Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup

This Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup is unbelievably delicious and is a breeze to whip up with the Instant Pot! This makes for a wonderful, comforting dish to enjoy during this cozy season.

I am giddy about this soup. The idea for this recipe came straight from the fact that I (almost always?) crave loaded potatoes. Goodness, I love a loaded potato. I love the potato-ness, the cheese, the bacon, the sour cream, and the green onion. I also have a really fond childhood memory of attending Wurstfest in New Braunfels, TX as a kid, where my love of potato soup was born. Though that German-style potato soup was a little different than this variety, it was still comforting potato goodness.

This recipe goes to a whole new level of awesomeness in that we're using the Instant Pot to pull it together! It all can happen in one pan and here's how: first, crisp the bacon via the “saute” button. Remove the bacon and then (to the bacon fat) add the potatoes and broth. Cook until the potatoes are soft, blend half with the broth + seasonings to make the soup base, return it to the rest of the chunky potato bits, and get to spooning up your bowls. I like my potato soup with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese (omit, of course, if you're dairy-free), the crispy bacon pieces, sour cream (there's a GREAT recipe for Paleo sour cream in my book), and green onion.

This Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup is smooth with bits of potato chunks mixed in, just how I like it. If you prefer a completely smooth base, blend all the potatoes together!

Also, if you're looking for a dairy-free way to add some cheesy flavor, I recommend sprinkling nutritional yeast in or on the top of your bowl! It's delicious, trust me.

A quick note about the Instant Pot. I've gotten this GREAT question a couple times: if you're looking to buy an Instant Pot *or* a slow-cooker, which would you choose if you only had space for one? As much as I love my stove top-friendly slow cooker, it's my belief that the Instant Pot can't be beat when it comes to functionality. You can sear, slow-cook, OR pressure cook all with one single device. So, the Instant Pot would get my vote!

I hope you love this Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup and that it helps curb your comfort food craving in this cozy season.

Loaded Instant Pot Potato Soup

★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

This creamy potato soup is loaded with bacon, sour cream, cheese, and chives and comes together in minutes in the Instant Pot!

• Author: Cassy
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 12-14

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound of bacon, diced
• 3 pounds baby gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 8 ounces sour cream
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For Toppings:

• 4 ounces sour cream
• 1/2 cup cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Instructions

1.  Set Instant Pot to ‘saute' mode and add bacon pieces. Cook for about 5 minutes until bacon is crispy and fat is fully rendered. Turn off the pot and remove bacon and excess bacon grease, leaving 1-2 tablespoons.
2. Add the potatoes, chicken broth, and salt to the Instant Pot. Place the lid on the pot and ensure the pressure valve is closed. Press the ‘manual' button and set to cook for 15 minutes. The pot will have to come up to pressure and then the countdown will begin.
3. Once the timer goes off, manually release the pressure valve carefully. Once the pot has stopped releasing steam, open the lid.
4. Remove about half of the potatoes from the pot and place in a medium sized bowl.
5. Puree the remaining potatoes and broth with an Immersion Blender. Then, stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, and remaining seasonings.
6. Stir in the cooked bacon pieces and potatoes, then taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
7. Serve alongside additional sour cream, cheese, and chives for topping.

Notes

For dairy free:

Substitute with Paleo sour cream recipe from the Fed & Fit Book and top with nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.

To make in the slow cooker:

1. Crisp bacon on the stove in a pan over medium-high heat. Remove bacon and set aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons bacon grease to slow cooker along with potatoes, chicken broth, and salt.
2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
3. Follow the recipe from step 4 onward.