Instant Pot Potato Soup

Jump To Recipe by Liz Thomson November 1, 2022 This post may contain affiliate links.

This Instant Pot potato soup is rich and creamy with tons of flavor, but it’s made with just a handful of ingredients! Try this cozy soup for an easy but satisfying meatless meal!

Potato soup has been a favorite of mine since my college days. I loved that for just a few dollars, I could make a soup that would last me for most of the week. With grocery prices soaring, we could all use a budget-friendly soup recipe, right? I normally make my 4 Ingredient Potato Soup on the stovetop, but I realized I could make it even faster in my pressure cooker! If you have the air fryer lid, you should also try this Instant Pot air fryer baked potato!

This potato soup is vegetarian, and it can easily be made vegan. I have a few substitutions and swaps if you want to keep this lower in calories, and I also included some of my favorite toppings to take this soup to the next level! This recipe is super rich and creamy, so a bowl of this soup is the ultimate comfort food!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Potatoes– I recommend using russet potatoes which are starchy and delicious.
Butter– I’ve tested this recipe with both olive oil and butter and I didn’t notice a huge difference, so feel free to use either one.
Onion– I used a yellow onion, but a white onion is fine too.
Garlic– Don’t skimp on the garlic! This adds tons of flavor to the soup.
Broth– You’ll want a flavorful broth for this recipe. I like the vegan “not-chicken” style broth from Edward & Sons.
Milk– For a super creamy texture, use evaporated milk. For a lower fat option, use 2% or skim milk. To keep it vegan, use a vegan half-and-half or substitute with unsweetened almond milk.

What is Evaporated Milk?

Evaporated milk is just milk that has been heated so that around half of the water content evaporates. This results in milk that is extra creamy, thick and flavorful. Evaporated milk is a great way to create a creamy broth without using actual cream to get a rich flavor. It’s lower in fat and calories, and since you can buy it in a can, it’s shelf stable . If you want to make a vegan version of this soup, I highly recommend using Ripple’s half and half. It’s a great plant-based creamer! You can substitute Earth Balance or olive oil for the butter.

How to Make Potato Soup

Instant Pot Potato Soup — Sauté the onion for 4-5min then add the garlic and continue to sautè for 1 min.

Potato Soup Toppings

I like to get creative with my soup toppings to add a little extra flavor and texture. Here are some of my favorites to turn this recipe into a loaded baked potato soup:

Green onions- diced green onions add a lovely flavor.
Croutons- If you like texture and crunch, some garlicky croutons can be a fun topping!
Cheese- If you want to turn this into the ultimate comfort food, try adding some shredded cheddar cheese on top.

Tips and Tricks

If you like a smooth soup, use an immersion blender or regular blender to blend until smooth. I like how this soup is super thick and creamy, but if you want a thinner soup you can add additional broth.

How to Blend Hot Soup

I prefer to use an immersion blender to blend soup because it doesn’t require transferring it to a blender. But if you don’t have an immersion blender, you can still blend this soup in a traditional blender.

Be careful when transferring hot soup! Let the soup cool slightly before trying to transfer it to a blender. Don’t attempt to pour boiling soup into a blender because it could splash and burn you.
Let the steam escape. After safely transferring it to a traditional blender, be sure to use the vent in the lid of the blender to allow steam to escape while blending. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent splatters.
Do NOT try to blend hot soup in a bullet style blender. These blenders must be airtight before blending and hot soup can literally explode. If you want to use a bullet blender to blend soup, it must be cold or room temperature.

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