Soup about $1.70, Creamy Potato Soup with Ham about $1.85, Classic Chicken Noodle Soup about $1.95, Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup about $2.10, Stuffed Cabbage Soup about $2.30, White Chicken Chili Soup about $2.40, and Beef, Barley & Vegetable Soup about $2.65. Every pot feeds 4–6.

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours in airtight containers, and use within 3–4 days. Every soup thickens in the fridge, so loosen with a splash of water at reheating.
• Freezer: Most of these freeze well for up to 3 months: white chicken chilli, beef and barley, lentil, split pea, stuffed cabbage and butternut squash all come back beautifully. The exceptions are the potato soup (potatoes can turn grainy) and the two pasta soups (the pasta swells and softens) — eat those fresh across a few days.
• Thawing: Thaw overnight in the fridge, never on the counter. A frozen block of finished soup can also melt gently in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of water.
• Reheating: Reheat on the stove over medium heat, stirring, or covered in the microwave, until steaming hot throughout — 165°F (74°C). Do not reheat the same leftovers twice.
• The lid rule still applies: keeping soup warm in the cooker counts too — every lift adds 15–20 minutes while it wins the heat back.

Easy Swaps & Variations

• Chicken thighs instead of breasts: boneless, skinless thighs swap in one-for-one in the white chicken chilli and the chicken noodle, and stay tender over long cooks. The 165°F (74°C) rule is the same.
• Low to High, and back: every recipe states both settings, and half the Low time is roughly right on High — but barley and split peas do better on Low, so give recipes 3 and 7 the long cook when you can.
• Cream, milk, or neither: the cream in the potato, chilli, butternut and tortellini soups swaps for milk, or can be left out. Stir dairy in at the end — at the start of a long cook it can split.
• Ham and sausage trade places: the diced ham in the potato and split pea soups swaps for the same weight of cooked smoked sausage, sliced.
• Half batch, not double: every soup halves cleanly in the same cooker. Doubling does not work — never fill the pot more than two-thirds full.

FAQs

Can I cook these soups on High instead of Low?

Yes — every recipe states both times, and halving the Low time for High is the pattern throughout. The beef and barley and the split pea come out better on Low. On High, check they are completely soft before serving, and add 30 minutes if not.

Can I put frozen chicken or beef straight into the slow cooker?

No — never cook raw meat from frozen in a slow cooker. The cooker heats too gently at the start, and frozen meat can spend too long in the temperature zone where bacteria grow. Thaw chicken, beef and ground meat in the fridge overnight first. Frozen peas and sweetcorn are fine; it is the raw meat that is the rule.

Why does lifting the lid matter so much?

A slow cooker works by trapping a small amount of heat over a long time. Every lift lets that heat escape, and the cooker needs 15–20 minutes to win it back — three lifts quietly add an hour to dinner. Stir and taste at the end, when the recipes ask, and leave the lid alone until then.

Do I need to soak the lentils or split peas first?

No. Just rinse them in a sieve, pick out any grit, and tip them into the pot — which is why recipes 4 and 7 have the shortest prep times here. Beans that do need soaking, like kidney beans, are a different matter, which is why the white chicken chilli uses canned beans.

Made this? Pin it for tonight 📌 — it genuinely helps Weeknight Foodie grow.

You might also like:

• 12 Easy 5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Dinners — the five-ingredient slow cooker set these soups were built to sit beside
• 9 Easy Non-Alcoholic Mocktails That Taste Like the Real Thing — something to pour while the soup finishes
• 13 Dump-and-Go Slow Cooker Recipes — more load-it-and-leave-it dinners for the same cooker