Instant Pot Simple Potato Soup is a delicious, easy potato soup recipe. This pressure cooker potato soup recipe is simple, but it has a lot of flavor, and we love it. It’s a little rustic, and a lot delicious!
Originally published 3/18/2018
Instant Pot Simple Potato Soup
Today I’m sharing a flavorful version of a simple, classic potato soup that you can easily make in your Instant Pot.
Pressure Cooker Simple Potato Soup is really tasty, and is made with potatoes, onion, bacon, and some other yummy ingredients.
Making this potato soup recipe in the pressure cooker infuses the flavors much faster than cooking on the stove top. It is also very easy!
The thing I like best about potato soup is that it is so versatile. You can make it with or without bacon, or use ham instead. You can leave out the celery, or add carrots.
It always comes out as a comforting and tasty bowl of soup!
Which potatoes work best?
Use what you have. I have made this soup with russets, gold, and red. It is delicious every time. The russets are a little starchier, and break down a little more.
I think this soup has a good balance of flavors (the bacon makes it even better), and the potatoes really shine through.
Instant Pot Easy Tomato Soup
Instant Pot Mulligatawny Soup
Instant Pot Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Instant Pot Posole – Pork Stew
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If you make this delicious pressure cooker potato soup recipe, please leave a comment below with a star rating. I’d love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Simple Potato Soup is a creamy, savory potato soup recipe that is easy to make with potatoes, onion, celery, and bacon. It tastes delicious! Pressure Cooker potato soup is comforting and simply tasty.
- 6 slices Bacon, chopped
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 5 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
- 5 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 tsp Salt (more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
- 1/4 cup Flour
- 4 Tbsp Butter, softened
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
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Turn on the pot's sauté function and add the chopped bacon and onion. Cook until bacon is done and onions are translucent, stirring occasionally.
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Add the celery. Stir, and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot (deglaze).
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Add the potatoes, broth, salt, and pepper. Put the lid on and lock in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position, if applicable.
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Cancel the sauté setting and push the Pressure Cook/Manual button, or dial. Use the + or - button, or dial to select 8 minutes.
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When the cook cycle ends, let the pot sit undisturbed for 10 minutes (10 minute natural release). Then do a controlled quick release of the remaining steam/pressure (release steam in short bursts until you are sure no soup will spew out with the steam).
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While the pot is naturally releasing, combine the softened butter and flour in a small dish, using a fork. If the butter isn't soft enough, warm it in the microwave for 10 seconds. Mix thoroughly until all lumps are gone.
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When all of the pressure is out of the pot, carefully open the lid, and turn on the sauté setting. Let the soup come to a simmer (don't let the soup scorch on the bottom), then stir in the flour mixture and stir until thickened.
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You can use a potato masher to mash some of the potatoes to help it thicken a little more and give the soup more texture.
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Cancel the sauté setting and stir well. Then Add the heavy cream. Taste and adjust salt if desired.
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Serve with some crusty bread.
If you want to thicken your soup even more, you can add some instant potato flakes.
Or make a slurry of equal parts flour and softened butter (mashed together with no lumps). Turn on the sauté setting and stir in the mixture until soup is thickened.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Simple Potato Soup recipe and more
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Denise Kaye
Delicious! My husband does NOT like potato soup. He ate this up and came back for seconds!! I substituted the heavy cream with regular milk and was happy with the texture and consistency. Thanks for my new favorite recipe 🙂
Dana
I am new to instant pot. I followed this recipe exactly. Is it normally for the liquid to be gone after opening the lid? This had a great flavor but not very soup. Any types? I want to make this again
Sandy
I would just stir in a cup of water before pressure cooking.
Rachel
This recipe is absolutely amazing! It is a household favorite! I was wondering if I doubled the recipe if I could freeze half of it for another day, does it freeze well?
Sandy
It does freeze well. Two things to consider. 1) Thaw before reheating. 2) Reheat slowly, stirring frequently.
Becky
My first time using the instant pot and I found your recipe to be very easy to follow. The soup turned out to be a fan favorite! Definitely a make again! 😋
Adorisa
Made as written and my family LOVED it. Served with homemade crusty artisan bread.
Jessica Collins
I made this soup and it is such a keeper! I never made or had potato soup before and now I know just what I have been missing. Between the easy prep, short cook time and the amazing flavors, this will become a staple in my household. Shared some with a neighbor and a friend and they both loved it. I made one dairy-free (still yummy) and the rest of the servings with the heavy cream. Ohhhh so creamy! (yay!) Thanks for this great recipe!
Dan Styre
Outstanding recipe…only thing I added first time was 2 carrots and a couple bay leaves, and substitutedham for bacon. . It reminded me so much like clam chowder, I made it again tonight and added 2 small cans of clams. Best clam chowder I’ve ever eatem. Highly recommend this recipe, easy and delicious.
rosemary birch
Can I use water instead of broth to cook potatoes and then make aru
Sandy
Yes, water is fine.
Travis
Awesome Recipe! I added a couple jalapeños and a drained can of mixed corn. Simple, hearty, filling and delicious, what’s not to like.
Sara
I had to modify a bit to make it gluten-free and vegetarian and to use what I had on hand. Instead of chicken broth I used water with garlic, salt, and pepper. Instead of bacon, flour, and butter, I added 2 cups of sharp cheddar. Absolutely delicious.
David Weddle
This was very good. Super easy- I didnt even drain the bacon. It is great as it is. I had some 1″ or more pieces, so next time 8 strips bacon, cut in larger chunks, the celery in larger chunks. Mine looked just like the photos. Thanks for sharing this, it turned out great in my Instant Pot. It seems to need nothing else. Cheese adds flavor when served, but it is better without it. Loved it..
Todd Mayer
So great! Thanks for sharing!
James Hunsicker
This is an excellent recipe. Made it and loved it. Added three more potatoes to make less soupy. Adde 1 carrot, and 2 small peppers. ued evaporated milk due to lack of cream. Loved the creamyness of the soup. Definite Keeper.
Katrina
Tastes just like Mama’s 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe! Where can I find more of your IP recipes?
Kelly McEvitt
Didn’t think it was possible, but this is better than my mom’s potato soup! It was so creamy and savory. I added some cheddar cheese just before serving and it was a delicious addition.
Yoshabel
Delicious! I substituted Steakhouse Maple Seasoning for Bacon as my husband doesn’t eat pork. He absolutely loved it. He was impressed as I don’t cook much. Although, lately my instant pot has totally transformed me into a cook, something I could never say. I can’t wait for my boys to try my potato soup. This recipe goes into my file for family receipe. Thank you so much for sharing and especially for the detailed steps to take for my instant pot.
Bre
This was amazing 🙂 My 2 and 4 year olds loved it as did my husband who ate 5 cups of it!! I made generally as instructed but with some plain coconut milk, and “fake butter” because we are dairy free. I also doubled the celery, and added carrots. I had gold potatoes and had no clue what a “medium” potato would be (russet vs red, vs gold) so I did 8 fairy large ones which ended up being around 8 cups of diced potatoes. Will definitely make this again and again and again
Jo
Truly outstanding recipe. Easy to make and tastes awesome. I ended up thickening more with a little extra flour and whisking it in. Side effect of whisking was that a lot of the potato chunks broke down as I was mixing and it became a smoother soup but it was really good. Thanks for a great recipe that I’m looking forward to making again.
KAi B
THE BEST SOUP EVER!!
Sue
Until today I didn’t think anything could top my mom’s potato soup. This is outstanding. I couldn’t stop eating it! I had to make a few changes to use what as on hand (it’sCOVID quarantine time), I have celiac disease, and I’m also allergic to celery. I replaced the celery with a large carrot. Used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 gluten free flour (blue bag). Used 1 cup whole milk instead of the cream. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers! Can’t wait to serve this to friends!!
Roses
Hey Sandy,
Thanks you for your recipe!
Tonight, I made Instant Pot Simple Potato Soup. It’s really delicious. My son ate a large bowl. He very love your dish. hehe
Lorie
Absolutely excellent soup. Better than I could have imagined. I will make this over and over. Thank you!
Tried to give it five stars but not sure it was working.
Mackenzie Scott
GOOOOOOOD LAWD!!! Best potato soup I’ve had in my life. I feel so guilty that it was so easy to make! Slap ya momma good!
Sandy
Haha! That’s awesome! Thank you!
Larkin
I eliminated the celery and added a can of mild green chilies and then topped with grated cheddar.
Sandy
Sounds good!
Reema
If I want to cut the recipe in half do I change the time in the instant pot?
Sandy
Nope. Keep the cook time the same.
Brigid
This soup is amazing!!!! It tastes like you’ve cooked it all day; we just LOVED it!!!!!
Jessica
I am not seeing where I add the cream? Or is it just me
Sandy
In step 9.
Valerie
This recipe was so easy to make and tasted amazing! I’m not able to eat dairy so I made it with plain, unsweetened cashew milk, and cashew milk smoked “chedda” cheese. It was hearty and the consistency was perfect. Five stars from me!
Joanne
I tried your recipe and loved it! I doubled the recipe, mashed some of the potatoes and used sour cream. It was so delicious! I will be making this again for sure!😊💗
Holly
My husband had been craving potato soup. It’s something I had never tried before but we found this recipe. It turned out perfectly! He said it was the closest he’s ever had to traditional german potato soup. He now requests it often.
Dale
I love potato soup and this recipe did not disappoint. It is full of flavor and quick too!!
Kaye M.
Me, again😀. Will a 3 quart Mini hold it all or should I halve everything?
Sandy
I would cut it by 1/3.
Monte Hale
The best potato soup ever. I used ham broth instead of chicken. I also used corn starch to thicken instead of flour.
Jared
The recipe was excellent as is but do you think clams could be added to make it clam chowder?
Sandy
I think so, however I have an excellent IP Clam Chowder recipe!
Jimmy Lappin
Absolutely fab little recipe.
My 25 rears in SF food land made me kick it up a notch.
Added 1 cup chopped Crimini mushrooms with the celery.
Then 1 cup canned lump crabmeat!
Simply decadant!
Jimmy
Jimmy Lappin
Oops crabmeat goes in with flour mixture.
Hope you can edit these two comments into one that is actually coherent!
Jimmy
Blossom Smith
I have made this probably a dozen times and it’s always popular! This time I added bacon and cooked my veggies in the grease! Oh my goodness! Makes it less of a “frugal” meal but YUM!
Shelley A.
I make potato soup all the time but never in an instant pot. I used this recipe but i washed the potatoes(did not peel them), and fid not have any celery on hand so i skipped it. I did add some chives. The recipe turned out great. And I’m thinking its a great chowder base. Corn, chicken, ham, mushroom, use your imagination.
Thanks for the recipe.
Lulu
Loved this soup! Thank you!!
Only difference is we added shredded carrots and used chicken base with 5 Cups of water since I didn’t have any broth. ? Omitted the bacon
PRISCILLA W.
5 Stars! I too had trouble with it, not showing the rating I gave it. My hubby found this recipe last week, he made it with a little to almost assistance from me (it’s my Instant Pot & I have more experience with it, but he’s learning). I came back today, we’re making it again. I also wanted to print this recipe & put it in a page protector, it’s a keeper of a recipe, it is going in my 3 ring binder! We browned ground sausage in the IP, strained the meat…deglazed the instant pot before proceeding.
Donna
Yum Yum Yummy. Do I Need To Say More. Thank You Very Much Sandy. I Tried To Give This A 5 Star, But It Wouldn’t Let Me.
Sandy
Yay! Thank you, Donna! It looks like the stars showed up. I really appreciate your review!
Christine
So Amazing!! I felt like I just started it and, bam it was done! My hubby flipped for it! I will definitely be making this again!
Sandy
Wow! That’s awesome! Thank you for letting me know!
Connie
If you don’t like the “whimpy” bacon, crisp it and then add it to the soup when ready to serve.
Sandy
Lol!
David Weddle
haha. I liked the bigger chunks of bacon in mine, and will up the bacon, and chunk it larger on the next pot, which I will certainly make, and soon!
Margaret
I made this tonight. It turned out really, really well. I added 1/4 tsp of Merquen, which is a spice from Chile we bring back that is similar to smokey paprika but with a kick. I also added in the ham, carrots and sauted the onions, celery, and carrots all together in a about a Tbsp of butter. The soup turned out so well, that hubby wanted to know how much was left and could we add some shrimp and corn to the rest of it! I told him we could, and I would!
Rachel
One of my first times making soup, very first time making soup in our pressure cooker… I’m excited to announce it turned out super good! My whole family loved it. Thanks!
Sandy
That’s awesome, Rachel!
Hanna
Absolutely delicious! And very easy to follow recipe. I added a few baby carrots cut up, and only used a small amount of bacon bits. I added a few “dough balls” after removing the lid (just flour, salt, and milk mixed together with a fork). It turned out tasting just as yummy as my grandma used to make!
Daniell
This soup is phenomenal this is the 3rd time ive made it and its my go to soup!
Sandy
Thank you, Daniell!
Diana
This soup is absolutely yummy. It’s the perfect comforter food on a rainy or cold day.
Nancy
It is so bitter cold out, I do not want to go to the store, but want to make the soup. However, I only have 1% milk. Will that be OK to use instead of cream?
Sandy
If you add it at the end, it will be fine! Stay warm!
Tiffany
Can you make it with out heavy cream?
Sandy
Yes, you don’t need any, and if you want it creamier, try a different milk (lower fat, etc., or unsweetened almond milk), or add some cheese. Maybe mash a few of the potatoes in the soup to give it a bit of a chowder consistency.
Alessia Ryan
This soup was amazing. I used scallions instead of onions but the rest the same. My boyfriend and I both loved it! It was really good with some shredded cheddar on top. Thank you for the great recipe!
Sandy
Thank you, Alessia! I’m so happy that you and your boyfriend enjoyed this soup!
Susan
We will be making this a second time tomorrow at my son and fiance’s request! They loved it, I will add carrots this time as well. I loved reading the comments and different variations of this soup, sausage and ham sound awesome! Ive made potato soups in the past and this one has been the only one 2nd requested! Thank you!
Sandy
That’s so nice, Susan! Thank you! I’m so pleased that you all like it!
Tammy
THIS a truly fantastic. I doubled the bacon! Thank you!!!
Rachel
I made this and it had a great flavor, but mine did not get thick. Is it not supposed to be thick? What do you suggest?
Sandy
Hi Rachel, I’m not sure why this didn’t thicken for you. Was the soup simmering when you added the flour/butter mixture? Another think you can do is mash some of the potatoes in the pot before serving. I went it and tried to get more specific on the thickening step, I hope that helps.
Michaela
What size IP was used? I just got an 8 qt.
Sandy
I used a 6 qt, but you can use an 8 qt.
Sherrie
Sounds like a great recipe. Was wondering if I could substitute evaporated milk for a heavy cream?
Sandy
Yes you can.
Jeremy
Something very bad happened when I added the butter+flour mixture. Basically the mixture didn’t integrate into the soup and clumped up all together. It didn’t blend at all into the soup.
Sandy
Did you bring the soup to a simmer, then soften the butter and incorporate the flour thoroughly? Then whisk it into the soup?
Sher
I just made this soup also, thank you for the recipe. I needed a good recipe so I didn’t have to keep telling my husband that I wanted to go to a restaurant that makes soup when he asks me where I’d like to go. LOL He hates when I say that.
I did mine with a little bit of leftover ham and added some carrots as well,everything else is the same as the recipe. yum!
Thanks again, from both the husband and myself. 🙂
Sandy
Thank you, Sher. I’m so glad that you and your husband liked the soup recipe!
Brenda White
II just made it and it is delicious…I swapped out the bacon for ham I had leftover from Christmas dinner
Sandy
That’s great, Brenda! Thank you!
Lisa
Wow, I just made a pot of this to have Christmas Eve when our kids come over. Needless to say I am making another pot to have enough for everyone. My husband was my taste tester and he loved it. I did leave out the onions since our granddaughters are not fans of onions, but other than that this recipe was perfect.
Sandy
Thank you, Lisa! I’m so glad that you and your husband liked this soup!
David Weddle
A tip. I am onion-phobic. Don’t ask me why. I don’t like the white onions on burgers, etc. I actually like the added flavor, but have a thing about them. SO.. I put the onion in the blender with part of the chicken stock, and puree the dickens out of it. This trick works good for me.
Bonny
If anyone wants some delicious potato soup fry up some Jimmy dean ground sausage, I use 1 lb. each. 1 hot and one sage. Drain it good and add to the soup once it’s cooked. It’s delicious
Greg
I just made potato soup with your recipe almost the exact same ingredients but I did add some turkey smoked sausage and garlic. Thank you best potato soup I’ve ever made!
Sandy
Awesome!
Shelly
Quick question if I double the recipe do I need to change how I cook it? Sounds delicious!
Sandy
Cook time stays the same.
Denice Ornelaz-Perez
My 11 year old has a fascination with soup and since it is getting chilly here in the Mojave Desert we made this for lunch. Due to issues with lactose we substituted Almond Milk (worried about sweetness) and it worked great. It didn’t looks as creamy as we’re used to so I used the immersion blender and broke up the potatoes. We didn’t have celery so I used celery seed. It is quite delicious and he is on his third bowl and cannot stop praising me for the great job I did! lol Thanks for sharing this with us!
Angela B.
I have been looking for a good potato soup recipe, but not found the one that tasted like I wanted. This soup is awesome and will be my new go-to recipe. My whole family loved it. My 11 yo even said, “Mom, you really outdid yourself tonight.” LOL
Sandy
Hi Angela, how precious that your kiddo said that! High praise! I’m thrilled that your family liked this soup! Thank you for your nice review!
Stephanie G
This is super delicious and easy-to-prepare soup! Thanks for the recipe.
FYI: instead of making the roux to thicken the soup, I tossed in some instant mashed potato flakes. It worked like a champ!
Sandy
That’s great, Stephanie! Thanks for the tip!
Lydia
Oh good tip! We’re gluten free and I was trying to think of a good alternative thickener.
Esther Adler-O’Keefe
I USED TAPIOCA FLOUR SINCE I HAVE CELIAC. WORKED PERFECTLY. BEST SOUP EVER! AND MY FIRST TIME USING MY INSTANT POT
TRIED TO RATE IT 5 STARS
Jess
Turned out Awesome! I used beef instead of chicken broth and red pepper instead of the celery. I also added some spinach, just for more veggies! I will definitely make again.
Sandy
Nice! Thanks for your review!
Melissa
What if you dont have heavy cream on hand can you use milk?
Sandy
Yes, if you add it after pressure cooking.
Heather
My daughter is vegetarian so I made 2 substitutes. Swapped chicken broth for vegan protein broth & the bacon for McCormick Bac’n Pieces. It was really good! This one will be a regular for sure!
Sandy
That’s great, Heather! Thanks for the review!
Kelly
Have you ever made it without the bacon?
Sandy
Yes, you can make it without.
DaMomb
Why would you?? LOL!
Jill
This potato soup was perfect! It is one of my favorite soups. Lots of flavor, and thick! I will double the recipe next time I make it.
Sandy
I’m really happy that you liked this recipe! Thank you for your review!
Lisa
Delicious! We used sausage instead of bacon and half and half instead of heavy cream. Wonderful receipe!