This creamy potato soup is incredibly delicious recipe for any soup or potato lover. Made in Instant Pot pressure cooker in about 40 minutes from start to finish, but tastes like you slaved at your oven for hours! It's one of our favorite comfort food.
The hardest part is to peel the potatoes. It's not really the hardest, but the longest since you're going to be dealing with almost 5 pounds of potatoes.
However I did see many potato soup recipes that do not peel their potatoes, but instead cook and eat them with the skin. I have no problem with potato skin at all. As a matter of fact I love to eat my baked potatoes with the skin, but for this potato soup I wanted my potatoes peeled and clean, so the soup looks extra smooth and creamy. Hey, there's no potato police, right? lol One loves their potatoes peeled, another eats them with the skin, and another may eat them raw....
Here is unbelievably delicious Instant pot potato soup - look no further. PS: Pin this Pinterest-friendly photo below. If you’re not making the Potato soup right now, you will find it in your saves later. This is the BEST recipe for Instant Pot potato soup.
So for the potato peeling part I usually invite my 16 y.o son and he quickly does the job with no fuss :). Thank you son!
Secondly many recipes online I saw people add flour or corn starch to make the potato soup thicker. I just didn't understand why, since this potato soup come out perfectly thick and creamy.
As matter of fact, once it cools (if you have any leftovers) this potato soup is so thick that the spoon can stand inside the soup on it's own. My leftover potato soup I had to dilute with a cup of milk to make it more soup-y consistency and not like mashed potatoes.
I got my Potato soup inspiration from Amy Locurto Made it multiple times, thanks to the begging of my 16 y.o and made the soup loaded! Oh yeah.. loaded for unbelievable potato soup experience.
Ingredients
- 5 pound bag of potatoes peeled and cubed (you can add less potatoes, see recipe notes below)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive oil and avocado oil is great, or sub for the oil that you use.)
- 3 minced garlic cloves (or 1 large shallot minced)
- 6 cups chicken broth - you can use full sodium or low sodium. I used 6tsp of Better than Bouillon paste for 6 cups of water
- ⅓ cup softened cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup real bacon pieces - Optional
- 1 green onion chopped for garnish - optional
- Optional - Onion soup mix. I use it for every soup now... It brings extra rich gourmet flavor to the soup.
- Optional - 1-2 cups milk or cream, depending on how thin you want your soup
Instructions
-
Heat Instant Pot on saute mode, add onions and caramelize until soft, translucent and beginning to brown (about 10 minutes)
-
Add garlic and rest of spices (Thyme, salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder)
-
Add cubed potatoes
-
Pour enough chicken broth in the pot to cover the potatoes.
- Optional - If you're using Onion soup mix, add the package content to the broth according to package instructions.
-
Seal the Instant Pot lid and cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes
-
Once the timer goes off - natural release for 4 minutes, then turn the valve from sealing to venting to release the pressure.
-
Remove the lid and gently mash the potatoes with a potato masher or large fork. At this point potatoes will be soft and easily mashable.
-
Add cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and using fork blend to the consistency you like best.
- Add bacon pieces as a topping
- Serve with green toppings of your choice. I chose green onions.
Potato soup notes:
-
You can add less than 5 pounds of potatoes. Follow the same process and ensure that when potatoes go into the pot, they will be covered by broth. So you may use less than 6 cups broth.
- Once the soup is done, You can choose to mash the potatoes with fork or potato masher, or leave potatoes as chunks. I chose to mash half or potatoes and leave few pieces as whole chunks.
- Once the soup cool, it will become much thicker. Thick enough that you can leave spoon standing on its own. Use milk or cream to thin the potato soup out and reheat it on the stove.
- Optional - you can add 1 medium shredded carrot to the soup. If chose, saute it together with onions as per step 1.
- Tip - Soak the peeled and cubed potatoes in cool water for 30 minutes and then rinse them few times under running water. This will get rid of an excess starch
Pin for later and find the handy printable and video below. I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot potato soup as much as I did. Kids love it so much! And check out this insanely delicious Broccoli Cheddar soup, thick, creamy and better than Panera's.
Best Instant Pot Potato Soup, Creamy and Loaded
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Instant pot pressure cooker Potato soup made in about 40 minutes from start to finish. Tastes like you slaved at your oven for hours
Author: Irina Davey of TheBigAppleMama.com
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: American, European
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- 5 pound bag of potatoes peeled and cubed (you can add less potatoes, see recipe notes below)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive oil and avocado oil is great, or sub for the oil that you use.)
- 3 minced garlic cloves (or 1 large shallot minced)
- 6 cups chicken broth - you can use full sodium or low sodium. I used 6tsp of Better than Bouillon paste for 6 cups of water
- ⅓ cup softened cream cheese
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon dry thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ cup real bacon pieces - Optional
- 1 green onion chopped for garnish - optional
- Optional - Onion soup mix. I use it for every soup now... It brings extra rich gourmet flavor to the soup.
- Optional - 1-2 cups milk or cream, depending on how thin you want your soup
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot on saute mode, add onions and caramelize until soft, translucent and beginning to brown (about 10 minutes)
- Add garlic and rest of spices (Thyme, salt, pepper, garlic + onion powder)
- Add cubed potatoes
- Pour enough chicken broth in the pot to cover the potatoes.
- Optional - If you're using Onion soup mix, add the package content to the broth according to package instructions.
- Seal the Instant Pot lid and cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes
- Once the timer goes off - natural release for 4 minutes, then turn the valve from sealing to venting to release the pressure.
- Remove the lid and gently mash the potatoes with a potato masher or large fork. At this point potatoes will be soft and easily mashable.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream, cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and using fork blend to the consistency you like best.
- Add bacon pieces as a topping
- Serve with green toppings of your choice. I chose green onions.
Notes
You can add less than 5 pounds of potatoes. Follow the same process and ensure that when potatoes go into the pot, they will be covered by broth. So you may use less than 6 cups broth.
Once the soup is done, You can choose to mash the potatoes with fork or potato masher, or leave potatoes as chunks. I chose to mash half or potatoes and leave few pieces as whole chunks.
Once the soup cool, it will become much thicker. Thick enough that you can leave spoon standing on its own. Use milk or cream to thin the potato soup out and reheat it on the stove.
Optional - you can add 1 medium shredded carrot to the soup. If chose, saute it together with onions as per step 1.
Tip - Soak the peeled and cubed potatoes in cool water for 30 minutes and then rinse them few times under the running water. This will get rid of an excess starch.
Once the soup is done, You can choose to mash the potatoes with fork or potato masher, or leave potatoes as chunks. I chose to mash half or potatoes and leave few pieces as whole chunks.
Once the soup cool, it will become much thicker. Thick enough that you can leave spoon standing on its own. Use milk or cream to thin the potato soup out and reheat it on the stove.
Optional - you can add 1 medium shredded carrot to the soup. If chose, saute it together with onions as per step 1.
Tip - Soak the peeled and cubed potatoes in cool water for 30 minutes and then rinse them few times under the running water. This will get rid of an excess starch.
Janie
I'm excited to try this... I was thinking about potato soup this weekend... could I add ham to this? Thanks for the recipe looks really good
Irina
I added bacon pieces... I don't see why not add the ham!! Good idea!
Gloria Hawkins
This was surprisingly delicious since milk is optional! All my men loved it! Great recipe!
Irina
Yay! So glad all your men loved it! Enjoy!
Angie Wall
A point of clarification, please. If you use the onion soup mix, do you still include the spices (thyme, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder)? I look forward to trying this recipe.
Irina
Hi Angie... yes of course! But make sure to add spices to your taste... salt especially... you don't want it to be too salty... let me know what you think once you try it... so good!
Dee
1st time instant pot soup made with this recipe & it. was. AWESOME!
Made with the onion soup mix, great flavour, perfect consistency!
A+ recipe!
Thanks
Irina
Thank you Dee for your comment
.. I'm so happy that you loved it
Dianna
SOOOO GOOD!!! Added a packet of Ranch Dressing Mix instead of the Onion Soup. That's the only change I made. Amazing!!
Irina
Oh yes.. this sounds delicious! So glad you loved