Quick and Easy Instant Pot Potato Soup
This creamy loaded Instant Pot potato soup uses frozen hash browns and cream cheese to save time without sacrificing flavor–it’s a deliciously easy meal your family will love!
Instant Pot potato soup is a quick and easy way to make your favorite homestyle soup in a fraction of the time! It’s rich, creamy, cheesy, and delicious!
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Potato soup is one of those comfort foods that I’ve loved for years.
It’s the perfect cozy meal for a rainy day, or a great way to warm up in the fall and winter.
Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved Panera. Because, let’s be honest–there isn’t much in this world that is more comforting than a hearty bowl of hot soup in a bread bowl or with a baguette.
I love their chicken and wild rice soup, their chicken noodle soup, and their baked potato soup.
So in my quest to make more of our meals at home, I began learning how to make homemade versions of many of my favorite soups–but I wanted to keep things simple.
That’s where this Instant Pot potato soup recipe comes in!
I use frozen hash brown potatoes to save time–so I don’t have to peel and chop potatoes.
The result is a creamy, cheesy, hearty potato soup that’s both filling and frugal. Most importantly, it’s delicious!
It’s on my list of the best Instant Pot soups, and once you give it a try, I’m sure you’ll see why.
Don’t have a pressure cooker? Try these instead:
Making Instant Pot Loaded Potato Soup with Frozen Hash Browns
For years, I made a different potato soup recipe, which we really liked, but it required a bit more effort. So I got the idea for using frozen potatoes from this slow cooker potato soup recipe, and was hooked!
I love using frozen hash browns because it keeps things simple. I also use them in my Instant Pot cheesy potatoes casserole and in my Instant Pot cheesy ground beef and potatoes recipe.
I love that this potato soup uses cream cheese and cream of chicken soup (homemade or canned), which results in a creamy, cheesy homestyle soup.
It’s worth noting that it’s hard to cook foods with dairy under pressure, because the dairy will often curdle and leave you with a gross, clumpy mess.
We solve that problem here by adding the cream cheese after the pressure cooking is complete, so it melts in nicely and we avoid curdling.
Serve it with some crusty bread or yeast rolls for an amazing lunch or dinner!
Need a lighter potato soup option? Try my Instant Pot potato leek soup recipe or my Instant Pot broccoli and potato soup!
How to Make Instant Pot Potato Soup using Frozen Hash Browns
It’s really easy to make this comforting soup.
Find the full printable recipe available below
Cook the potatoes. In the insert pot of your Instant Pot, you’ll add a bag of frozen hash brown potatoes and some chicken broth.
You’ll cook that at high pressure for 3 minutes, then allow a 10 minute natural release before performing a quick release of remaining pressure.
Add the cream cheese. Stir in some cubed cream cheese to the hot broth, continuing to stir it around for a few minutes until it’s melted.
It will look a little strange and unappetizing at first, but don’t worry, that’s normal. Once it’s all melted and the other ingredients are added, it will be a lovely, creamy soup.
After the cream cheese is melted, you’ll add in some cream of chicken soup.
Make it cheesy. Last, add in some shredded cheese, stirring it until melted. Season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Ladle it into soup bowls and top with bacon crumbles and more shredded cheese, if desired.
Easy peasy!
Notes and Adaptations
- I most often use homemade cream of chicken soup, because it really is a cinch to make and it’s full of flavor. However, you can also use canned condensed soup mixed with water for a shortcut (1 can condensed soup + 1 can of water).
- There’s no need to thaw the frozen potatoes first. Just add them as-is to the insert pot!
- When adding the cream cheese, stir it around as it melts. You can use the back of a wooden spoon to mash any remaining lumps so they will melt easier. If you have itty bitty pieces floating around, that’s okay, but you don’t want any big chunks.
- You can freeze leftovers, but the texture will be a little different after reheating. The potatoes break down a bit during the freezing and reheating process, and the soup won’t be quite as smooth and creamy. However, it will still be delicious!
- If you want a similar but lighter soup, try this Instant Pot cheesy cauliflower soup!
Recommended Equipment:
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 32 ounces frozen diced hash brown potatoes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups cream of chicken soup (see notes below)
- 8 oz cream cheese (cut into 1-inch cubes)
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: bacon crumbles and additional shredded cheese for topping
Instructions
- In the insert pot of an Instant Pot, add frozen hash brown potatoes and chicken broth.
- Close the lid and set the vent to the sealed position.
- Select a 3 minute cook time at high pressure using the Manual/Pressure Cook setting.
- When the cook time has completed, allow at least a 10 minute natural release of pressure before performing a quick release of any remaining pressure.
- Once pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
- Add cubed cream cheese to the insert pot, stirring for a few minutes to allow it to melt. If needed, use the back of a spoon to smash any larger clumps of cream cheese so they will melt easily.
- Add cream of chicken soup and stir to combine.
- Add shredded cheese and stir until melted.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve, garnishing with bacon crumbles and additional shredded cheese, if desired.
Notes
- I use homemade cream of chicken soup, because it really is a cinch to make, it’s full of flavor, and it’s healthier than the canned stuff. However, you can also use the canned variety mixed with water/milk (1 can condensed soup + 1 can of water/milk).
- There’s no need to thaw the frozen potatoes first. Just add them as-is to the insert pot!
- You could also scoop out the inside of leftover baked potatoes and use that in lieu of the frozen potatoes.
- When adding the cream cheese, stir it around as it melts. You can use the back of a wooden spoon to mash any remaining lumps so they will melt easier. If you have itty bitty pieces floating around, that’s okay, but you don’t want any big chunks.
- You can freeze leftovers, but the texture will be a little different after reheating. The potatoes break down a bit during the freezing and reheating process, and the soup won’t be quite as smooth and creamy. However, it will still be delicious!
Equipment
Nutrition
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If I have a big family, and need to double or triple the recipe, do I just double the cook time?
Hi Michelle! The cook time will stay the same–just be sure to not exceed the manufacturer’s recommended fill lines if you double or triple the recipe. Enjoy! 🙂
I just made this and it was amazing! Thanks for sharing. I did end up adding another 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese shredded and garlic powder with sea salt.
Thank you so much, Beverly! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it–you can never have too much cheese, in my opinion! 😉
Hi,
I got an instant pot for Christmas ( like a lot of people) lol! I just used it today for the first time, for this recipe, but when I open the rel ase calve, it sputterd out some of the juice along with the steam! What did I do wrong
Hi Judi! It doesn’t sound like you did anything wrong–sometimes with high-starch foods, some starchy sputtering can occur. If that happens, carefully close the valve again, wait a minute, then open it up again. If it’s still sputtering, repeat this process until you can open it and only steam comes out (it usually doesn’t take more than one or two times). I hope that helps for next time! 🙂
Can I cook it in crockpot? And directions if so?
Hi Nikki! Yes, this Instant Pot recipe was actually adapted from a Crockpot recipe. I’d recommend adding the chicken, 3 cups broth (you’ll need more liquid when cooking in the slow cooker versus the Instant Pot), cream of chicken soup, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper to the Crock Pot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours until the chicken is cooked through, then shred the chicken and add the uncooked rice. You may need to add 1 or 2 cups of water to make sure the rice is covered completely with liquid. Continue to cook for 30 minutes, then check the rice to see if it’s done. If not, cook for another 30 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the cheese and serve. I hope that helps–enjoy! 🙂
This was the most delicious IP potato soup recipe !! I used another one the first time I made it but your recipe is the best !!! Wished I had doubled it for left overs. Thank you so much.
You are too sweet, Kathy! I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it–thank you for your comment! 🙂
Hi! We are about to try this out! I was just curious how long will this last in the fridge!
Hi Jessica! It should keep well for a few days in the fridge–I’d say 3 to 5 days. Enjoy! 🙂
It was so delicious! I’m sharing this recipe all over! The best!!!
You’re so sweet! Thank you for sharing, Jessica–I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can I use the shredded hashbrowns instead of the diced ones?
Hi Maria! I haven’t tried that personally, but I think it should work fine–the texture will probably be a little less chunky, though. Enjoy! 🙂
I made this in the Instant Pot and it was great.
I added leftover green beans and chopped ham. I will definitely be making it again.
Thank you for your sweet comment, Gina! I bet your additions of green beans and ham were delicious–great idea! 🙂
I cooked this potato soup tonight. It was so easy and Delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Linda! Thank you for your kind words! 🙂
To double this recipe do I double the ingredients or should anything be reduced
Hi Merida! I haven’t personally doubled it, so I’m not sure if doubling the ingredients would exceed the max fill line or not. Also, doubling the recipe would cause it to take longer to come to pressure, which may lead to the potatoes falling apart more. If you give it a try (and if everything fits in your pot), you may want to decrease the cook time to 1-2 minutes to compensate for the additional time coming to pressure. I hope that helps! 🙂