Curl up with a warm and filling bowl of Instant Pot potato soup. The tried and true recipe combines simple pantry ingredients and tender potatoes to make creamy and delicious comfort in a bowl. Serve the soup with crusty bread and all your favorite toppings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Instant Pot potato soup is always a hit in my house! The hearty soup is perfect when you need a quick dinner in a pinch! It is easy to prepare and a crowd favorite. Best of all, the creamy potato soup cooks in the Instant Pot in 30 minutes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Roux: Create an easy roux with butter and all-purpose flour to thicken the soup.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and fresh garlic cloves flavor and add bulk to the soup.
- Chicken Broth: I use chicken broth for this recipe, but you can use homemade broth or store-bought chicken stock or chicken Better Than Bouillon and water.
- Potatoes: Two pounds of Yukon gold potatoes are the base for this easy Instant Pot potato soup but use red potatoes or russet potatoes if that’s what you have. Peel the skins off the potatoes before dicing them. If you prefer to leave the skins on, wash them thoroughly.
- Spices: Finish the dish with kosher salt, white pepper, dried parsley, and smoky chipotle powder.
- Dairy: Add whole milk and heavy cream for a creamy, rich flavor, or try cream cheese.
Additions and Substitutions
- To make a vegetarian potato soup, use vegetable broth or vegetable Better Than Bouillon. Skip the roux, saute the vegetables in olive or coconut oil, and replace the milk and heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk for a vegan version.
- Swap the potatoes for cauliflower florets if you prefer a low-carb option.
- Add more vegetables like broccoli, celery, butternut squash, or cauliflower.
- Season the soup with taco seasoning, Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe, or ancho chili powder instead of chipotle powder.
- Include diced ham, sliced kielbasa, or andouille sausage for additional protein.
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
Prepare this instant pot potato soup recipe in an 8-quart or 6-quart Instant Pot. You will need to reduce the amount of each ingredient for a 3-quart Instant Pot.
How to Make Instant Pot Potato Soup
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Melt butter in Instant Pot using the sauté function. Then, stir in the all-purpose flour until a blonde roux forms, for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute until the onions become translucent and soften for about 10 minutes.
Step 3: Deglaze the pot with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil on saute mode.
Step 4: Stir in the white pepper, kosher salt, dried parsley, chipotle powder, and potatoes.
Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Then, let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.
Step 5: Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream.
Step 6: Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.
Expert Tips
- Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Avoid a burn notice by deglazing the Instant Pot with chicken broth, and be careful to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom before securing the dish and pressure cooking.
- If you prefer chunky potato soup, skip the immersion blender step or only process half of the mixture. You can also use a potato masher instead, resulting in thicker potato soup.
How to Make a Slow Cooker Version
- Aside from milk and heavy cream, add the ingredients to a slow cooker or Crockpot.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 6 hours.
- Remove the lid and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Then, use an immersion blender or potato masher to process the soup.
Serving Suggestions
Sides for Potato Soup
- Bread: Dinner Rolls, Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread, Pao de Sal, Bread Bowl, Corn Bread, Corn Casserole, Corn Muffins
- Salad: Vegetable Chopped Salad, Spinach and Arugula Salad, Homemade Coleslaw
- Entrees: Kielbasa, Chicken Sausage, Brisket, BBQ Baked Chicken Legs
Toppings for Potato Soup
One of the best things about this delicious soup is all the fixings, and here are some of my favorite ways to garnish the soup.
- Herbs: Green Onions, Chives
- Bread: Croutons
- Protein: Bacon Bits
- Dairy: Sour Cream, Greek Yogurt, Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Seeds: Pepitas, Sunflower Seeds
- Vegetables: Pickled Jalapeños, Sumac Onions
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze – You can freeze potato soup, but it will change the texture quite a bit because of the dairy. Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. The Instant Pot soup freezes for 2-3 months.
- Reheat –Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of potatoes work best for Instant Pot potato soup?
Because of its high starch content, Russet potatoes are possibly the best potatoes for the loaded potato soup. However, I prefer the creaminess of Yukon gold potatoes.
Why is the soup coming out so thick?
No worries – this happens as the potatoes cook. Feel free to add chicken broth or milk, a little at a time, until you’re happy with the consistency.
More Soup Recipes:
Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Immersion Blender or Potato Masher
- 1 stick butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 pounds golden potatoes, peeled and cut into 1- inch pieces, about 5-6 potatoes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
- 1½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Melt butter in Instant Pot using the sauté function. Then, stir in the all-purpose flour until a blonde roux forms, for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Saute until the onions become translucent and soften for about 10 minutes.
- Deglaze the pot with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil on saute mode.
- Stir in the white pepper, kosher salt, dried parsley, chipotle powder, and potatoes. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Then, let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Use an immersion blender to process the soup until smooth or chunky, depending on your preference.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, and enjoy.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Avoid a burn notice by deglazing the Instant Pot with chicken broth, and be careful to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom before securing the dish and pressure cooking.
- If you prefer chunky potato soup, skip the immersion blender step or only process half of the mixture. You can also use a potato masher instead, resulting in thicker potato soup.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Kristen Geyer
Sunday 11th of September 2022
This soup was so delicious with the perfect amount of heat to balance the creaminess. We will definitely repeat this recipe.
Tressa Jamil
Sunday 11th of September 2022
I am not going to lie, our family is obsessed with this soup and for the same reasons. I am so happy you liked it.