Pure comfort coming atcha, fast. Instant Pot Potato Soup brings the creamy, cheesy, load-’em-up goodness of classic potato soup, done one-pot pressure-cooker style. Veggie-loaded and ready in a flash, it’s nutritious with an ultra-luscious texture.
This soup is velvety rich, creamy, and cheesy just like the Panera soup I loved (and OK, I still do).
Despite how indulgent it tastes, this is not an Instant Pot potato soup with heavy cream (!)
It combines fresh ingredients like potatoes and onion with pantry staples, so it’s both wholesome and convenient.
Like my go-to classic Crockpot Potato Soup and this surprisingly delish Potato Leek Soup, this Instant Pot cheesy potato soup recipe derives its creaminess from the potatoes themselves, along with cauliflower and Greek yogurt.
The end result?
I like this recipe better than Panera’s potato soup! And I’m betting you will too.
Further, at less than $2.50 per serving, it’s a serious money saver compared to eating out too.
5 Star Review
“This was delicious! I loved the combination of the potatoes and cauliflower, and the addition of the greek yogurt and sharp cheddar really works! I will make this soup again – very tasty!”
— Norma —
How to Make The Best Instant Pot Potato Soup
The base recipe for this Instant Pot potato soup is simple.
Start here, then top it off to your heart’s content!
While it may not be a 3-ingredient Instant Pot potato soup, the ingredients list is fairly short and simple.
The Ingredients
- Yukon Gold Potatoes. Yukon golds have a naturally rich, buttery quality and creamy consistency that makes them the best potatoes for potato soup, though they are not the only option.
- Cauliflower. Adding raw cauliflower to vegetable soups to make them thick and creamy without changing their taste or adding unnecessary fat has become a signature move of mine (see: Instant Pot Carrot Soup and Vegan Potato Soup). It’s the best ingredient to thicken soup AND add nutrition. You won’t notice it.
- Chicken Bouillon. No chicken broth on hand? This is your solution! It will allow you to make Instant Pot potato soup without chicken broth, yet keep the same, full flavor.
- Greek Yogurt. Instead of making this an Instant Pot potato soup with cream cheese, I used Greek yogurt. It makes this soup rich and creamy without heavy cream, and Greek yogurt is high in protein, calcium, and low calorie too.
- Cheese. Sharp cheddar and Parmesan make up the dynamic potato soup duo. Since these are fully flavored, you can use less, making this soup lighter, without losing a speck of flavor.
- Onion + Garlic. A must-have for soup flavor complexity. I love that they sauté right in the Instant Pot.
Topping Instant Pot Potato Soup
One of the best parts of potato soup is the tasty toppings. Take inspiration from my Crock Pot Baked Potatoes and load up your bowl with any (or all!) of the below:
- Chives. Freshness + color. (Green onions would also be tasty.)
- Bacon. Add 2 to 3 slices bacon for a crowd-pleasing finish. Use my Air Fryer Bacon or Baked Bacon in the Oven.
- Croutons. They add crunch and become pleasurably soft as they absorb the creamy potato soup.
- Plain Greek Yogurt. My healthy stand-in for sour cream.
The Directions
- Using sauté mode, sauté the onion and garlic in the butter.
- Pour in the water and the bouillon. Stir until dissolved.
- Add the remaining vegetables and seasoning. Pressure cook potato soup on high pressure for 10 minutes. When done, immediately vent. Purée, let cool, then stir in the yogurt and cheese. Serve hot with whatever toppings you like. (See my favorites below!) ENJOY!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Place cooked and cooled soup in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently rewarm soup in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat on the stovetop, or you can reheat your soup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until warmed through. I recommend reheating your Instant Pot potato soup with milk splashes to thin the soup as needed.
- To Freeze. Store cooked and cooled leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe container or ziptop bag (lay flat) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Freezing Tip
Potato soup can become mealy when frozen, so the texture may change slightly, but it will still be tasty! If you know you want to freeze it, I recommend ensuring you puree your soup completely, so there aren’t any potato chunks remaining.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Salad. Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad or Arugula Salad would be tasty with this soup.
- Bread. Dunk as you please with Drop Biscuits or Rosemary Olive Oil Bread.
- Vegetables. Roasted Broccolini and Roasted Carrots are both delicious options.
- Crackers. Ranch Crackers are a fun spin on a classic cracker.
- Sandwich. For a classic soup and sandwich pairing, try my BLT.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Instant Pot. This is the Instant Pot I own and love! It’s perfect for this soup and Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
- Ladle. My preferred method for easily transferring soup to bowls and storage containers.
- Immersion Blender. This tool makes it a million times easier to blend soups.
The Best Instant Pot
An Instant Pot speeds up prep time, cook time, and makes for easy cleanup. It’s one of my most-loved kitchen appliances!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you do not need to soak potatoes before putting them in this soup.
While not totally necessary, I recommend peeling your potatoes for this soup. Leaving the skins on will create a more rustic texture that some people may find unappealing. If you decide to try the soup with the skins on, make sure you wash the potatoes very, very well.
If your Instant Pot shows a “burn” warning, it’s likely because a piece of food is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Before sealing your Instant Pot, make sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
Potato soup can quickly turn from buttery to gummy if it’s blended too much (this causes the potatoes to release too much starch). Blend your soup as needed to reach your desired consistency, but don’t blend for too long or it may affect the texture.
The soup setting on an Instant Pot is unnecessary when making this potato soup recipe and can vary between models. Simply use the Instant Pot as a soup pot with the cooking times and temperatures listed in this recipe for the perfect Instant Pot potato soup.
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced (about 2 teaspoons)
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 ½ pounds Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks, about 5 medium (you can also swap russet potatoes, though I find the flavor and texture of Yukon golds more buttery)
- 1 small head of cauliflower chopped into florets, about 4 cups
- 2 teaspoons spicy brown mustard
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup 2% plain Greek yogurt or a 7-ounce container, plus additional for serving
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus additional for serving
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh chives for serving
- Croutons baguette, additional cheese, additional Greek yogurt (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to sauté. Add the butter and let melt, then add the onion. Cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 additional seconds, just until fragrant.
- Add the water to the Instant Pot. Let come to a simmer (this will take several minutes), then whisk in the bouillon. Continue to stir until it is smoothly dissolved.
- Add the potatoes, cauliflower, mustard, thyme, and pepper. Cover and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on manual (high) pressure for 10 minutes. When the cooking time is up, immediately vent to release any remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid. With an immersion blender, purée the soup until smooth, or puree the soup in batches in a regular blender (be careful not to fill the blender more than halfway. Hot soup will splatter). Return any soup you pureed in the blender to the pot. Let the soup cool a few minutes, then stir in the Greek yogurt, cheddar, and Parmesan.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as you like. Serve hot, topped with chives, additional cheese, and a dollop of Greek yogurt as desired.
Video
Notes
- TO STORE: Place cooked and cooled soup in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm soup in a Dutch oven over medium-low heat on the stove, or you can reheat your soup in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave until warmed through. I recommend reheating your Instant Pot potato soup with milk splashes to think the soup as needed.
- TO FREEZE: Store cooked and cooled leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe container or zip top bag (lay flat) for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Hi Erin,
I’m not a fan of spicey mustard, does the greek yogurt calm it down or would it be the same if I used regular mustard?
Thank you
Hi Amy! I actually wouldn’t recommend using classic yellow mustard for this recipe. You could experiment with a ground mustard or half the amount of Dijon. I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
This looks yummy! Do you think in a pinch, you could substitute frozen color flower for the fresh? Thanks so much!
Sheryl
Hi Sheryl! I have not tried this recipe with frozen cauliflower, but you could experiment with it. I’d recommend letting it thaw completely before adding it. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes!
I made it with frozen cauliflower, without thawing, just waited for the broth to resume bubbling before putting under pressure, and it came out lovely!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Chantal! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Can this be made on the stovetop or in a crock pot?
Hi Kathy! While I don’t have specific instructions for adapting this recipe, I do have a different Crockpot Potato Soup recipe on my site. It’s also delicious, and I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
I did make it on the stovetop in a big heavy Corning pot. Worked great!
I’m so happy to hear that, Connie! Thank you for taking the time to let me know!
Connie, how long did you cook it on the stove?
It would depend on how small you cut your potatoes, but after I added the potatoes, mine took about 15 minutes on simmer (until the potatoes were soft). I stirred frequently so they wouldn’t stick or burn.
Thanks for your reply Connie!
I don’t think this can be considered vegetarian if it uses chicken boullion…
Hi Stephanie! If you need to make sure this recipe is vegetarian, you could use a granulated vegetable bouillon instead.
Great soup!! I love it that this potato soup recipe has cauliflower and Greek yogurt. Its so much healthier than regular potato soup – and some of the best I’ve had. Definitely restaurant worthy!
This will be a big hit at the holidays!
I am feeding 15+ every day over the holidays. I would love to make a double amount of this for lunch time. I have the large Insta Pot. Do you think I could double it? Would the cooking times change?
Hi Susan, I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit! As long as everything fits in your Instant Pot (under the max fill line), then you can certainly double the recipe, and the cooking time should stay the same. I hope everyone enjoys the recipe!
This was great! I used frozen cauliflower florets with no issues-it was maybe a little bit thinner than might otherwise be-in the future I might thaw in a colander to drain some moisture, or use a little less water. I forgot to add the spicy mustard-was delicious without, but I’ll be sure to add it next time. Great for a cold night, and loved that it used greek yogurt-tastes like it has sour cream in it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe, Karensa! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Can I use 3 cups of chicken broth in place of the bouillon and the 3 cups of water?
Hi Daniel! I have not tried the recipe this way, but you could definitely experiment. If you decide to try it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
Well, I decided to follow your instructions and used the bouillon cubes. Amazing! I’m two for two with your Instant Pot recipes. Thanks again!
I’m so happy to hear that this recipe was a hit, Daniel! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review!
Great recipe. The way the cauliflower thickened the soup was a revelation. It was an ingenious trick for cream substitution for cream-based soup recipes. I also used frozen cauliflower, 2% colby cheese, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast plus 1 tsp salt for the granulated chicken bouillon (which I didn’t have on hand), and–because I wanted to make a slimmed-down version of clam chowder, which is a husband favorite–2 small cans of clams after the pureeing. For clam chowder, next time I would probably omit the spicy brown mustard, but my husband loved it nonetheless. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this kind review, Beverly! I’m so happy you enjoyed this!
This was so easy to make and delicious. My 3 year old even asked me for leftovers for lunch today(although there wasn’t much leftover). I will definitely be making it again!
Thank you for sharing this kind review, Jillian! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Yummy … but am I missing something? It says “This is a vegetarian Instant Pot potato soup, and I’ve added plant-based protein to make it filling.”
But it contains chicken bouillon granules (I used a vegetarian “not chicken” base), and I’m not seeing plant-based protein.
No complaints on the product … just some confusion. :-)
Hi Connie, I’m so happy you enjoyed this dish! If you need to make sure this recipe is vegetarian, you could use a granulated vegetable bouillon instead.
A nice healthy bowl of soup. My daughter loved it… but I would have preferred much much less Greek Yogurt in it as I am not really a yogurt fan and the taste was quite overpowering. Adding this as a warning for anybody who is not a greek yogurt/sour cream fan as this is what the soup tastes like!!
Thank you for sharing this helpful review, Anne! I’m happy the soup was a success!
This is so easy to make! I love that you don’t have to add any milk or cream. I used a bag of frozen riced cauliflower and it turned out great.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Christa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
This was delicious! I loved the combination of the potatoes and cauliflower, and the addition of the greek yogurt and sharp cheddar really works! The only change I made was to use Better than Bouillon. I try to avoid meat as much as I can and they have a great flavor called “vegetarian no chicken base.” I do find it to be a bit salty so I used 2 TSP per the 3 cups of water called for in the recipe (rather than 3 for 3!) Hope this helps others who may be looking for a vegetarian option that does not contain chicken but mimics the flavor. I had to order the product on Amazon since most stores do not carry it. I will make this soup again – very tasty (thanks, Erin!)
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Norma! Thank you for sharing this kind review and your tips!
Absolutely loved! I didn’t have chicken bouillon cubes so I googled a quick alternative (which was a variety of spices I had in my pantry) and then I used low sodium vegetable broth instead of water. Turned out amazing! My husband went back for seconds!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Brandi! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Delicious! Thank you for such a tasty recipe. I followed exactly and used the 5% fat greek yogurt so it was super creamy. I love your healthy take on recipes and the belief that they should be pretty simple. Looking forward to trying many more recipes-especially your sheet pan meals. Thanks for all you do:)
Also, since I love your food philosophy so much, I’m wondering what are your go-to’s when you don’t have time to cook? I’m looking for great recipes and also trying to find some easy and healthy things when in a time crunch, for example, a whole wheat wrap with hummus, greens, onion, feta and tomatoes…Thank you and have a blessed New Year!
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for this kind review! Happy New Year!