Veggie Loaded Baked Potato Soup

I love using my crock pot! it does all the work for you and has dinner ready when you get home at the end of the day. This hearty and healthy soup is from peasandcrayons.com, and I promise you won't even miss the bacon!

Yield: 8 cups

Ingredients
5 medium/standard sized potatoes, (peeling is optional and chopped into 1/2-inch cubes)
1/2 cup finely diced celery (about 3 stalks)
1 onion
3 cups of vegetable broth
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup salter butter
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup sharp cheddar, grated
a few cranks of ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
optional- 1/2 tsp. dried dill (or 1 tsp. fresh dill)

Instructions
1. Chop your veggies and toss em in the pot.

2. Next add veggie broth, garlic, butter, salt, and pepper.

3. Set your slow cooker to HIGH and cook for 4 hours, or, if you're gone for the day set it to LOW for 8 hours.

4. After returning to your slow cooker, you have a very important (ok not that important) decision to make. Do you want your soup chunky or smooth?

5. For smooth soup, use a potato masher or even an immersion blender to creamify the soup.

6. For chunky potato soup, grab a wooden spoon and mash the potatoes partially. 

7. Ready to eat? Simply mix in your cheese, spices, and a spoonful or two of green onions. Taste, season as needed, toss on some toppings, and dig in!