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!
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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!
Looking for more cozy Instant Pot meals? Try this Instant Pot White Chicken Chili Recipe or this Instant Pot Chicken Tortellini Soup!
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
- 2 teaspoons salt reduce if using salted broth
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ 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 cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- For garnish cheese, green onions, and bacon
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté and add the oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they start to brown.*
- Add the salt, garlic, parsley, thyme, and pepper. Stir and cook for 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 1 cm 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 in total, including the time it takes to build pressure. Once the cooking time is over, do a gradual quick release by slowly opening 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 sauté.
- Make cornstarch slurry by whisking together the evaporated milk and cornstarch, then stir it into the soup. Cook and stir until thickened.
- Now it’s time to season and serve. We use cooked, crumbled bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped chives or green onions for garnish. If you like, you can add extras right into the soup for more flavor!
Notes
- Store: Store Instant Pot Potato Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Allow it to cool to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.
- Freeze: Freeze this soup without the cream in it if you use cream (cream can tend to separate weirdly when you defrost it). Make the soup as instructed but without the cream. Cool it completely, then store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it completely in the fridge, warm it on the stove or in the microwave, add the cream, and then serve with your toppings.
Nutrition Information
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Angela says
I love this soup!!! I do make a few adjustments however to suit my taste. I add in 1/4-1/2 cup of frozen corn and peas. I also put in a lil extra carrot and celery than the original recipe calls for, and more garlic as well (cause I love garlic, lol). Throw in a handful of bacon bits or cut up farmer sausage. Yum!! I use milk alternative as well to make it dairy free.
AW says
This soup is delicious! I made it to feed a study group, and it was good to the very last bite. Finally a soup with the spices exactly spot on–we didn’t need to add a thing! I’m already marking this as a favorite.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi AW! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
MaggieMay says
Super easy. I never sauté the onions or celery and recipes come out fine. So no need to add oil. I didn’t have evaporated milk so I used the low fat milk I had on had. I used less salt because the vegetable bullion I use is salty. I did add extra pepper. I used a potato masher to smash the potatoes a little. Thanks for the recipe. My daughter and I enjoyed a lovely bowl of soup for dinner on a cold night.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!