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Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup (with a slow cooker version)

This Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup is creamy, delicious, and tastes like you slaved over it all day! It’s easy to prepare and is ready in a flash thanks to the Instant Pot. 

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
33 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 481 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 can/box cream of chicken soup (I prefer Pacific Foods brand)
  • 7-8 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes (about 2.5 pounds of potatoes)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or more/less to taste)
  • Black pepper to taste (I like a lot of pepper)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use sharp cheddar)
Garnish:
  • 5-6 lices Bacon (cooked and chopped)
  • sliced green onions
  • shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Add butter to the Instant Pot and turn on the sauté button. Once butter is melted, add in the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add in the garlic and cook for one additional minute until fragrant, stirring constantly so that garlic does not burn.
  2. Add the chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, potatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir well. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the vent valve to "sealing." Cook over manual high pressure for 10 minutes, then quick release the pressure.
  3. Meanwhile, stir together the milk and flour in a small bowl to create a slurry. Set aside.
  4. Once the steam has completely released and the pin has dropped on the lid, open the lid and stir in the slurry. Turn the pot to sauté and cook the soup for 4-5 minutes, until thickened. Stir in the 2 cups of cheddar cheese and stir until melted. Serve garnished with chopped bacon, green onions, and more cheese. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Make sure to chop your potatoes into roughly the same size for even cooking. About 1 inch cubes is what I recommend.
  • If you prefer a less chunky soup, you can use an immersion blender to smooth out your soup at the end of cooking, or place the soup in a blender and blend it until it reaches the consistency you like.
  • My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods Brand. It's really flavorful and only contains simple, real food ingredients.
  • My favorite kind of cheese to use in this soup is sharp cheddar. It adds such great depth to the flavor. I also recommend shredding your own cheese from a large block as it will melt beautifully.
  • Best Potatoes to use: russet potatoes have a high starch content and work wonderfully when making loaded potato soup. They are what I prefer and use most often. I also like Yukon gold potatoes and use those occasionally. Red potatoes would also work here, but won't lend quite as creamy a texture as russets will.
  • How to Make Loaded Potato Soup in the Slow Cooker: If you'd rather make your potato soup in a slow cooker, I have a full recipe and directions for how to do that! This is a great way to prepare it while you are gone during the day.
  • To make this recipe vegetarian, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth and the cream of chicken soup for cream of celery soup.
  • For a vegan alternative, swap out the butter for vegetable or olive oil. Also swap the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely.
  • This Loaded Potato Soup can be made gluten free by using a gluten free cream of chicken soup. My favorite cream of chicken soup is from Pacific Foods and it is gluten free. I've also found that Walmart carries a gluten-free cream of chicken soup under their Great Value brand. You will also need to swap the all purpose flour for a gluten free version, such as rice flour, chickpea flour, or oat flour.
  • To make this Loaded Potato Soup dairy free swap out the milk for soy, hemp, rice, or almond milk, and the cheese for a vegan cheese alternative, or leave it out completely. You will also want to use a dairy free cream of chicken soup, which isn't always easy to find on the shelf at the grocery store. Here is a recipe for dairy free cream of chicken soup you can make at home.

Nutrition Information

Calories 481kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 43g (14%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 26g (40%) Saturated Fat 13g (65%) Cholesterol 64mg (21%) Sodium 1742mg (73%) Potassium 1064mg (30%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 590IU (12%) Vitamin C 20.8mg (23%) Calcium 363mg (36%) Iron 2.8mg (16%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 481

% Daily Value*

Calories 481kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 43g 14%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 26g 40%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 1742mg 73%
Potassium 1064mg 23%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 590IU 12%
Vitamin C 20.8mg 23%
Calcium 363mg 36%
Iron 2.8mg 16%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.