Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
This Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup is creamy, delicious, and tastes like you slaved over it all day! It’s easy to prepare and is ready in a flash thanks to the Instant Pot. There’s also a slow cooker version if you’d rather prepare it that way!
Cooler weather is just around the corner, or maybe it’s already made its appearance in your neck of the woods!
When the temperatures take a dip, all I want to do is put on some warm fuzzy socks and curl up with a bowl of this Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup.
I’ve been busy creating recipes for my Instant Pot and am super excited about this one.
This recipe is an adaptation of the Slow Cooker version shared by Carrie of Kenarry: Ideas for the Home on my site, and it came out so good and was ready in a flash!
Ingredients for Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth
- cream of chicken soup
- Russet potatoes
- salt and pepper
- milk
- flour
- cheddar cheese
How to Make Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup – Step by Step
- Add butter to the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté button. Once butter is melted, add in the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for one additional minute until fragrant, stirring constantly so that garlic does not burn.
- Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, potatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir well. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent valve to “sealing.” Cook over manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Meanwhile, stir together the milk and flour in a small bowl to create a slurry. Set aside. Once the steam has completely released and the pin has dropped on the lid, open the lid and stir in the slurry. Turn the pot to sauté and cook the soup for 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the 2 cups of cheddar cheese and stir until melted.
- Serve garnished with chopped bacon, green onions, and more cheese. Enjoy!
Tips and Notes
- Make sure to chop your potatoes into roughly the same size for even cooking. About 1 inch cubes is what I recommend.
- If you prefer a less chunky soup, you can use an immersion blender to smooth out your soup at the end of cooking, or place the soup in a blender and blend it until it reaches the consistency you like.
- My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods Brand. It’s really flavorful and only contains simple, real food ingredients.
- My favorite kind of cheese to use in this soup is sharp cheddar. It adds such great depth to the flavor. I also recommend shredding your own cheese from a large block as it will melt beautifully.
What kind of potatoes work best for Potato Soup?
Russet potatoes have a high starch content and work wonderfully when making loaded potato soup. They are what I use and prefer most often. I also like Yukon gold potatoes and use those occasionally. Red potatoes would also work here, but won’t lend quite as creamy a texture as russets will.
How to Make Loaded Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker
If you’d rather make your potato soup in a slow cooker, I have a full recipe and directions for how to do that! This is a great way to prepare it while you are gone during the day.
Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free, and Dairy Free Options
To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery soup. For a vegan alternative, swap out the butter for vegetable or olive oil. Also swap the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely.
This Loaded Potato Soup can be made gluten free by using a gluten free cream of chicken soup. My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods and it is gluten free. I’ve also found that Walmart carries a gluten-free cream of chicken soup under their Great Value brand.
You will also need to swap the all purpose flour for a gluten free version, such as rice flour, chickpea flour, or oat flour.
To make this Loaded Potato Soup dairy free swap out the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely. You will also want to use a dairy free cream of chicken soup, which isn’t always easy to find on the shelf at the grocery store. Here is a recipe for dairy free cream of chicken soup you can make at home.
More Delicious Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Cheesy Broccoli and Rice
- Instant Pot Shrimp Fried Rice
Recipe: Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup (with a slow cooker version)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 medium onion,, diced
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 can/box cream of chicken soup, (I prefer Pacific Foods brand)
- 7-8 medium sized russet potatoes,, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (about 2.5 pounds of potatoes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, (or more/less to taste)
- black pepper to taste, (I like a lot of pepper)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, (I use sharp cheddar)
Garnish:
- 5-6 slices bacon, (cooked and chopped)
- sliced green onions
- shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Add butter to the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté button. Once butter is melted, add in the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for one additional minute until fragrant, stirring constantly so that garlic does not burn.
- Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, potatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir well. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent valve to "sealing." Cook over manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
- Meanwhile, stir together the milk and flour in a small bowl to create a slurry. Set aside.
- Once the steam has completely released and the pin has dropped on the lid, open the lid and stir in the slurry. Turn the pot to sauté and cook the soup for 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the 2 cups of cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Serve garnished with chopped bacon, green onions, and more cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to chop your potatoes into roughly the same size for even cooking. About 1 inch cubes is what I recommend.
- If you prefer a less chunky soup, you can use an immersion blender to smooth out your soup at the end of cooking, or place the soup in a blender and blend it until it reaches the consistency you like.
- My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods Brand. It's really flavorful and only contains simple, real food ingredients.
- My favorite kind of cheese to use in this soup is sharp cheddar. It adds such great depth to the flavor. I also recommend shredding your own cheese from a large block as it will melt beautifully.
- Best Potatoes to use: russet potatoes have a high starch content and work wonderfully when making loaded potato soup. They are what I prefer and use most often. I also like Yukon gold potatoes and use those occasionally. Red potatoes would also work here, but won't lend quite as creamy a texture as russets will.
- How to Make Loaded Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker: If you'd rather make your potato soup in a slow cooker, I have a full recipe and directions for how to do that! This is a great way to prepare it while you are gone during the day.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery soup.
- For a vegan alternative, swap out the butter for vegetable or olive oil. Also swap the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely.
- This Loaded Potato Soup can be made gluten free by using a gluten free cream of chicken soup. My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods and it is gluten free. I've also found that Walmart carries a gluten-free cream of chicken soup under their Great Value brand. You will also need to swap the all purpose flour for a gluten free version, such as rice flour, chickpea flour, or oat flour.
- To make this Loaded Potato Soup dairy free swap out the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely. You will also want to use a dairy free cream of chicken soup, which isn't always easy to find on the shelf at the grocery store. Here is a recipe for dairy free cream of chicken soup you can make at home.
Sooooo good!!! Thanks for the recipe!
I only put in 4 potatoes, added one prepackaged bag of fresh cauliflower, broccoli and carrot mixture, added an extra cup of broth and it was delicious. BTW I am not a good cook and this was easy to make. Thank you.
Awesome Liz, so glad to hear that! Your additions sounds delicious, too!
Hi
Does this taste anything like the loaded potato soup they serve at O’Charleys restaurants?
Hi Cheryl! I’m not familiar with the taste of that soup so I can’t say for sure!
Oh my goodness, this is so so good! Definitely going to be making it on a regular basis. Thank you so much!
You are so welcome!! I’m so glad you love it!
Does this make a full 6 quarts? I am going to attempt to make this for my family Christmas party but I want to make sure it’s enough.
Hi Julie, my 6 quart IP is pretty full when I make this, but if you’re making it for a large group you might want to make 2 batches.
This soup recipe was perfect! My friend came over last night and we made it together – we didn’t have the cream of chicken soup but substituted some cream cheese in its place and it still turned out wonderfully 🙂 We also used a hand mixer to blend the soup down to a creamier consistency and it was delightful! Thank you!
So glad to hear that, Jessica!
This is the BEST potato soup! I have made it 1-2 times a month since I have become pregnant. It is my go to soup, which baby also loves! It’s super easy and fast to make! So glad I found this recipe!!!
I am so happy to hear that, Nikki! Congrats on your pregnancy, too!!
I made this tonight for my family and everyone loved it! Thanks for the recipe.
So glad your family enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know!
I have made this several times now for my family and everyone loves it! My husband says it’s my “specialty” lol and my 3 year old even raves about it! I started adding some diced ham and really like that addition. This is my go to recipe when I forget to thaw out meat, which is quite often 🙂 absolutely love it and would recommend it to anyone!
I’m so happy to hear that, Mary! Glad your family loves your specialty!!!
Would this be too much for a 3qt mini? Or should I half or possibly 3/4 it?
Hi Ashley, yes I make this using my 6 quart, so I would half it for the mini.
when making this in the newer version instant pot, what button do I use for once the onions and garlic are done?
Hi Kerrie, if your Instant Pot has the “pressure cook” button, that works the same as using the “manual” button. Hope that helps!
I tried this tonight & it is amazing! I love the thicker, creamier potato soups & this one hits the spot. I added some diced ham and used red skin potatoes but left the peels on. I also put sour cream & bacon bits in my bowl when I’m ready to eat and just so delicious!!! I used to make another potato soup that used twice as many ingredients & took a long time to make. This recipe tastes exactly the same without spending the extra money & time… Thanks for sharing!
Whoo hoo!!! I love hearing that! So glad you’re loving it!
Amazing recipe. Made it once and was a huge hit! Wanted to make it again this week (as it is gettin very cold where I live. Brrr) but realized I have no milk! Not sure if I feel up for trekking out to get a small carton of milk. Curious if there is anything else I can add to substitute for the milk? Could I add 2 cans of cream of chicken soup?
Hi Jenn! You could use half and half or heavy cream!
I am making this tonight but I am so nervous because I have always had bad luck with curdling! Does this happen to anyone?? If I just add in the milk and the cheese at the end it wont start curdling with the pot so hot?
I’ve never had any issues with curdling, Angela!
This is the best potato soup that I’ve ever made. We loved the flavors. I added diced carrots and celery, my husband insisted they were necessary, and used non-sweetened almond milk. I will definitely be making this again.
So glad to hear that, Angie!
This was so easy and the best potato soup I’ve ever had. I will definitely be making it again! Thanks!
Yay Gayla! So glad to hear that!