Soups, Stews & Chili

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

By Clara ·
November 1, 2026

When you lift the lid, the sweet potatoes should be tender enough to give under a fork, while the chicken thighs are still sitting in a fragrant broth with the carrots and onion. I like this slow cooker creamy chicken and sweet potato soup because the slow cooker handles the long simmer, and the final cream-and-cornstarch mixture turns the broth silky without making the soup heavy.

The texture comes from letting the chicken cook whole before shredding it back into the pot. That keeps the meat in tender strands instead of small dry pieces, and the sweet potatoes soften into the broth without needing to be blended. A little dried thyme rounds out the sweetness, while the finished soup stays hearty, creamy, and full of distinct vegetables.

Why this soup stays chunky instead of turning into sweet potato puree

A slow cooker gives sweet potatoes hours in a moist, enclosed environment, so the cut size matters more than it would in a quick sauté. Cubes cut close to a half inch soften at a steady pace and leave you with recognizable pieces in the bowl. If the pieces vary widely, the smallest ones can collapse before the largest are tender.

This soup gets its creamy feel from two things working together: softened sweet potatoes in the broth and a modest finish of cream thickened with cornstarch. It doesn’t rely on pureeing the vegetables, so the chicken, carrots, and sweet potatoes still have their own texture. That balance is what makes it feel substantial without turning into a dense mash. The end result is a brothy soup with a gentle creamy body, not a smooth bisque.

The ingredients that give this soup its rounded, savory base

• Sweet potatoes — Choose firm, unwrinkled sweet potatoes; the inexpensive ones work just as well as premium ones here. Peeling them and cutting them into even half-inch cubes helps them soften at a similar pace. Their natural sweetness is part of the soup’s character, so a starchier potato won’t give quite the same mellow flavor.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs — Thighs stay tender through the long slow cook and shred easily back into the soup. Buy them fresh or thawed, and trim away any large pieces of excess fat. Chicken breast is leaner and can become dry over this cooking window, so thighs are the more reliable choice for the intended texture.
• Low-sodium chicken broth — A basic boxed broth is perfectly good; the low-sodium label matters more than the brand because kosher salt is also in the pot. The broth carries the garlic, thyme, and chicken flavor through the vegetables without making the finished soup taste overly salty.
• Onion, carrots, garlic, and dried thyme — These pantry staples build the savory background, and there’s no need to seek out specialty produce. Dice the onion, slice the carrots evenly, and mince the garlic so each one blends into the broth. Dried thyme suits the long simmer; fresh herb leaves won’t have the same concentrated flavor in the same amount.
• Heavy cream and cornstarch — Heavy cream brings richness, while cornstarch gives the broth a light, spoon-coating thickness. Standard grocery-store heavy cream works well; there’s no advantage to buying a premium brand for this pot. For a dairy-free direction, use the coconut milk variation below rather than switching to a thinner milk that won’t give the same body.

From the slow-cooker base to a lightly creamy finish

Load the broth and vegetables first

Pour the chicken broth into a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the sweet potatoes, diced onion, sliced carrots, minced garlic, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Add the thawed chicken thighs to the cooker with the vegetables. Keep the ingredients in the slow cooker rather than trying to brown them first; this version builds its flavor during the covered simmer.

Let the chicken and sweet potatoes turn tender

Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. The sweet potatoes should be tender when pierced, and the chicken should reach 165°F. Slow cookers can run differently, so check the texture and temperature rather than relying only on the clock. The chicken should be ready to pull apart with forks.

Shred the thighs into the broth

Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and use two forks to shred it into bite-size strands. If it feels resistant, keep pulling with the forks rather than chopping it into cubes; shredded pieces mingle better with the vegetables. Return the chicken to the slow cooker and stir it through the broth.

Stir in the cream mixture and finish

Whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together until smooth, then stir the mixture into the soup. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, until the broth is lightly thickened. The finished soup should still move easily from the spoon; it isn’t meant to be as thick as a cream sauce.

Three practical ways to adapt this slow cooker soup

Questions that come up when the slow cooker is doing the work

Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup

Slow cooker creamy chicken and sweet potato soup cooks until the potatoes are tender and the chicken shreds easily. A cream-and-cornstarch mixture thickens the broth into a cozy, lightly creamy soup.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

Total Time 7 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 450

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 6 cup chicken broth low-sodium
• 2 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 yellow onion medium, diced
• 2 carrots medium, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp thyme dried
• 1 tsp salt kosher
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 2 lb chicken thighs boneless, skinless, thawed
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp cornstarch

Equipment

• 1 6-quart slow cooker

Method

 

1. Pour the low-sodium chicken broth into a 6-quart slow cooker, then add the sweet potatoes, onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, and chicken.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours, until the sweet potatoes are tender and the chicken reaches 165°F.
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it with two forks, and return it to the slow cooker.
4. Whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together until smooth.
5. Stir the cream and cornstarch mixture into the soup.
6. Cover and cook on HIGH for 20 to 30 minutes, until the soup is lightly thickened.

Notes

For the smoothest finish, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch until no lumps remain before adding them to the soup. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the cream may separate. For a dairy-free version, use an unsweetened dairy-free cooking cream.