Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup is a super easy pressure cooker recipe that's perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Enjoy cheese, bacon, and creamy potato in a smooth, hearty soup.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy, affordable, and seriously delicious.
- No flour or cornstarch needed - the potatoes naturally thicken the soup!
- It's a weeknight-friendly recipe that's ready in under 30 minutes.
- Feeds the whole family without breaking the bank. 💰 As of publish date, this will run you around $15-20 for 6 hearty servings.
Ingredient Notes
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- aromatics - This recipe includes 1 onion (finely diced) and 2 tablespoons of minced garlic. If you need a shortcut, use pre-minced jarred garlic - totally fine!
- 2 teaspoons each of salt and pepper
- 3 lbs Russet potatoes - Yukon gold potatoes are also a good option, but Russets really do the trick; no need to spend more on Yukon gold if it isn't necessary! I like to peel & chop my potatoes into 1-2" chunks for this recipe.
- 2 cups chicken broth - Either homemade chicken broth, canned, or from bouillon cubes works.
- creamy elements - we'll use 8 oz cream cheese, 1 cup sour cream, and 1 cup half and half to make this soup rich and creamy.
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese - For best results, shred your own cheese - freshly shredded cheese melts much more smoothly. If you're using pre-shredded cheddar, give it a quick rinse under cold water and pat dry before adding it to the soup. This helps remove the anti-caking agents that can keep it from melting evenly.
- 10 slices of bacon - These need to be cooked and crumbled before putting it in the recipe. Just start the bacon when your start the soup and you should have nice, crispy bacon by the time the soup's ready.
- green onions - This is one of those "measure with your heart" ingredients. They'll be used to garnish the soup; you can leave them out if it isn't your taste.
Variations, Additions, & Topping Ideas
- Want to make this recipe vegetarian? Just omit the bacon and use vegetable broth!
- This potato soup is already naturally gluten-free; no alterations are needed.
- Additional topping ideas:
- Extra sour cream
- Pico de Gallo
- Fried jalapeños
- Cooked & crumbled sausage
- Bagged French fried onions
If you love easy Instant Pot dinners, give my Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese or Cheesy Chicken and Rice recipes a try!
How to Make Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté mode. Once hot, melt 2 tablespoon butter, then add 1 chopped onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes until translucent, seasoning with 2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoon minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in 2 cups of chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Add 3lbs of chopped & peeled potatoes, then lock the lid in place.
- Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure by turning the valve. Remove the lid and blend the soup using an immersion blender.
- Stir in 8oz of cream cheese, 1 cup of sour cream, and 1 cup of half and half until smooth and creamy. Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar and half the crumbled bacon; stir until cheese is melted.
Ladle into bowls and top with remaining cheese, bacon, and chopped green onions.
Crock Pot Instructions
You can also make this loaded potato soup in the slow cooker! Just add all ingredients (reserving half of the cheddar, half of the bacon, and green onion) to a Crockpot and set the cooker for low, 8 hours. (For a similar soup that's already made for the Crock Pot, try my slow cooker corn chowder.)
Thirty minutes before serving, blend everything together with an immersion blender or potato masher. Garnish with remaining ingredients.
Stovetop Instructions
To make this soup on the stovetop, sauté the onion and garlic in butter over high heat (seasoning with salt and pepper). Reduce the heat to medium and add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Once potatoes are soft, blend with an immersion blender or potato masher. Add half-and-half, sour cream, cream cheese, half the cheddar, and half the bacon, stirring until just blended.
Garnish with remaining ingredients.
Leftovers & Storage
STORAGE: This soup should be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days after preparation. Store it in an airtight container to prevent any food smells from blending into the soup. (Tip: this silicone lid is perfect for storing Instant Pot foods right in the stainless steel liner!)
FREEZING: cool the soup and spoon into a gallon freezer bag. Lay flat to freeze. This soup is good in the freezer for up to 6 months. To thaw, place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight.
Useful Recipe Tips & Tricks
- The degree to which you blend the potatoes is totally up to you. You can puree very little of the potatoes if you like a chunkier texture. If you like a smooth, creamy texture, really blend the potatoes!
- If you want a lot of extra texture in the soup, use either Yukon gold potatoes or red potatoes and leave the peel on when cooking.
- Gummy potato soup usually means the potatoes were over-blended. Make sure to stop using the immersion blender as soon as the potatoes reach your desired consistency. Don't over-stir either - just stir the soup until the creams and cheeses and blended and melted.
- This soup is plenty thick on its own, but if you want it even thicker, you have two options: 1) only use half a cup of half-and-half or 2) make a cornstarch slurry in your half-and-half by stirring ¼ cup cornstarch into the half-and-half before adding it to the soup.
I can't wait to hear what you think of this recipe! Leave a ⭐️ comment/review below, or tag me on social media (@lambertslately) with your recipe 📸 pictures.
Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 1 onion (finely diced)
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 lbs Russet potatoes (peeled and chopped into 1-2" pieces)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 10 slices bacon (cooked and crumbled)
- green onions (chopped)
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to sauté mode. Once warm, add butter. When butter is melted, add chopped onion and saute for 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add garlic and saute for about a minute.
- Add chicken broth to the pan and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add potatoes and lock on the lid.
- Set Instant Pot to manual pressure cook, high pressure, 15 minutes. Once cook cycle is over, quick release the pressure by turning the valve on the lid.
- Remove the lid of the Instant Pot. Using an immersion blender, blend the potatoes.
- Add cream cheese, sour cream, and half and half. Stir well, until cream cheese is melted. Add half of the cheddar cheese and half of the crumbled bacon and stir until cheese is melted.
- Pour soup into bowls and garnish soup with remaining cheese, bacon, and chopped green onions.
Notes
- Blend as much or as little as you like. Less blending = chunkier texture, more blending = creamy and smooth.
- For added texture, use Yukon gold or red potatoes and leave the skins on.
- Gummy texture usually means over-blending - stop once you reach your preferred consistency and avoid over-stirring.
- This soup is thick as-is, but to make it thicker, use only ½ cup of half-and-half, or stir ¼ cup cornstarch into the half-and-half before adding it.
Nutrition Facts
Leslie Lambert is a lifestyle writer and content creator specializing in home organization, family recipes, and intentional living. With 16 years of experience in blogging and digital storytelling, she helps busy women create calm, purposeful homes they love.
