Instant Pot Potato Soup is creamy, comforting, and loaded with potatoes and a few veggies just for good measure 😉 It is the ULTIMATE comfort food and my favorite soup!
Table of Contents
It’s no secret that I’m a big soup lover.
Even though I’m not a big veggie eater, I will eat just about anything in soup. The way the flavors blend together just make everything taste amazing!
I have other favorites — Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Chicken Rice Soup, Sausage Tortellini Soup, and this Easy Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe which is perfect for early fall!
But potato soup? It’s my #1.
And it’s hard for me to say that because I love soup so dang much.
But potatoes are my love language — they’re creamy, and chunky, and hearty, and although they sometimes get a bad rep, they’re healthy and filled with tons of good things, too.
I know some people go all out with their potato soup, adding in cream cheese or a bucket of sour cream or a package of bacon, but I like to keep mine on the healthier side. (because I also like cake and ice cream).
I also love to serve it with a side of these Homemade Breadsticks or a buttery Brioche Bun for dunking!
What makes this Potato Soup healthier?
I add a few veggies for flavor. Because potatoes are the perfect base but don’t give a lot of flavor themselves, the veggies really add something special.
I like to keep my soup simple, with chicken broth, milk, and seasonings, but like to get a little more interesting with my toppings.
This way, you can have your sour cream or bacon or buckets of cheese, but it’s still quite a bit lighter than if you dumped them all right in the soup (and this way, everyone can control their own).
Potato Soup ingredients:
- Oil: I use canola oil because it has a high smoke point and is hearty-healthy — any cooking oil with a high smoke point will work fine
- Onion: use whatever onions you have on hand! Sweet onions are great, and red onions have a nice flavor, but any onions will work just fine.
- Chicken broth: I use low sodium chicken broth in pretty much everything, because that way I can control the amount of salt added and adjust the seasonings to my tastes.
- Red potatoes: I use red potatoes for this recipe, because I prefer not to peel them. Potato peel is a great source of fibre and peeling potatoes adds more prep time. Russet potatoes also work well in this recipe, peeled or with the skin on.
- Carrots and celery: Carrots, celery and onion form the basis for many soup recipes! You can definitely add to these, but I wouldn’t omit them unless you absolutely have to. See my tips below on how to make this soup your own!
- Evaporated milk: I like to use evaporated milk because it’s a little lighter, and I can keep some cans stashed in the cupboard for when I don’t have cream on hand. You can substitute with light or heavy cream (I recommend half and half or higher, 10% to 30% fat).
Here are a few ways you can make this Instant Pot Potato Soup your own!
- Add in a few slices of bacon with your onions and cook on saute until crispy.
- Bump up the seasonings: add in a bit of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes for some heat if you like it that way!
- Mix up the veggies: I use onion, carrots, celery and potatoes — a classic soup combo! But you can add in sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, sundried tomatoes, or stir in some fresh green beans or broccoli florets after pressure cooking.
- Use ¾ cup evaporated milk and add in ¼ cup of sour cream for a rich and tangy flavor
- Melt 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese into the soup with the evaporated milk, then top with more cheese for the cheese lovers in your life!
- Want a thicker soup? You can remove ⅓ to ½ of the soup and puree until smooth, then stir it back into the soup
Instant Pot Potato Soup
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 lbs red potatoes about 6 medium
- 2 large carrots peeled and sliced
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1 cup evaporated milk (or light cream)
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- cheese, green onions, and bacon for garnish
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until starting to brown.
- Add the salt, garlic, parsley, thyme and pepper. Stir and cook one minute. Turn the Instant Pot off, and add the broth, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to remove any browned bits.
- Slice and cut potatoes into 1cm cubes and add to the Instant Pot.
- Add carrots and celery. Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing and select Manual, high pressure, for 3 minutes.
- It will take about 20 minutes total, including the time it takes to build pressure. Once the cook time is over, do a gradual quick release by slowly open the valve to release the pressure. You don’t want to let it all release at once or it could sputter and foam.
- When the lid is off, turn the Instant Pot to saute.
- Whisk together the evaporated milk and corn starch and stir into the soup. Cook and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Sydnie says
Overall great recipe! I took the note to pure half the soup and it helped to achieve the texture I wanted. I followed the recipe (used russets instead) and added 2 dashes of Tabasco when cooking because instant pots have a way of removing flavor when cooking. After I added the evaporated milk I also added some Trader Joe’s chili seasoning and red pepper flakes to get some more flavor depth but it still isn’t spicy just flavorful. Ate with cheese. Will definitely make again and probably add broccoli
Ashley Fehr says
THanks for sharing Sydnie!
Gina says
Super basic and very bland, even adding cheese. There are far better potato soup recipes, I’m really pretty shocked at the high reviews. There’s just no flavour.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your feedback Gina! The high reviews are likely due to the fact that everyone has different tastes 😀 This is a healthier potato soup, so if you wanted to add in a tub of sour cream or something like that like a lot of potato soup recipes have, you are welcome to.
Tori says
What a delicious recipe! I made the following changes:
Used 3 strips of bacon and a handful of ham cubes
Used bacon and ham grease to cook veggies
I added more celery, garlic, and carrots than called for
Used heavy whipping cream
Cut salt in half
Only used 1 tsp of corn starch
This was absolutely so tasty!! I am IN LOVE with this recipe! I loved the suggestion of putting in cheese to met together!Tastes delightful with garlic breadsticks dipped in too. Will absolutely make again!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Tori!
Kelly says
This is so good! I used bacon grease in place of the canola oil, used frozen diced onion for the ease and used a little garlic powder in place of minced (not a huge garlic fan.) This is by far the best potato soup I have ever made. We will be having this often. Thanks so much for sharing
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Kelly!
Matthew Scott says
Ashley. With both the Instant pot recipe and the one for the Slow Cooker, can you remove a few ladles of soup and put into a blender, then add it back to the soup to make it creamier?
Ashley Fehr says
You definitely can!
Beth says
I first made this in November 2019 and still love this great recipe, especially during the winter, so made it again today.
I always wonder about prep time. Gathering, washing, peeling, slicing, dicing, measuring All the Things ; ) takes me more well over 30 minutes. Even taking away the gathering, it would take about 30.
So many recipes – everywhere – say 10 minutes, 15 minutes. I never, ever hit that target except for one simple spaghetti recipe that has no chopping/slicing, and uses a prepared sauce. I’m a turtle?
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Beth! I’m so glad you liked it! I also think you are right, and that the prep time was originally on the low side. I think 20 minutes is more accurate and I have updated the recipe.
Tammy Roller says
Sooo good! Only complaint from husband and three grown children is that I apparently didn’t make enough.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad they liked it!
Tuula says
It was easy ,fast and delicious!
I had it exactly as written and I added a pinch of Chili for hubby and excellent either way !
I saved it and also printed it cause- oh yeah it’s gonna be a favourite
Ashley Fehr says
I”m so glad you loved it!
Laura says
This recipe is unreal! Huge hit. Any substitutes for the milk that is non-dairy?
Ashley Fehr says
I am not an expert on dairy free substitutions and they will change the flavor, but I think any mild tasting non dairy milk would work fine
Liz Povar says
Love this recipe! Googled ‘potato soup with carrots” and this was one of three that came up. So happy I chose this. I used half & half, otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It’s such an amazing flavor. Thanks for the guidance!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Liz! So glad you liked it!
Jamie Taylor says
My husband and I LOVE this recipe, we make it so often! I’m trying to share the recipe with a family member that doesn’t have an instant pot, or a crockpot…do you have recommendations for the cooking time in just a normal large pot on the stove? Thanks so much for the delicious recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Of course, no problem! I would probably make it much the same way in either — your broth, vegetables and spices in to cook first, then combine the milk and corn starch and simmer at the end until thickened. In the crockpot, you’ll probably want to add this for the last hour.
Liz Povar says
Side note: I only used 1/2 of the salt….
Rochelle says
I tried this recipe last week and my family loved it. Even my kid that usually hates potatoes was eating it and went for a bowl of leftovers the next day! I made it as written except for the evaporated milk(I didn’t have any on hand- so I used some heavy cream slightly diluted with milk). Definitely plan to make it again. Thanks for the recipe Ashley!
Ashley Fehr says
thanks Rochelle! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Kari says
My family loved this. My three-year-old boy wanted “MORE BACON!” Lots of “Mmmm… Yum!” all around. Thank you! Have you tried this with cauliflower instead of potatoes? I may try it next time for a low-carb spin. I just love how it’s all from scratch ingredients I have on hand! I don’t like cream-of-something cans, so I was excited to find your recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Kari! I don’t like those either! I haven’t tried with cauliflower as we are not big fans, but I think it should work fine!
Jenn says
I have not made this but plan to make it for a family with a very sick child. I need recipes that work for children (young teenagers) but most importantly, CAN THIS BE FROZEN?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jenn! There’s not an easy answer to that question unfortunately. It can be frozen, but not well. Potatoes in general do not freeze great and sometimes have a mushy texture afterwards. Milk also does not freeze very well. Higher fat creams freeze better than milk, so if you want to try freezing it I would recommend swapping the milk for cream.
Lana N says
WOW.
Added broccoli at the end, and used flour instead of corn starch, only because I didn’t have any.
My husband and son LOVED it. Will be making this again for SURE.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Lana!
Debbie Heinrichs says
First of all, Ashley, I want to thank you for your amazing recipes that have given me confidence to use my Instant Pot. As a result of this confidence, I made a few changes to this recipe because of personal preferences and am thrilled with the outcome. I wanted to share it with you because without your recipe and instructions, I don’t think I would have made this next step. I apologize for my rambling. Here are the changes I made: I cut up a 375g package of bacon and sauted it in the Instant Pot. I removed the cooked bacon and sauted a chopped onion, the celery and 1 tablespoon minced garlic in the bacon grease. Then I drained the fat and added 1/2 cup soup broth to deglaze the bottom of the pot. I then followed all the recipe ingredients except I only used 3 chopped potatoes. When the soup was cooked, I added 2 cups of yesterday’s mashed potatoes softened with 1/2 cup milk. When that was hot, I added the cream with corn starch as instructed in your recipe. So, so yummy!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Debbie! I’m glad you liked it!
Tom says
Excellent. Similar to my 40+ year old crock pot recipe but much faster! My changes: about 1/2 lb more potato, one chopped medium onion rather than onion powder, about 5 big pinches of black pepper, slightly mash potatoes after cooking, stir in 2-3 Tbl butter with the evaporated milk.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Tom!
Brenda says
This soup was absolutely amazing. My husband couldn’t stop raving about it. Made it in the Instant Pot and I usually follow recipes exactly. The ONL Y thing I did different was used gold potatoes and 2% milk. This soup was seriously amazing! Making it for an event this weekend and making a double recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for leaving a comment Brenda!
Heidi says
Delicious! I made the recipe accordingly, just added a little leftover roasted chicken breast. It didn’t need it, it was so good, but I wanted to use up the chicken, and it made a nice addition. Thanks for the tasty recipe.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Heidi!
Lorie says
Made this tonight. We are vegetarians, so I left off the bacon and subbed veg broth in place of chicken and it was dynamite. I did use one extra tablespoon of corn starch to make it a little thicker too. Didn’t need any extra toppings, it was great as is! Thanks for sharing. Love my new instant pot!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lorie! I’m glad you liked it!
Chelsey says
Would it work to do this in the the slow cooker?
Ashley Fehr says
I have a crockpot version here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/crockpot-potato-soup/
Michelle says
I looked online for a long time this morning for a great potato soup recipe to use in my new Instant Pot. It’s rainy here in Ohio, and potato soup sounded like just the thing. Most of the recipes had around 1800 mg of sodium and about every fattening thing a person might have in their fridge. I, too, like my sweets, so as good as the soup might be, it sure wasn’t going to beat chocolate cream pie, so here I am. Excellent recipe! I used celery and carrots and onions, sautéed a bit before adding in the rest. I also had heavy cream only on hand, so I diluted it with water and it turned out fine. I don’t think I really needed to do that, but – cream pie. Thanks for the healthy alternative!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Michelle! I’m so happy you liked the soup!
A.B. says
Recently got an instant pot for my birthday and have been experimenting with different recipes.
Tried this one tonight and was a definite success whole family was in love.
I doubled the recipe and started with a little bit if bacon drained and then cooked as recommended except omitted the salt due to the bacon and cooked for 5 mins was cooked to perfection and the best potato soup I’ve ever had. Cant wait to make again.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that!
Alex Kopp says
Will this fit in an 8 qt instant pot if doubled?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, I would think so!
Tamera says
I thought I messed it up bc I added the cream before cooking. Used heavy cream bc thats what i had. But it was fine! I thickened with starch afterward. My teen boys raved and fought over the leftovers the next day for lunch! Theyve already requested it, “every night!”
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so happy to hear that Tamera!
Courtney says
Can I use heavy cream instead of evaporated milk? I want to make this tonight, but I don’t want to go to the store… Lol
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely! Any cream will do
Ile says
Can I use just milk?!
Ashley Fehr says
You can, but lower fat content increases the risk of curdling and it won’t be as thick. You may want to add a bit of corn starch and ensure the soup isn’t boiling when you add it
Kerrie says
This recipe is so yummy and easy. I made it today after a loooong day gardening in the rain and it warmed me right up. I think I didn’t do the gradual quick release fast enough so my potatoes were really overcooked. I didn’t have any parsley and I used fresh, sauteed onion (out of onion powder) and it was still delish. Everyone sharing their successes with subs is what made me want to try it. This isn’t the first potato soup recipe I’ve ever tried, but I think it might be the last. A little tweak on timing and I’m pretty sure I’ve found my “rotation” potato soup. Thank you so much!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you so much Kerrie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and yes, I love when people share their swaps and successes too!