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.
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!
Key Ingredients
- Roux: Create a quick roux with salted butter and all-purpose flour to thicken and flavor the soup.
- Vegetables: Enhance the soup by adding carrots, onions, and fresh garlic cloves.
- Chicken Broth: I use chicken broth to control the consistency of the soup, 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 recipe. You can substitute it with 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: Season with kosher salt, white pepper, dried parsley, and smoky chipotle powder.
- Dairy: Give the soup it’s rich, creamy finish with whole milk and heavy cream. You can also try Greek yogurt, sour cream, or cream cheese.
Additions and Substitutions
- Make it vegetarian. You can make the potato soup vegetarian with one easy swap—use vegetable broth or vegetable Better Than Bouillon instead of chicken broth. I recommend skipping the roux and sautéing the vegetables in extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil for a vegan version. Then, substitute the milk and heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.
- Get your veggies in. Sneak in extra vegetables like broccoli florets, celery ribs, butternut squash, and cauliflower florets.
- Spice things up. Season the soup with your favorite taco seasoning, Slap Ya Mama Seasoning recipe, and try ancho chili powder instead of chipotle powder.
- Add some protein. Mix in diced ham, sliced kielbasa, or andouille sausage.
Tools You’ll Need
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 the butter in an Instant Pot using the sauté function. Then, stir in the all-purpose flour and whisk until a blonde roux forms until a blonde roux forms for 10-15 minutes.
Step 2: Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 8 minutes until the onions soften.
Step 3: Deglaze the inner pot with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil in sauté mode.
Step 4: Stir in the chipotle powder, dried parsley, kosher salt, white pepper, and potatoes. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, and follow it up with a quick release.
What does natural release mean?
Natural release on the Instant Pot means allowing the pressure inside the pot to gradually decrease on its own after cooking finishes, without manually opening the pressure release valve. This process takes 10–30 minutes, depending on the amount of liquid inside the pot.
As the pressure decreases, the float valve will drop, signaling that it’s safe to open the lid. Natural release is ideal for soups, stews, or liquid-heavy recipes to prevent splattering.
Step 5: Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to process the soup until smooth or chunky.
How to Make Slow Cooker Potato Soup
- 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.
Expert Tips
- Uniformly cut the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces to ensure they cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Deglaze with broth. Avoid getting a burn notice from your Instant Pot by using the chicken broth to deglaze the inner pot– carefully scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom before securing the lid and setting the pressure.
- Control the consistency. Leave the soup chunky, or only process half the soup mixture with an immersion blender. You can also mash the soup ingredients by hand with a potato masher, resulting in thicker potato soup.
If you enjoy Instant Pot potato soup, try more Instant Pot recipes!
Serving Suggestions
- 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
One of the best things about the creamy potato 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 Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store leftover soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: I don’t recommend freezing the soup because of the dairy. However, if you choose to freeze it, start by letting it cool completely. Transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Instant Pot potato soup freezes for 2-3 months.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or 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 my 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
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) salted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoons chipotle chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Melt the butter in an Instant Pot using the sauté function. Then, stir in the all-purpose flour and whisk until a blonde roux forms until a blonde roux forms for 10-15 minutes.
- Add the onions, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 8 minutes until the onions soften.
- Deglaze the inner pot with chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil in sauté mode.
- Stir in the chipotle powder, dried parsley, kosher salt, white pepper, and potatoes. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pot naturally release for 10 minutes, and follow it up with a quick release.
- Remove the lid, and stir in the milk and heavy cream. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to process the soup until smooth or chunky.
- Uniformly cut the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1-2 inch pieces to ensure they cook evenly and at the same rate.
- Deglaze with broth. Avoid getting a burn notice from your Instant Pot by using the chicken broth to deglaze the inner pot– carefully scrape up any stuck-on bits from the bottom before securing the lid and setting the pressure.
- Control the consistency. Leave the soup chunky, or only process half the soup mixture with an immersion blender. You can also mash the soup ingredients by hand with a potato masher, resulting in thicker potato soup.
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.