If you are looking for a quick cozy meal, check out this simple 3 ingredient Instant Pot potato soup that cooks in about 20 minutes.
Potato soup is such a nice cozy meal to have as the temperatures drop, and I love to keep the ingredients on hand through the winter because they keep for a while. Then when I’m craving something warm or I don’t know what to eat, I pull out the pressure cooker for this easy Instant Pot potato soup. Don’t worry, I’ve got stovetop instructions in the recipe notes too!
What You’ll Need
Potatoes- Obviously, you need potatoes for potato soup, but I want to break down what potato is best for the job. I love using new potatoes which are the small red and yellow skin potatoes because their waxier texture makes a nice creamy soup. Also, their skins are very thin, so they blend up nicely without being too fibrous in the soup. You could also use russet potatoes which are the typical brown potatoes, but they will have a slightly different texture since they are starchier. You may also want to peel them to get a creamier texture.
Vegetable Broth- Vegetable broth makes a great base for this soup because we want to pack it full of flavor with a few ingredients! Check out this post if you want to make your own broth at home. I love cooking in broth to give more flavor, but you could also use water seasoned with onion, garlic, and some Italian herbs in a pinch. You could also use chicken broth if you aren’t a vegetarian. Along with this goes salt and pepper. Don’t forget to season your soup especially if you are using low-sodium broth. Potatoes require more salt than you think for a flavorful dish!
Cream Cheese- You don’t need heavy cream for this recipe because all the creaminess comes from a block of cream cheese blended into the soup. I love this because cream cheese keeps in the fridge for months, so you can keep it on hand for soup. Plus, the recipe calls for the whole block, so you aren’t stuck with a ingredient you don’t need. You can substitute in vegan cream cheese for a dairy-free option.
Bonus Ingredients
I love how simple this recipe is! If you are looking for more, here are some ways you can doctor up this basic recipe.
First up, you can add onion, celery, and carrot aka mirepoix. This this the base to so many soups, and it would go great in this soup. All you have to do is dice up the veggies and sauté them until the onion is translucent. Then make the resto of the soup as normal and you’ve got a little extra flavor.
If you don’t want to chop veggies, you can add more spices to the soup for more flavor. Sometimes I add onion and garlic powder for more flavor. I also like to add smoked paprika because paprika makes everything better! You can also add some curry powder to taste for a soup full of spice. I like to flavor my individual bowl so that one batch can be more versatile.
Finally, you can add toppings at the end to get a nice fresh bite. Sliced green onions (or chives) on top makes this soup taste like it’s from a restaurant. You can also add a bit of cheese or even bacon bits for a crunch. Did you know that some bacon bits are so processed that they are actually vegan! Looks like these from McCormick are actually vegan and gluten free.
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds new potatoes approximately
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 8 oz. cream cheese 1 block
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into quarters or evenly sized pieces depending on the size of the potato.
- To a pressure cooker, add the potatoes, vegetable broth, salt, and pepper. Set on high pressure for 6 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the time is up, release the pressure. Cut the block of cream cheese into pieces and add to the soup. Use an immersion blender to blend up the cream cheese and the potatoes.
- Adjust flavor with salt and pepper and serve. The soup will thicken in the fridge.
Notes
