Description
Snow Day Soup is a comforting and hearty chicken and potato soup enriched with corn, seasoned with a blend of spices, and thickened with cornstarch. Topped with crispy bacon crumbles, this soup can be quickly prepared using an Instant Pot or slowly simmered in a slow cooker for a warming, satisfying meal perfect for chilly days.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 1 Tbsp bacon grease
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 20 ounces peeled and cubed Russet potatoes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 cup frozen sweet corn
- 2 cups chopped, cooked rotisserie chicken
- 3 cups milk
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Cook Bacon: Cook 4 slices of bacon until crisp, ideally using an air fryer for even texture. Crumble cooked bacon and set aside, reserving 1 tablespoon of bacon grease.
- Sauté Onion: Using the Instant Pot’s sauté setting, heat the bacon grease and sauté ½ cup diced onion for 3 minutes until translucent and fragrant.
- Add Broth: Pour 3 cups chicken broth into the Instant Pot, scraping the bottom to deglaze and prevent sticking. Turn off the sauté mode.
- Add Veggies and Chicken: Add cubed potatoes, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, frozen corn, and chopped rotisserie chicken into the pot.
- Pressure Cook Soup: Secure the Instant Pot lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on the SOUP setting for 4 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release by letting it sit for 5 minutes before venting the valve to release remaining pressure.
- Temper Milk: Pour 1 cup of the hot soup into 3 cups of milk to temper it, then combine the mixture back into the pot to avoid curdling.
- Make Cornstarch Slurry and Thicken: Stir 3 tablespoons cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water until smooth. Turn Instant Pot to sauté and stir in the slurry, cooking and stirring for 5-10 minutes until the soup thickens.
- Serve: Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the crumbled bacon.
- Alternative Slow Cooker Method – Sauté Onion: Heat a pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon grease and onion; sauté for 3 minutes until translucent. Transfer to the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Adding Ingredients: Add chicken broth, cubed potatoes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, corn, and chicken to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours until potatoes are tender.
- Temper Milk: Pour 1 cup hot soup into 3 cups milk and stir well, then add the milk mixture into the slow cooker.
- Thicken Soup: Mix cornstarch and cold water, then stir slurry into the slow cooker. Cook on high without lid for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Serve Slow Cooker Soup: Ladle into bowls and top with bacon crumbles.
Notes
- Using the Instant Pot provides a speedy method with great depth of flavor while slow cooker method offers convenience and tender potatoes.
- Tempering the milk before adding prevents curdling and ensures a smooth texture.
- Adjust red pepper flakes to control heat level according to preference.
- Russet potatoes are preferred for their starchy texture which thickens the soup nicely.
- Substitute milk with half-and-half or cream for a richer soup.
- The bacon grease adds smoky flavor; substitute with butter if preferred.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes (Instant Pot) / 4 hours (Slow Cooker)
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Snow Day Soup, chicken potato soup, bacon soup, cornstarch thickened soup, instant pot soup, slow cooker soup, comfort food
