Instant Pot Potato Soup
Creamy Instant Pot Potato Soup is easy to make with simple ingredients. Load up your bowl with your favorite toppings for a warming, cozy meal.
Looking for more comforting Instant Pot recipes? You’ll love Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup, Instant Pot Beef Stew and Instant Pot Pot Roast.
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Making soup in your Instant Pot is an easy way to get a delicious, wholesome meal on your table. You can sauté ingredients, pressure cook, and thicken the soup, all right in the Instant Pot.
Many of my favorite Instant Pot recipes are Instant Pot soup recipes. The Instant Pot makes some of the most flavorful soups, and this Instant Pot potato soup is no exception. The pressure cooking process develops the flavors of the ingredients in a short amount of time.
This Instant Pot potato soup is creamy and flavorful, with hearty chunks of potato throughout. You can make it cheesy by stirring in some shredded cheddar, or top your bowl with bacon crumbles, green onions and cheese. The best part is it takes just about 35 minutes to make, start to finish!
Are you new to Instant Pot cooking? Read my how to use an Instant Pot beginner’s guide to learn the basics of cooking in an Instant Pot.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Instant Pot potato soup recipe. Find the full recipe with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Butter: For sautéing the onion and garlic. The butter also adds richness to the soup.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic ingredients help to flavor the soup.
- Yukon Gold Potatoes: Gold potatoes cook up rich and creamy. See more below about which potatoes are best for potato soup.
- Carrots: Adding 2 small/medium carrots to potato soup brings another layer of flavor.
- Seasonings: This Instant Pot potato soup is seasoned with dried oregano, salt and pepper. For a little kick, add up to 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. The cayenne is optional, and you can leave it out if you’re sensitive to spice.
- Vegetable Broth: I recommend using low sodium broth so that you can better control the amount of salt in the finished dish.
- Milk and Cornstarch: These are stirred together and then stirred into the soup after cooking, to thicken it and make it creamier.
What Potatoes are Best for Potato Soup?
My favorite potatoes for potato soup are Yukon gold potatoes. Gold potatoes are waxy and buttery, with a low starch content. Their creamy, moist texture and rich flavor makes for a flavorful soup with the best thick and creamy texture. Russet potatoes also make delicious potato soup; use them if you prefer a milder potato flavor.
How to Make Potato Soup in the Instant Pot
There are just a few simple steps to making the best Instant Pot potato soup.
- Sauté the onion using the Instant Pot’s sauté function.
- Then add the garlic, turn off the Instant Pot, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the Instant Pot by pouring in a little bit of the vegetable broth, then stir and scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pot. This step ensures that you won’t get the Instant Pot burn message during pressure cooking.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, seasonings and remaining broth. Stir.
- Pressure cook for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cooking cycle finishes, let the pot release naturally for 10 minutes. Then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Stir together the milk and cornstarch. Stir this slurry into the soup in the Instant Pot.
- Use a potato masher to mash the soup to your desired consistency.
- Thicken the soup as needed using the Instant Pot sauté function.
Recipe Tips
- Chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch size pieces, so that they will cook in the time given in the recipe.
- Mash or blend: For a chunkier soup, use a potato masher to mash some, but not all, of the potatoes after pressure cooking. For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender or countertop blender to puree the soup to your desired consistency.
- Make it creamy: To make the soup creamier, stir in up to 1/2 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt after mashing/blending the soup.
- Make it dairy-free: Skip the recipe step of stirring in the milk and cornstarch. Simply blending the soup will make it thick and creamy. Use olive oil instead of butter.
- Make it vegetarian: Use vegetable broth (not chicken broth) and keep your toppings vegetarian.
- Make potato leek soup: Use this Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup recipe.
Can I Make this Recipe in the Crockpot? On the Stove?
Want to make potato soup in the slow cooker or on the stove? Try my Crockpot Potato Soup and classic Potato Soup recipes.
Potato Soup Toppings
For a delicious loaded baked potato soup, load up your soup bowl with your favorite baked potato toppings. Try these potato soup toppings:
- cooked, crumbled bacon
- shredded cheese
- sliced green onions
- chopped chives
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- salt and pepper
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Try one of these easy Instant Pot soup recipes next.
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2 carrots, sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional, for spice
- 2 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth, or chicken broth
After Pressure Cooking:
- 1 cup milk, whole milk preferred
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Toppings, for Serving:
- shredded cheddar cheese
- cooked crumbled bacon
- sliced green onions or chives
Instructions
- Press the Sauté button on your Instant Pot to turn on saute mode. Add the butter to the pot. When the Instant Pot is hot, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until onion has softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the pot and press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot. Stir for 30 seconds.
- Pour in a little bit of the broth and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add the potatoes, carrots, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using) and remaining broth to the Instant Pot. Stir.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Using the Manual/Pressure Cook function, set the cook time to 6 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down.
- When the cook time ends, allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes by just letting it sit. After the 10 minute natural release, use the handle of a long spoon to carefully move the steam release valve to the venting position. Once all of the steam escapes and the pin drops down, carefully open the Instant Pot lid.
- In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, stir together the 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Turn the Instant Pot on sauté mode and stir in the milk and cornstarch mixture. Use a potato masher to mash some, but not all, of the potatoes. Let the soup simmer, stirring, until it thickens slightly.
- Press cancel to turn the Instant Pot off. Serve the soup with toppings, as desired.
Notes
- Leftover potato soup can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It reheats well, in a pot on the stove, in the microwave, or in the Instant Pot using the sauté function.
- When you are thickening the soup, keep in mind that it will continue to thicken as it cools.
I saved this Potato Soup recipe to try in my new Instant Pot. It is very close to the Homemade Creamy Potato Soup my Grannie & Mom made on the stovetop. (I’m looking forward to teaching my daughter that recipe to keep the tradition going.)
I made my 4th meal ever in the Instant pot this evening, it was your Honey Garlic Chicken. Family loved it. We’ll make it again.?
P.S. You’re the first person I’ve seen that agrees with me that potato soup is best with the Yukon Gold potatoes. That’s my preference. It’s a twist on the original family recipe that normally used good ol’ russet potatoes or whatever potatoes were on hand. ?
They give the soup the best flavor and texture, don’t they? 🙂
It makes me so happy to know that you are enjoying my Instant Pot recipes! Your family’s potato soup recipe sounds wonderful. Family recipes are the best. 🙂
Do you peel the potatoes? Thanks!
If you use Yukon gold potatoes you don’t need to peel them. If you use Russet potatoes, you should peel them. I hope you love the soup!
I use cream of chicken soup to thicken instead of a slurry. Sooooooooo creamy!
… I think you just changed my whole life. I’m lactose intolerant and this was exactly the life hack I needed. 😀 Do you use the same amount basically as what the recipe calls for in milk? Tell me your ways.
Delicious! Thank you!!
I use daily Yukon gold, about 2 lbs, had only 1/2 cup of 2% milk and worked just fine, and I added 1 tablespoon of sour cream at the end. I also added 2 yellow carrots in addition to 2 orange ones . Overall delicious!!
Made it with russet potatoes and it was great! Next time I’ll try Yukon Gold! Thanks for sharing!
This soup is so good. I made this tonight and I didn’t have cornstarch, so I used a cup of evaporated milk instead of regular milk. It still turned out great. It tasted so good on a cold, rainy night. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you sooo much for this recipe! It was absolutely delicious! So thick & creamy. Perfect on a chilly night.
my family and i really enjoyed this recipe, i’ll definitely make it again
I’m about to make it… I’m wondering how many potatoes in 2.5 lbs… 🙂 Maybe include cups as well as weight?
One pound of yukon gold potatoes is about 4 medium (2 to 3-inch wide) potatoes. For this recipe I’d recommend using 8-10 medium yukon gold potatoes. If you are using larger potatoes, such as russet potatoes, you will need fewer. I haven’t measured the amount in cups. With that being said, this recipe is flexible and the exact amount of potatoes won’t matter too much. 🙂
This soup is amazing! I added some jalapeños (the garden produced so many this year!) and it turned out so well. I left out the cayenne since I used jalapeños. We will definitely be making this over and over.
My hubby loves it. This is my go to potato soup from now on.
I love this recipe. I have made it at least 10 times! We like it best with russet potatoes – I tried Yukon gold and didn’t like the flavor. Personal preference. We also add 2 ribs of celery to the soup too. It adds a little something to the flavor. We top the soup with sour cream and shredded cheese snd serve it as a meal with a side of garlic bread. My kids ask for this regularly. Thanks for sharing!
Is this made using the 3 quart instant pot? If not do I need to cut the ingredients in half? Thank you
Hi Pam,
My recipes are sized for the standard 6 quart Instant Pot and have not been tested in a 3 quart pot. Many recipes can be made in a 3 quart pot as long as the maximum fill line in the pot is not exceeded. Otherwise, the recipes should be halved.
Made on this cold afternoon with some cornbread and loved it! Definitely a keeper.
Delicious!! My family gobbled it up. I didn’t use oregano since I didn’t have any, only random leftover potatoes, extra garlic and carrots since I ran out of potatoes, and it was still fabulous. The instructions are awesome for a newbie instant pot owner, too.
Very enjoyable, easy to make, spot in instructions, thank you we gobbled it up, barely any leftovers, cant wait see more of your recipes
This is now my go-to soup. Thanks! I scoop out a portion for my 11 year old prior to thickening it because she prefers a more brothy soup. If I don’t have lactose free milk I use original oat milk and it’s the same outcome! I leave out the oregano but the other spices are perfect!
Can you freeze this soup?
Hi Debbie,
Unfortunately this soup won’t freeze well. Potato soup is not ideal for freezing, as the texture of the potatoes will not be as good after freezing (they can become a bit gritty). Also, since this soup has dairy in it, it may separate or have a curdled appearance after freezing.
Would substituting almond milk work out or are we looking at potential disaster?
It won’t hurt the consistency or anything, but almond milk can lend a sweet flavor that you might not want in a savory soup. If you want to avoid the dairy, I’d recommend just omitting the milk and cornstarch. Blending the soup will make it thick and creamy enough. If you’re ok with dairy and would like to make the soup creamier, you can do what I do in my Crockpot Potato Soup recipe and stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt after blending the soup.
Pretty good but next time i will use less or no cayenne pepper.
I only have red potatoes. Has anyone used these in this recipe?
Can I double the recipe or at least increase ingredients by another half? Wanting to make this for 10-15 coworkers!
If you’re using a 6 quart Instant Pot, I’d do 1.5 times the recipe to be on the safe side. I’m not sure a double recipe will fit. If you have an 8 quart pot, you should be able to double the recipe. Enjoy!
Made this soup tonight and it was really good! I used yellow potatoes, since I could not find Yukon Gold at either of my local grocery stores. I followed the recipe pretty close but made a couple small adjustments like: 1.5tsps salt, 3/4 tsp of oregano, and 1/8 tsp of cayenne (to make sure my 5 yr old could handle it), regular (not low sodium) vegetable broth. I did not peel the potatoes, and they were fine.
Topped with bacon and cheddar cheese.
Easy to make; insta-pot friendly recipie (no burn notice issues or anything!)