Instant Pot Cheesy Potato Soup
This cheesy Instant Pot potato soup is fabulous! The pressure cooker makes quick work of cooking the potatoes. The end result is creamy, cheesy, and so delicious!
If you don’t have an electric pressure cooker, I’ve included stovetop directions below! That means this super creamy, cheesy, ultra-delectable potato soup is accessible to one and all. 🙌🏼

Steps for Instant Pot Cooking
One of the highlights of this recipe is that the potatoes and seasonings cook in the Instant Pot.
Not only does this lend a completely hands off approach to boiling the potatoes…but it also means you can do this step ahead of time, and the potatoes can hang out for a while in the pressure cooker until you’re ready to proceed.
- Use the sauté function to cook the onion and garlic.
- Add the potatoes, seasonings and broth and pressure cook for 4 minutes.
- Release the pressure and add the cream cheese + flour + milk.
- Use the sauté function to heat and thicken the soup.
- Stir in the cheese, corn and chicken (if using).
Best Toppings for Potato Soup
This creamy, cheesy Instant Pot potato soup is delicious all on its own, but if you want to level up, consider adding the following toppings:
- crispy morsels of cooked bacon
- chopped chives or green onions
- extra cheese (I’ll never tell you not to)
If warm, creamy, cheesy, potato soups are your jam AND you love your Instant Pot more than life itself, this potato soup is a no-brainer.
The finished soup can stay warm in the Instant Pot for hours making it an excellent option when you need a make-ahead soup.
It might also benefit you to know that the leftovers are amazing. Absolutely incredible, really.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I made this recipe for the second time and it is delicious. Followed the directions as written except for using bacon in place of chicken. This will be my go-to potato soup recipe from now on. Thank you for the recipe. -Kathy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved this soup. So creamy. It was super easy to make. -Rebecca
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is delicious! This past time I made it, I had an errand to run in the middle, so I left the IP on warm after cooking the potatoes and was able to pick everything up again with no problems. And since I needed to use them up, I added some Thanksgiving leftovers like the corn confetti and diced turkey and ham. Very adaptable soup. -Alison
What to Serve With This
One Year Ago: Piled High Zucchini and Cheese Topped Pizza
Two Years Ago: Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas
Three Years Ago: Classic Pesto {And A Quick Tip on Freezing To Use Later}
Four Years Ago: No-Bake Healthy Granola Bites
Five Years Ago: Oreo Truffle Brownies
Instant Pot Cheesy Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 to 8 cups peeled diced potatoes, about 5 to 6 medium potatoes (see note)
- 3 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 ounces cream cheese, lowfat or regular, softened
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 to 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 to 3 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken, optional (see note)
- 1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
- Cooked, crumbled bacon for serving
Instructions
- Using the Saute function on a 6-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, heat the butter or oil.
- Add the onions and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.
- Add the potatoes, 1 cup of the broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Give the mixture a good stir.
- Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Quick release the pressure. If liquid spurts from the release valve, wait 5-10 minutes and try again.
- In a blender, combine the cream cheese, flour, milk, and remaining 2 cups broth. Blend until smooth.
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute again. Stir in the cream cheese mixture (it's ok if the potatoes break apart a little as you combine the ingredients). Continue cooking, and stirring constantly, until the soup simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn off the Saute function and set the pressure cooker to Keep Warm. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Add the chicken (if using) and the corn and heat through.
- Serve immediately or secure the lid and keep warm for 1 to 2 hours. Top individual servings with bacon.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe (adapted from this old stovetop favorite in my archives, as well as some additional inspiration from Pressure Cooking Today)
Recipe originally posted October 2017; updated September 2024 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
Very easy and delicious recipe. Definitely will make it again and again. I used red potatoes (and didn’t peel them), ham instead of chicken, and canned corn. Thanks for sharing it.
I have a 3 qt Insta Pot Mini Duo.
What changes do I make to ingredients etc for the potato soup.
You should be able to halve the recipe ingredients and use the same cooking time – but that’s just a guess since I don’t have a 3-quart mini IP so I haven’t tried it myself.
Excited to try this tomorrow! I am feeding between 9-15 people. Have you ever doubled this recipe? I don’t use my IP very often, so I’m not sure if that’s a no-no or not Thanks!
I have doubled it, but I had to use my larger 8-quart Instant Pot – I don’t think a doubled batch would fit in the 6-quart IP.
For doubling it in a larger pot, do you increase the time?
I keep the time the same and it seems to work just fine.
I made this soup for the 2nd time this weekend and it was delicious! This one is a keeper for sure.
How much soup does this make.? And what size IP? I’m new to IP and don’t want to mess up this delicious sounding soup!
I use my 6-quart IP for this recipe.
Thanks for another delicious recipe! I used leftover ham instead of the chicken. This is a new family favorite.
Made this (again) last night and every person loved it. I love when that happens. Makes me want to cry tears of joy!
Oh my this was delicious, fast and easy! Top 5 best recipes to come out of my Instantpot. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Just made the soup and it was amazing!!! We had a lot left over… do you think it can be frozen?
It might have a slightly grainy texture on reheating, but yes, I think you could try and freeze the leftovers.
I was thinking of making this soup a day ahead of time and then just reheating it in the slow cooker and maybe adding additional chicken broth. Do you think that would be ok?
Thanks so much!
I think so!
What would I do differently by making this in a crock pot?
If you scroll down just a bit, a reader, Christine, left a detailed comment about how she made this in a slow cooker. It should help!
It seems to be new to me. I love the way of making soup with instant pot. Found it easy and simple. Thanks for your recipe. I will be back with feedback.
I used this recipe (minus the chicken and corn) for my sausage soup. Just added cut up smoked sausage, green beans, and a jar of cheeze whiz and my family loved it! Much thicker than the way I normally make it (on the stove). Amazing!
We LOVE this soup! I’ve also made it for new moms and it’s always a big hit. I just pulled it up to make for dinner tonight and I just noticed the bread in the background…. Not sure how you accomplished that fancy cutting technique. But inquiring minds want to know!!
Haha, it’s called being unstable with the knife!! I’m pretty sure I cut that loaf while it was warm and so the knife slipped creating the rather jagged (but kind of unique and creative) edge. 🙂
loved this delightful recipe gonna cook this again this weekend..
Are you a wizard? This was amazing! I have loved every single recipe of yours that I’ve tried. Gotta go! Getting seconds! 🙂
I made it and it was fabulous. Thanks for sharing..
I would love to try this recipe! Lactose is not my friend so what could you substitute for the cream cheese?
Hey Heidi – I don’t know. Sorry! I haven’t ever subbed the cream cheese out for another ingredient, so I won’t be a lot of help.
There is a vegan cream cheese…I made a cheesecake for my vegan niece with it, no complaints.
Little late I know, but thought you’d like to know.
do you know of any spices to flair up the flavor ? if i leave the chicken and cheese out but add in carrots and corn, would that effect the flavor that much?
You’ll have to experiment, Kurt. Good luck! The cheese does add yummy flavor (and saltiness), so you’ll want to compensate for that.
Seriously some of the best soup I’ve EVER had!
This is a wonderful recipe, tasty and the leftovers are even better. I made this last night and it was fantastic! I modified the recipe substituting 1/4 C corn starch for the flour, and used mostly broth instead of milk, I only had a 1/4 C of heavy whipping cream and I used no bacon and added carrots. I will make this recipe over and over – thank you!
I can’t get over how much I LOVED THIS SOUP!!! I had leftovers for lunch today and they were just as good as the original meal. BEST blog ever and this recipe will be on repeat the entire year (yes, even in the summer 🙂 ) Thanks, Mel!
Is it good to try with some chilli? My husband love spicy food, but my kids not. I will try this out with some additional ingredients. Bookmark to share with my friends. Thanks.
I made this recipe last night. My question is was the corn added frozen?
Yes, I add the corn frozen and let it heat through (shouldn’t take very long with the hot soup).
Made this today and loved it! First time I have made potato soup ever! Will definitely add this recipe to my favorites! I didn’t do the chicken or corn. I just wanted a basic good potato soup. Perhaps I will add to it in the future, but to make this from start to finish including clean up in under an hour is amazing! Thanks for the recipe
I made it with a number of changes but used your times and (generally) amounts. I followed an old Crock Pot recipe that has been a family favorite. 2 Tbl butter. Added one stalk sliced celery and sautéed with onion. Used red potatoes in large chunks and added one large carrot sliced with the potatoes. Used Roast Chicken Better Than Bouillon with water rather than broth. Cooked for 5 minutes but 4 minutes would have been enough. Hand mashed (slightly) potatoes and added one can evaporated milk. Cooked on sauté for about 10 minutes stirring often to keep from sticking to bottom. Added about 1 Tbl flour in cold water to speed thickening. At this point you could add cooked chicken, cheese, etc if using. Didn’t add the corn. Result – came out as good as the old Crock Pot recipe in less than an hour as compared to 6-8 hours.
Just finished eating this.
Mel, it’s BOMB! I love that it’s so simple in the Instant Pot. I typically despise dragging out my blender or food processor for things, but it was worth it here and really a breeze.
I didn’t have pre-cooked chicken. I added cubed, raw chicken in the beginning with my onions to cook a bit. The chicken pressure cooked with everything else and was just right.
We topped with bacon. Wish I had some chives!
This is a keeper!
Another incredible recipe! I subbed the milk for unsweetened almond milk and the consistency was perfect. My toddler stopped eating to tell me she loved it, that is a first! The soup burned to the bottom of my pot a bit so I might spray it before starting next time.
I swapped out the cream cheese for sour cream, used 1 c milk and 3 c broth in the milk mixture, and used Mexican blend cheese from Costco instead of sharp cheddar. Also, Yukon gold potatoes. It worked out great that way!!
I’m new to the whole IP craze and have been looking around for recipes. Came across this one and decided to give it a shot. So easy to prepare and cook and the taste was amazing! Everyone had seconds which is good and bad…good because they loved it…bad because it left me with no leftovers. I’ve got this one printed and saved. Thanks!
How would this work using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth? Want to try it for a sick friend who is a vegetarians. Thank you!!
I definitely think you could use veggie broth!
I just made this and it was really good! I added a few handfuls of chopped kale with the potatoes to up my greens for the day. My husband loved it! Thank you!
I am an IP newbie & a picky eater. This recipe had no offensive ingredients so I decided to try it since potato soup is a favorite. I can not even begin to explain how great it turned out! It really built my IP confidence. I chose to add the chicken & it was delicious & even worked for my mom’s new low sodium diet. Perfection!!! Thanks so much for this recipe.
Just made this. 1st thing in my new Instant pot. My boys are in love. Thank you.
Mel! My husband LOVED this. 3 year old loved it and 6 year old with a soup prejudice loved it. Win! It was my first time using my (scary) instant pot and it turned out great. Thank you for a great, easy to follow recipe, even for a beginner. BUT that soup stunk up my pot lid! How can I get the stink out?
Yeah, that’s the downfall with the Instant Pot ring…it absorbs odors no matter what you cook in it (it’s far worse with foods like chili!). I sometimes soak the ring in vinegar/baking soda and it helps, but my ring always has a slight smell to it and I’ve learned to deal with it (it really doesn’t transfer to other savory dishes – but I have bought an extra ring for if I want to make rice pudding or something sweet in my IP).
I’ve read to leave it out in the sunlight…something about the UV rays!
If you put 1 C. Water, 1 C. White Vinegar, and a few Lemon Peels in the IP then seal and steam for 3 minutes it will clean and deodorizer 😉
Also used this recipe for my first IP experiment and it was incredible. Thank you so much!
I read some leave the lid upside down to air out, and that works for me!
Finally got my Instant Pot for Christmas and loving it but loving this soup even more!! We just heated up leftovers of this and the Turkey and Brown Rice soup(Both Instant Pot made). Both were great even the second time around!!
We made this recipe as is and it was absolutely delicious! Thanks- I will definitely be making this again. 🙂
Hi;Mel–Thanks for all your great recipes. I especially appreciate the Instant Pot recipes. Made your cheesy potato soup (in Instant Pot) for lunch on this frigid December day, and
it is yummy. The recipe will definitely go in my IP file. I have the 3 qt. mini Pot, so I halved the ingredients, using 1 cup of broth for the potatoes and added another 1/2 cup broth later. Maybe could have used the full amount of ingredients, but I’m cooking for 2, so just went with one-half the amounts. Followed the recipe as written, except I used half and half instead of milk.
Thanks again. Happy New Year to you and your family.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Mel! Despite my best attempts for a mellow Christmas, the 24 hours of Christmas Eve to Christmas night were non-stop. I went back to work yesterday with a “holiday hangover.” My cute husband is home from work this week (he works for a tech firm…lucky guy).
When I walked in the door last night, my mind was focused on the hot cocoa bar I had to coordinate today for my 90+ colleagues (one.more.thing.to.do!). I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed when I noticed the table was set for a candle light dinner. My sweet husband had made dinner!!! Not just any dinner but your awesome potato soup.
I thought you would appreciate the back story. Apparently, he Googled “life changing mashed potatoes) to find your site (since the only way we make mashed potatoes now is with your recipe for the IP) and made this UH-MAZING soup. He rated it in his top five favorite soups, which is saying a lot because he’s a bit of a soup snob.
We had a wonderful Christmas, but this really was the best gift of all–to come home to a home cooked meal. The soup was delicious and my hubs was singing praises to your name–as was I. Thanks for making him look and feel like a rockstar. It was such a treat to have comfort food waiting for me. We love you at our house!! Thanks for all you do to keep this blog running and our breakfasts, lunches and dinners and everything in between delicious. I’ve been a loyal follower for 9 years now…you are my go-to source for all things delicious (and apparently my husband’s too :)).
Oh, I loved this so much! What a sweet thing for your husband to coordinate for you! (and hot chocolate bar for 90? Oh my). I hope your stress level is back down…thank you for taking the time to comment! So happy you keep coming back after all these years. 🙂
This is soooo yummy. I just made it for the 3rd or 4th time and it’s everything I love about a baked potato in comforting soup format! I also started adding cauliflower because I need more veg in my life. Thank you for a lovely recipe!
(also, in case anyone else finds it useful, I add my defrosted but uncooked cubed chicken with the potatoes and cauliflower and then cook for the recommended 4 minutes. I then do a 10 minute release to let the chicken have a bit longer to cook and then go on as recommended. It works really well!)
So good that I’m making it on Christmas!
Absolutely DELISH!!!
Amazing!!!! The best soup I have ever made.
I just made this soup for lunch. It is delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
I didn’t have enough Russets for this so I made it with half Sweet potatoes and half Russets and it was to. die. for. I love all your instant pot recipes. Thanks!
This was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!
STOP the presses!! This was ahh.may.zing!! I’m going for my second batch now mostly to store in the freezer for days when I “need” something awesomely yummy. Thanks, Mel!!
Delicious soup, very easy!
I have everything except cream cheese. Would sour cream be a decent substitute?
You could try that, Chelsea – the flavor and texture will be different, but it’s worth a try
I took your suggestion and bought an Instant Pot on Black Friday (should have waited for Cyber Monday – oh well!) I made this recipe for dinner last night – yum! I even had some of the little Costco potatoes left over from last week. We all loved the soup. Please keep posting Instant Pot recipes.