Curl up with a warm bowl of hearty Instant Pot potato soup. Our tried and true recipe combines simple pantry ingredients to make creamy and delicious comfort in a bowl.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Instant Pot potato soup is always a hit! This recipe is perfect when you need quick dinner in a pinch! The soup is easy to prepare and a crowd favorite. Best of all, the creamy potato soup cooks in the Instant Pot for 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- What You Need to Make This Recipe
- Additions and Substitutions
- Tools Used to Make This Recipe
- How to Make Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Expert Tips
- How to Make Crockpot Potato Soup
- Serving Suggestions
- What to do With the Leftovers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Potato Recipes:
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
What You Need to Make This Recipe
- Butter: Create a roux and build flavor with butter.
- Flour: Use flour to finish the roux and thicken the soup.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, and garlic flavor and add body to the soup.
- Chicken Broth: I use chicken broth for this recipe, but you can also use chicken stock or try Chicken Better Than Bouillon and water.
- Potatoes: Two pounds of golden potatoes make our classic Instant Pot potato soup, but you can use russet or red potatoes. Peel the skins off the potatoes before cutting them. If you prefer to leave the skins on, then be sure to wash them thoroughly.
- Spices: Finish the soup with kosher salt, white pepper, dried parsley, and chipotle powder.
- Dairy: Add creaminess using whole milk and heavy cream.
Additions and Substitutions
- Vegetarian: To make vegetarian potato soup, use vegetable broth or Vegetable Better Than Bouillon. For a vegan variation, skip the roux, saute the vegetables in olive oil, and swap the milk and heavy cream for coconut milk.
- Low-Carb: Replace the potatoes with cauliflower florets.
- Vegetables: Add body to the soup by including broccoli, celery, butternut squash, or cauliflower.
- Spices: Replace the chipotle powder with taco seasoning, Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe, or ancho chili powder.
- Protein: If you want something more filling, consider adding diced ham, sliced kielbasa, or andouille sausage.
Tools Used to Make This Recipe
This recipe works for an 8-quart and 6-quart Instant Pot, but you will need to reduce the amount of each ingredient for a 3-quart.
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 on saute mode. Then, stir in the flour until a roux forms.
Add the onions, carrots, and garlic; saute until the onions become translucent and soften for about 10 minutes.
Step 2: Deglaze the pot with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil on saute mode.
Step 3: Stir in the white pepper, kosher salt, parsley, chipotle powder, and potatoes.
Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Then, allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream.
Step 5: Then, use an immersion blender to break up the potatoes.
Step 6: Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more cheddar cheese, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- Cut the potatoes the same size (about 1-inch thick) to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Avoid a burn notice by deglazing the pot with chicken broth, and be careful to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom.
- If you prefer chunky potato soup, skip the immersion blender step. Instead, serve the soup as is, or you can process half the mixture. You can also use a potato masher, resulting in thick and creamy potato soup.
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If you love this recipe, try one of these soup favorites!
How to Make Crockpot Potato Soup
- Aside from the 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 break up the potatoes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more cheddar cheese, and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
Sides for Potato Soup
- Bread: Dinner Rolls, Sourdough Bread, Pao de Sal, Bread Bowl, Corn Bread, Corn Casserole, Corn Muffins
- Salad: Vegetable Chopped Salad, Spinach and Arugula Salad, Homemade Coleslaw with Mint and Cilantro
- Entrees: Kielbasa, Air Fryer Chicken Sausage
Toppings for Potato Soup
My favorite thing about making potato soup is customizing it with fixings; here are some of my favorite:
- Scallions, Chives
- Croutons
- Bacon Bits
- Sour Cream, Greek Yogurt
- Shredded Cheese
- Pepitas, Sunflower Seeds
- 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. First, let the dish cool, and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Instant Pot potato soup freezes for 2-3 months.
- Reheat – Warm leftover soup on the stovetop or microwave, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of potatoes work best for Instant Pot potato soup?
Because of the high starch content, Russet potatoes break down easily in the soup. However, I prefer the creaminess of gold potatoes.
Why is my soup coming out so thick?
No worries – this can happen as potatoes cook. Feel free to add more chicken broth, a little at a time, until you’re happy with the consistency.
What makes potato soup gummy?
Cut the potatoes the same size so they cook at a similar rate. However, I recommend cutting them into 1-inch pieces. If the potatoes are too small, they can release too much starch, resulting in a gummy soup once pureed.
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 cloves garlic, 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 cheddar cheese, shredded
- Melt butter in Instant Pot on saute mode. Then, stir in the flour until a roux forms. 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, parsley, chipotle powder, and potatoes. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Then, allow the pot to release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Then, use an immersion blender to break up the potatoes.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with more cheddar cheese, and enjoy.
- Cut the potatoes the same size (about 1-inch thick) to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- Avoid a burn notice by deglazing the pot with chicken broth, and be careful to scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom.
- If you prefer chunky potato soup, skip the immersion blender step. Instead, serve the soup as is, or you can process half the mixture. You can also use a potato masher, resulting in thick and creamy 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.