With a rich and creamy broth, hearty potatoes, and a kick of garlic, this Instant Pot potato soup is a perfect comfort food. It’s soothing, filling, and so easy to make. 

As soon as fall and winter show up, I find myself making pot after pot of hearty soups and stews, and this Instant Pot potato soup has become one of my absolute favorites. It has everything I want in a cold-weather dinner: big chunks of tender potatoes, a creamy cheddar broth, plenty of garlic and onion, and a pile of crispy bacon and green onions on top.

 

Cooking soup in the Instant Pot is one of my favorite ways to get a ton of flavor with very little effort. The potatoes cook in just 10 minutes under pressure, then a quick cream and cornstarch slurry turns the broth thick and silky. It tastes like it’s been simmering on the stove all afternoon, but it’s on the table in under an hour. And if you don’t have an Instant Pot, I’ve included stovetop and slow cooker directions too.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Butter – For sautéing the onion and garlic.
• Onion – I like to use a yellow onion for this recipe, but a red or white onion will also work.
• Garlic – Fresh minced garlic gives the best flavor.
• Potatoes – I use russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes. More on potatoes below.
• Chicken broth – Use low-sodium broth so you can control the salt. Vegetable broth works too.
• Heavy cream – Gives the soup its rich, creamy texture.
• Cornstarch – Mixed with the cream to make a slurry that thickens the soup.
• Cheddar cheese – You can use pre-shredded cheese or grate your own.
• Salt& Pepper – Season to taste at the end. I always use freshly cracked pepper.
• Bacon – Cooked and crumbled, for topping.
• Green onions – Sliced, for topping.

What Are The Best Potatoes for Potato Soup?

I prefer russet potatoes for this recipe. Russets are high in starch, so as they cook and break down they naturally thicken the soup and make it extra creamy. They also soak up all the flavor from the broth.

Yukon Gold potatoes are a great option too. They hold their shape a little better, so you’ll get more defined chunks of potato and a slightly buttery flavor. The soup will be a touch less thick, so you may want to mash a few potatoes at the end if you like it thicker. 

How to Make Instant Pot Potato Soup

Here’s how to make this super easy and soothing potato soup recipe. It takes less than an hour and only has a few steps.

• Sauté the onion. Turn the Instant Pot to the sauté setting and add the butter. Once it’s melted, add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until it begins to soften.
• Add the garlic. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2-3 more minutes, until it’s soft and fragrant.
• Add the potatoes and broth. Add the diced potatoes and pour in the chicken broth, then stir well to combine.

• Pressure cook. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it, and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then quick release the rest.
• Make the slurry. While the soup cooks, whisk the heavy cream and cornstarch together in a bowl until smooth.
• Thicken the soup. Remove the lid and turn the Instant Pot back to sauté. Pour in the cream and cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes, until the soup thickens.

• Add the cheese. Put the shredded cheese into the soup and stir until melted.

• Season. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
• Serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with bacon, green onions, and extra cheese. 

Recipe Tips

• Cut the potatoes evenly. Try to cut all the potatoes into roughly 1-inch cubes so they cook at the same rate. Uneven pieces can leave you with some mushy potatoes and some that are still firm.
• Watch the garlic. Garlic burns quickly and turns bitter, which will carry through the whole soup. As soon as it smells fragrant, move on and add the potatoes and broth.
• Avoid the burn notice. After you pour in the broth, give the bottom of the pot a good scrape with a wooden spoon to loosen any onion or garlic stuck to it. Those stuck bits are the most common cause of a burn notice.
• Add dairy after pressure cooking. The cream and cheese go in after the pressure cooking step on purpose. Dairy can scorch or curdle under pressure, so wait until the potatoes are cooked.
• Shred your own cheese for the smoothest melt. Pre-shredded cheese works fine, but cheese grated from the block melts a little more smoothly into the soup.
• Adjust the thickness. For a thicker soup, sauté it a little longer, mash some of the potatoes, or stir in another small cream and cornstarch slurry. For a thinner soup, add a splash more broth or cream.
• Taste before serving. Since you’re using low-sodium broth, the soup will likely need salt at the end. Season a little at a time until it tastes right to you.

Recipe Variations

• Make it thicker and creamier. Use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes right in the pot, or use an immersion blender to blend part of the soup before adding the cheese. Just pulse a few times and leave plenty of chunks so it doesn’t get gluey.
• Use Yukon Gold potatoes. Swap them in for the russets for a slightly buttery flavor and potatoes that hold their shape a bit more.
• Add ham or sausage. Stir in diced cooked ham, or brown some sausage and add it to the soup for an even heartier meal. It’s a great way to use up leftover holiday ham.
• Make it vegetarian. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and skip the bacon. Top it with extra cheese, sour cream, and green onions instead.

Stovetop Instructions

Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion for 4-5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Add the potatoes and broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender. Stir in the cream and cornstarch slurry and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened, then stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Storage, Reheating & Freezing

To store: Keep leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. It will thicken as it sits.

To reheat: Warm it on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring often, or in the microwave in 20-second increments until heated through. Add a splash of broth or milk if it’s gotten too thick.

To freeze: This soup freezes really well, and I like to keep some in the freezer for easy dinners. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to airtight containers or freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove and give it a good stir to bring it back together.

More Easy Soup Recipes

If you love soup as much as I do, then you’re going to love these recipes. They’re all as easy to make as they are delicious!

• Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
• Chicken Taco Soup
• Ham and Split Pea Soup
• Turkey Wild Rice Soup
• Tomato Tortellini Soup
• Hot and Sour Soup