Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup is incredibly creamy, hearty and satisfying. Loaded with cheese, bacon, chives, LOADED baked potato soup is ready in an hour.
Get ready for the creamiest and best Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup evah!!!!
Imagine a loaded baked potato with all the trimmings, butter, sour cream, cheese bacon and chives and you’ve got yourself one heck of a warm and comforting bowl of Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup!!!
If you are following a low carb diet, try my Instant Pot Low Carb Cheesy Cauliflower Soup. It’s equally as good as this baked potato soup and just as rich.
What makes this Loaded Baked Potato Soup so special is the use of two kinds of potatoes and sweet shallots.
The richness from the Yucon Gold potatoes and the heartiness of Idaho Russets are a pair that cannot be beat
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Ingredients for Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup.
- Bacon and Fresh Garlic
- Shallots – onions can be used instead, but shallots add such a great flavor
- Better than Bouillon Chicken Base or any chicken broth you like, but BTB, is the bomb!
- Butter and Heavy Cream
- Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Sour Cream – my Instant Pot Yogurt can be used in place of sour cream.
Delicious Garnishes for Baked Potato Soup take this recipe over the edge.
Pro Tip: If you see a pressure cooker recipe for potato soup, which has you add in cornstarch or potato starch at the end to thicken the soup, run. Clearly the author doesn’t have a grasp of pressure cooking and probably just took a stove top recipe and tried to cook it in the pressure cooker, not realizing that less liquid is needed and why less is needed.
Bacon, bacon, bacon. Cooking bacon in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker takes a bit longer than on the stove, but it is worth it to save another pot to clean, plus, the bits left behind in the pot add so much flavor.
Another benefit is that, you don’t have to stand over the skillet and worry about spattering your stove, walls and yourself.
When you dump out the grease (remember to leave about a Tablespoon in the pot), make sure to use a metal container or a Grease Strainer. This is the one we own, although Ed poured the grease into the Cafe Bustelo can.
While the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker is cooking the bacon, all by itself, It is a good time to peel and chop the potatoes. It is like you have a sous chef. Oh wait, I spy another one. 🙂
Some potatoes are better for baking and others are better for boiling or steaming.
Best Potatoes for Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup
- For mashed potatoes, such as my Instant Pot Best Mashed Potato recipe, russet potatoes are great, but they tend to fall a part if cooked in liquid, so steaming in a Salbree Steamer/Strainer Basket is suggested.
- Russets are a starchy potato and it is recommended to soak them in water prior to cooking. However, in this baked potato soup recipe, there is no need to soak. Since they offer up some starch, you won’t have to add any flour or potato starch to thicken. Natural potato starch is built right in.
- Yukon Gold potatoes have a nice and creamy center with hints of butter. They do very well in liquids, and are perfect to use in my Instant Pot Japanese Chicken Curry recipe and my Instant Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe.
I like to use both types of potatoes as they compliment each other very well. Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup is made with the perfect combination of potatoes for the best bowl of potato soup you will ever have.
Butter and shallots will help to deglaze the bottom of the cooking pot. The fond at the bottom the cooking pot will mix into the soup will add so much rich delicious flavor.
A good silicon spatula with a high heat capacity is great to use when scraping up fond. It won’t discolor or melt.
Is Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup Spicy?
- No.
- Sambal Oelek Ground Chili Paste is a fresh ground chili paste, which offers up a very nice and pure chili flavor.
- It does not interfere with the other flavors in the Instant Pot Potato Soup.
- The small amount being used, won’t add a noticeable ‘heat’ spice to the soup. In this recipe, it acts as a flavor booster.
One of the beautiful things about making Baked Potato Soup in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker is that you don’t have to worry about dicing up the potatoes. Large chucks will quickly cook to perfection.
No soaking of the potatoes is needed, but if you keep them in your Salbree Steamer/Strainer Basket is and some water, the potatoes won’t oxidize and turn brown. Yuk!
How to Use Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base.
- Instant Pot Bone Broth is great to use in any recipe calling for broth. Should you not have any in your house, please use Better than Bouillon Chicken Base. If you have a Costco in your area, grab a large jar and keep it in the fridge. Otherwise, you can always buy some through this link at Amazon.
- I like to use a bit more than one teaspoon of Chicken Base per cup of water. I usually add the base to a glass measuring cup and whisk with water, or you can just toss it into the cooking pot and add fresh water.
Don’t be afraid to cook with heavy cream in your Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker. There is enough fat in cream, so that the milk will not break. If you want to lighten up Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup, try using half & half, but add it in AFTER pressure has been released.
If you check out my Instant Pot Baked Ziti recipe, which is delicious, you will see that the noodles cook in heavy cream and help to form the sauce.
When cooking starchy items in the Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker if you have the option to let the pressure naturally release, go for it. Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup will take about 20 minutes to naturally release on its own.
Otherwise, if you want to release it after a minimum of 10 minutes, make sure to do a very slow and controlled release, so that the soup does not come shooting out the pressure valve.
You’ll need an immersion blender to blend the soup into utter creaminess.
I suggest using a Mealthy Immersion Blender or the KOIOS Powerful 800 Watt Immersion Blender. Both do a fantastic job.
Ladle Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup into a bowl. You will want to use a big bowl.
Time to load up with toppings!
Freshly shredded cheddar cheese goes so well with Instant Pot Potato Soup.
Monterey Jack cheese would also be terrific.
Remember the bacon we cooked? Crumble it up and add it on top of the cheese.
If you are a lover of turkey bacon, there is no problem using that instead of pork bacon.
Fresh chives are always the best, but if you don’t have access to the chives, dried chives will also work nicely.
The chives give a bit of an onion tasty. Ed grew these chives!
Note to self: put up a mirror, so you can see you are about to be rushed for a bowl of Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup.
But I need to lose weight anyway, so it is probably for the better. That being said, check out my yummy Low Carb Brussels Sprouts in Alfredo Sauce. They are so delicious and they are low carb!
When your picky eater loves the soup so much, he can hardly talk, you just feel so warm and fuzzy inside.
Watch my video and then scroll to the bottom for the printable recipe card.
Let’s load this baby up! Like any good loaded baked potato, you are going to want to add butter, sour cream, cheese, bacon and chives.
With Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup, the butter and sour cream are already in the soup, so just top with cheese, bacon and chives. Lots and lots of chives.
More Instant Pot Creamy Soup Recipes to Make:
- Pressure Cooker Chicken Marsala Mushroom Soup
- Instant Pot Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Italian Soup
- Pressure Cooker Vegetarian Corn Chowder Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup Low Carb Keto
If using a Instant Pot DUO Mini Plus 3 Quart Pressure Cooker, you will want to cut this recipe in half.
Kitchen Equipment and Essentials
- Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi or Pressure Cooker
- J.A. Henckels Classic 7-inch Hollow Edge Santoku Knife
- J.A. Henckels Classic 8 inch Chef’s Knife
- Amco Advanced Performance 18/10 Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
- Simply Gourmet (Dry) Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
- Anchor Hocking Glass (Liquid) Measuring Cups
- di Oro Living Silicone Spatulas Set
- Porcelain & Bamboo Salt Box with Spoon
- Gravity Electric Salt and Pepper Grinder
- Bakers Math Kitchen Scale with Percentages – everyone should own this scale
- My FANTASTIC Teak Cutting & Charcuterie Board & Compartments
- Salbree 3 quart, 6 quart or 8 quart Steamer/Strainer Basket
- Bamboo Strainer
- KOIOS Powerful 800 Watt Immersion Blender or Mealthy Immersion Blender
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Here is the handy printable recipe.:
Ingredients
- 8 slices Bacon cut in half
- 4 ounces Shallots diced
- 1 stick Butter
- 3 cloves Fresh Garlic minced
- 1.5 teaspoons Sambal Oelek Ground Chili Paste
- 2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold peeled and quartered
- 2 pounds Russet Potatoes peeled and quartered
- 4 cups Chicken Stock/Broth (or 4 cups Fresh Water + 4 tsp Better than Bouillon Chicken Base)
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream (or yogurt)
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar Cheese for Garnish
- 1 bunch Fresh Chives chopped
Recommended Products
Instructions
- Select Sauté on Instant Pot/Mealthy (or select the "Meat" button on other brands of pressure cookers) and allow pot to fully heat.
- Add slices of bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to a paper towel lined plate and discard all but 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease.
- Add butter and stir though onions until butter begins to foam.
- Add shallots and cook for 30 seconds. Add minced garlic, chili paste, salt and pepper and mix through.
- Push "Cancel" and add potatoes, chicken broth and cream.
- Lock on lid and close pressure valve. Cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. When beep sounds, wait 20 minutes and then slowly and carefully release the rest of the pressure.
- Open lid and add sour cream.
- Use an immersion blender and process until smooth, leaving some chunks for texture if desired. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Ladle soup into bowls and top with cheese, chives and bacon.
Jeff says
Are there supposed to be both regular onion and shallots in the recipe? Step 3 says add butter & stir through onions, but then Step 4 says add shallots. Ingredient list only has shallots. Am I missing something in the steps vice ingredients? Thanks
Suze says
OMG! I made this soup tonight – exactly as written. It is fabulous! ? Since we’ve been on quarantine, I’ve been cooking more than usual and trying new recipes, one happy outcome. We will definitely have this again and again! Thank you! ??
Jill Selkowitz says
Hi Suze, thank you so much. I am thrilled you like my soup. Feel free to grab the link and share it around for others to make too! Jill
Linda Mott says
Oh man does that soup ever look good.
Jill says
Thanks, Linda. Jill
Joleen Carlson says
Loved your video. One of the things that drew me to watch was your “rolling pantry” visible behind you and Ed. I noticed the handled bins for your spices and other items. What are they and where did you get them? Thanks and keep cooking.
Jill says
Thank you, Joleen. I will go find the links where I bought those and get back to you. Remind me in a couple days if you haven’t heard back. I’m forgetful lately. Jill
Tina says
Yes I’d love the link as well!
I follow you faithfully from Facebook but now also on Instagram!
Love your kitchen sous chef.
Thank you for sharing, being our online wing woman/man and helping all of us out here!
Grateful Appreciated
~HealthyChickClick
Jill says
Hi Joleen and Tina. Here are the Perfect Pantry Spice Jar Organizers. For the spice rack in the video, Rolling Spice Rack is what I have. It comes in one piece and it is just a matter of taking it out of the box and flipping the top to make the top shelf. Really great shelving. I have tons of the larger size in my home for storage. Jill
Candy says
Would this soup freeze well for later? My daughter in law just had a baby, and i’m wanting to make some meals for her freezer, and she loves potato soup.
Jill says
Hi Candy, yes, you can freeze this soup. Jill