Are you ready for the quickest, easiest Instant Pot recipe ever? I would venture to say that if you are a beginner (or scared of the instant pot), THIS Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe is the recipe to start with. You will fall in love. It is so easy, teaches you to use multiple functions, and has THE best (might I add SUPER kid and adult friendly) flavor and creamy, delish texture! And the best part is – you can customize it to your family! A Loaded Baked Potato Soup you can load with whatever you like! Don’t like bacon? Use sausage or ham! Vegan or vegetarian? I’ll give you good substitutes for that too!

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Which Potato Soup is Best? Why This Instant Pot Potato Soup?

I have done a TON of potato soup research for you guys. The best potato soup has milk, a little heavy cream, but no cream cheese. I prefer it without cream cheese, because the flavor and texture is much better and more pure. Also, the instant pot provides a lot of benefits over the slow cooker and the stove. 1. It is MUCH quicker. 2. Multiple functions in one machine: saute, slow cook, pressure cook. 3. Fewer pots and pans to clean! I mean, that last one is reason enough for me!

What goes with Instant Pot Potato Soup?

The great thing about this recipe is that it is an one-dish meal! The other great thing? There are a ton of ways to substitute and customize your Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe to your family’s specific tastes and dietary restrictions! I love to substitute the bacon for sausage or ham if that’s what’s in my fridge. You can also substitute red potatoes with the skin on or frozen hash browns if that’s all you have at home. Vegan, or vegetarian? No Problem! I love to use almond or cashew milk for milk because they are fatty enough to substitute for cows milk. I also tried this recipe using vegetable oil and thought it was delish! Comment below if you have a favorite dairy-free substitute you love! I’d love to test them out!

Are Instant Pots / Pressure Cookers Safe?

I know, I know! It’s a scary leap from slow cooker to instant pot. This Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe is the BEST recipe to start with! It’s so easy with very little opportunity for user error! Let me explain how an instant pot works. Your lid seals, steam pressure builds inside pot (requiring at least 1 cup of liquid inside to build that steam pressure), the high pressure inside the pot allows the heat to rise quickly and forces the liquid into the food – cooking the food at an incredible rate and tenderizing it at the same time. Seem like magic? Yeah, I think so too. Because of this high steam pressure, the scariest part of an instant pot is the pressure release. Just make sure you protect your hand with an oven mitt when releasing the steam and you will be just fine! Once the pressure is released, the little red pressure sensor drops, you can take the lid off and open your cooker!

Which Instant Pot is Best?

I’ll be honest here: I’ve only ever used Instant Pot brand, but I figure you can’t go wrong when the name of the cooker is the name of the brand! I like the 8 quart so you have plenty of room in your cooker! I have absolutely loved this cooker! Here are the links to the cooker I use and other products I used in making this Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe:

Great Cutting Boards | My Instant Pot | Sealing Rings | My Fav Knives Liquid Measuring Cup | Measuring Spoons

This is the fun part! You get to use a few functions and play around with your pressure cooker, without being afraid!

How to Make Potato Soup in the Instant Pot:

Press the Saute button and melt your butter.

Saute your onions (with some salt to enhance their flavor) for 5 minutes before adding your garlic and thyme. Saute for another minute.

Press the Cancel button and add diced potatoes and broth. Secure the lid before pressing Pressure Cook, setting pressure to high and time to 8 minutes. Make sure the valve on the lid is set to Sealing. It will take a few minutes for pressure to build inside the Instant Pot before the 8 minutes begins.

After the 8 minute timer beeps, use an oven mitt (VERY IMPORTANT) to turn the valve on the lid to Venting. Once the red pressure button drops on the lid, you will be able to take the lid off.

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 TBSP of your milk and your cornstarch to make a slurry. This will help thicken your potato soup as it cooks.

Press the Saute button on your Instant Pot again. Add your milk/cornstarch slurry, the rest of your milk (2 cups) and your heavy cream. Don’t forget to add salt and pepper or you will end up with a bland soup.

Bring the soup to a boil and stir constantly for 5 minutes. You will notice the potato chunks get smaller and the soup thicken as it cooks.

When it is finished, ladle it into bowls or (my fav) bread bowls and top with cheddar cheese, bacon and chives. Sometimes I like to mix it up and swap the bacon for sausage or ham.

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Enjoy!!!

Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

The best easy instant pot loaded baked potato soup recipe.

Prep Time15 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Main Course, Side Dish, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bacon, baked potato, best, dairy free, delish, easy, freeze, fridge, frozen potatoes, ham, hashbrowns, healthy, heavy cream, how to, instant pot, loaded, made ahead, milk, no cream cheese, potato, potato soup, pressure cooker, recipe, red potatoes, sausage, slow cooker, soup, tasty, thicken, vegan, what goes with

Yield: 8 Servings

Author: Ash

Equipment

Instant Pot
Cutting Board
Sharp Knife
Measuring Spoons
Liquid Measuring Cups

Materials

1 Large Yellow Onion
2 TBSP Butter
2 Cloves Garlic
0.5 tsp Dried Thyme
6 Large Potatoes Can be substituted for 18-24 small red potatoes OR 8 cups frozen hashbrowns
4 Cups Chicken Broth
2 TBSP Milk
2 TBSP Cornstarch
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream
Salt To taste (I add a lot)
Pepper
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chopped Bacon – Cooked Can be substituted for ham or sausage
Fresh Chives

Instructions

Press Saute button on Instant Pot.
Melt butter.
Add onion (and a little salt), cook until tender and translucent. About 5 minutes.
Add garlic and thyme. Cook for 1 minute.
Add potatoes and broth. Secure lid on instant pot and press Pressure Cook button. Set to high for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, quick release pressure by turning the valve on the lid to Venting. Once pressure is released, remove the lid.
In a small bowl, whisk 2 TBSP milk and cornstarch together.
Set Instant Pot to Saute again.
Add (milk and cornstarch) slurry, 2 Cups of milk, heavy cream, salt and pepper.
Boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes.
Garnish with cheddar, bacon (or ham or sausage) and chives.

Common Questions:

Are Instant Pot Baked Potatoes Good? Beyond Instant Pot Potato Soup

This is THE ONLY way I make baked potatoes (or mashed potatoes (or ANY potatoes)) anymore! They are so quick! I set them to cook at the beginning of my meal prep and they are finished before the main course! TRUE LOVE.

Are Instant Pots, Slow Cookers, Crockpots, Pressure Cookers the Same?

Crockpots and Slow Cookers are the same thing. Instant Pots and Pressure Cookers are the same. BUT GET THIS: Instant Pots and Pressure Cookers have a Slow Cook function! Eliminating the need for a Slow Cooker altogether! Awesome, right?!

How Instant Pots and Pressure Cookers Work?

Your lid seals, steam pressure builds inside pot (requiring at least 1 cup of liquid inside to build that steam pressure), the high pressure inside the pot allows the heat to rise quickly and forces the liquid into the food – cooking the food at an incredible rate and tenderizing it at the same time. Seem like magic? Yeah, I think so too. Because of this high steam pressure, the scariest part of an instant pot is the pressure release. Just make sure you protect your hand with an oven mitt when releasing the steam and you will be just fine! Once the pressure is released, the little red pressure sensor drops, you can take the lid off and open your cooker!

Can Instant Pots and Pressure Cookers Explode?

Pressure cookers can seem scary because of the ones our mothers grew up with, but the current ones have lots of safety mechanisms built in. Here are some safety tips for using your instant pot:

Don’t ever leave your house when your Instant Pot is cooking.
Don’t try to Instant Fry in your pressure cooker. Leave that to KFC.
Make sure there is always at least 1 Cup of liquid in your pressure cooker to maintain steam pressure. This is absolutely necessary for it to work.
Never, never, never exceed the max fill line.
Always use an oven mitt when releasing steam, keeping yours (and your kids faces) far away from the vent. And when opening the lid, open away from you and your arm.

XOXO! Ash