Creamy, dreamy, carby goodness can be yours in less than 30 minutes with this Loaded Gluten-Free Potato Soup recipe. Made with just 13 basic ingredients and only a few minutes of active prep, my Instant Pot potato soup is the nourishing comfort food your weeknight rotation needs.
Do y'all love potatoes as much as I do? I swear, I could eat the humble spud in just about any form: hash browns, home fries, french fries (poutine-style, especially!), in a gratin, mashed potatoes (on a shepherd's pie or in pierogis!), tacos, you name it. I'm verging on Bubba status with my love of all things tater. This loaded baked potato soup is no exception to the rule.
Whether you purée it smooth, keep it slightly chunky, or prefer to serve it chowder-style, this gluten-free cream of potato soup is a serious crowd-pleaser. Put out all your favorite baked potato fixin’s like bacon bits, greek yogurt or sour cream, green onions, cheddar, and more, then let everyone fix their ideal bowl.
Aside from being deliciously carby and cozy, my easy Instant Pot potato soup is a snap to throw together. You’ll only need to spend about 15 minutes doing active prep work, then the trusty IP does all the rest! Plus, it’s made with real, whole food ingredients you can feel good about feeding your family.
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Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe
If you’re still looking for reasons to try my creamy potato soup recipe, you should know that it’s:
- Perfect For Busy Weeknights - Prep a few veggies, do a quick sauté in your multicooker, then toss the lid on and let the pressure do its work. All in, you’re looking at just 15 minutes of active time and only 30 minutes till dinner is served!
- Rich & Creamy - Whole milk and a touch of cream make this cozy soup extra decadent.
- Hearty & Nourishing - Using chicken bone broth adds a nice dose of protein, plus there are tons of veggies in there to add fiber, vitamins, and minerals to every bite!
- Super Inexpensive - Potatoes are easily one of the cheapest forms of produce, all year round. I often turn to them as the base of my meals when the budget is extra tight! The remaining ingredients are also pretty inexpensive, so you can serve your family for under $2 per serving.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This gluten free potato soup recipe requires just a handful of simple ingredients. Here’s what to grab:
- Milk - I typically reach for whole milk for the added creaminess, but you’re welcome to use any percentage of dairy milk or unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk you prefer.
- Cornstarch - This is optional, but great if you prefer a chowder-like stew rather than a blended cream of potato-style soup. If you can’t do corn products, you’re welcome to swap in plain instant potato flakes, tapioca starch, rice starch, all-purpose flour, or arrowroot powder. Read the “optional variations” section below for proper measurements!
- Olive Oil - No need to bust out the fancy stuff; just your normal cooking oil is perfect here.
- Yellow Onion - This is my preferred choice for this loaded potato soup recipe, but red onion, white onion, or shallots will also work.
- Celery Stalk - Celery adds a lovely earthy, sweet, vegetal flavor. If your celery still has the leaves attached, you can chop them up and add them to the pot, too!
- Carrot - Any color of carrot will work beautifully. You can also swap in parsnips.
- Fresh Thyme - I still have an abundance of thyme growing in my herb garden, so fresh is easy and cheap to come by. If you need to use dried, simply cut back to about 1 ⅓ teaspoons.
- Garlic - Fresh is best, but jarred minced garlic or frozen garlic paste is an excellent shortcut to keep on hand for when you’re feeling pooped.
- Potatoes - I like to use a 50/50 mix of Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes here. Note that if you use all Yukon Gold (or another form of wax potatoes), you should mash rather than purée the soup to ensure it doesn’t get gummy.
- Chicken Bone Broth - I love swapping in bone broth for regular chicken broth to get an added boost of protein. You are welcome to swap in regular chicken broth if needed, or you can use veggie broth or stock if you prefer.
- Heavy Cream - You can use half-and-half to make it a little lighter, or swap in your favorite plant-based alternative.
- Kosher Salt & Pepper - Basic seasoning is always in style. Make sure to use freshly cracked black or white pepper for the most potent flavor.
Optional Toppings for Serving
To get the full loaded baked potato soup vibe, you’re gonna want to have a variety of toppings to add. Here are some of my favorites:
- Green Onions - I love the fresh bite of these vibrant alliums. Use both the whites and greens for the best of flavor and color.
- Bacon - Crisped up bacon bits are an essential part of the loaded baked potato experience. You’re welcome to swap in vegan or vegetarian bacon bits if you prefer!
- Melty Cheese - Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, or Smoked Gouda are all lovely options.
- Greek Yogurt - With a higher protein and lower calorie and fat count than sour cream, plain Greek yogurt seems like a no-brainer. Of course, you’re also welcome to use sour cream in your prefer.
- Fresh Herbs - I love cilantro or dill here, but parsley or extra fresh thyme are also great!
- Hot Sauce - In our house, a few dashes of Tabasco or Cholula is necessary for any creamy soup.
- Ghost Pepper Flakes - If you love spicy foods, these spice grinders from Trader Joe’s are the easiest way to pump up the heat.
How To Make Gluten-Free Potato Soup
This recipe for gluten free baked potato soup comes together in just a few simple steps:
Step 1: Prep. Whisk the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the milk to make a quick slurry. Set both milk and slurry aside.
Step 2: Cook Aromatics. Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Heat olive oil till beginning to bubble, then add mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery). Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes, until veggies are beginning to soften.
Step 3: Add garlic and thyme to Instant Pot, stirring to coat. Cook until fragrant, about a minute.
Step 4: Pressure Cook. Add bone broth (or stock) and potatoes, plus 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir to incorporate. Place lid on Instant Pot. Set to Manual/Pressure for 7 minutes, then do a quick release.* See note.
Step 5: Simmer. Remove lid and set Instant Pot to Sauté. Tip in milk, slurry and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Allow to come to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Step 6: Blend or Mash.
- Using an immersion blender: roughly blend while maintaining some chunks.
- Using a regular blender: blend about ½-¾ of the batch, then stir in the rest.
- Using a potato masher: mash the pot for about 5 minutes, until there are some chunks and some smooth parts.
Step 7: Serve. Scoop into bowls and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations
I love this gluten-free recipe for potato soup just the way it is written, but it’s SUPER flexible. Here are some fun ways to make it your own:
- Vegetarian - Making a creamy vegetarian potato soup is as simple as swapping in vegetable broth for the bone broth and omitting bacon from serving.
- Vegan/Dairy-Free - If you’d like to make a vegan creamy potato soup, swap in veggie broth and use the unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk and cream of your choice. For what it’s worth, I prefer oat milk for the creamiest gluten free dairy free potato soup.
- Chunky Chowder Style - The great thing about this Instant Pot potato soup is you can either purée it until it’s super creamy, leave it slightly chunky to make baked potato soup Outback-style, or leave it entirely chunky like a chowder. I’ve tried it all three ways and I prefer at least a little bit of texture. Feel free to make it your favorite way!
- Cornstarch-Free - Corn starch is an effective thickening agent, but if you're trying to avoid corn products, you can substitute:
- 6 tablespoon AP Flour - reduce initial pressure cook time to 6 minutes and increase simmer time to 10-15 minutes. This will not have as glossy of a finish, but should taste equally delicious.
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Arrowroot Flour - same cook times
- 2 teaspoons either Instant Potato Flakes, Tapioca Starch or Rice Starch - same cook times
Be sure that whatever ingredient you decide to use, you still add to a slurry. The amount of milk required to absorb the thickening agent will vary, but the total amount of milk added to the soup should remain constant.
Expert Tips
- If y'all don't drink much milk at home, I absolutely adore these little shelf-stable guys that you can buy at Costco or most major grocery stores. I actually fell in love with shelf stable dairy when I lived abroad in France and was pumped when the trend finally made it here to the States. They come in perfectly portioned single cup containers, so if you get a hankering for a homemade Starbucks latte or decide to make pudding or ice cream one night, you can just pull one from the pantry without risking a whole container going sour. And if you're very short on refrigerator space like we are, they're amazing. Oh, and the tetrapaks are recyclable, so they're quite sustainable. 🙌
- The quick release will release a lot of steam very quickly. Be sure to take the proper precautions to safeguard your skin and any cabinetry around. I like to keep a kitchen towel nearby to toss over the valve to keep it from steaming the underside of my cabinets.
- Use a mix of starchy & wax potatoes for the best consistency. I’ve made this soup with all Russets and all Yukon Golds, but I find a mix of the two yields the best results. If you use ONLY wax potatoes, avoid using a blender or immersion blender, as it can turn the soup slightly gummy.
- If you haven't yet jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon, get you one. Now. They're a gee-dang lifesaver on busy nights! I mean, have you ever once thought that something as creamy, delicious, hearty and filling as this soup could be on your dinner table in less than a half hour flat? Seriously, folks. At least put it on your holiday wish list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many recipes for potato soup add a roux (which is a mixture of butter and flour) as a thickener. I personally don’t think that potato soup needs it — potatoes are plenty starchy on their own! If you want added thickening power, I’ve included instructions on how to use gluten-free alternatives like cornstarch, instant potato flakes, or arrowroot powder instead.
It’s all about the potatoes! First, opt for a good blend of both starchy and waxy potatoes. If you use only wax potatoes, the consistency will end up gummier. Second, don’t overprocess the soup. If you’re using all waxy potatoes, I suggest using a potato masher rather than a blender or food processor.
Why, all the fixins, of course! We love to top ours with some grated cheddar , Cholula or Tabasco, sliced green onions and crumbled bacon. Feel free to dress it up however you like — cheese, sour cream, bacon, chives, green onions, chopped ham or turkey, hot sauce are all fair game.
Yes! To make this vegetarian, simply swap out the chicken bone broth for vegetable stock. These bacon bits are also totally vegetarian/vegan.
To make the soup vegan, swap in your favorite unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk and creamers. I prefer full-fat oat milk and Silk or Califia Farms brand whipping cream.
I personally like to use a half and half mix of russet potatoes and gold potatoes for a bit of textural interest. Be sure to thoroughly wash either kind of potato before prepping. Russets can be peeled if you prefer (I leave the skins on when I want extra fiber and/or am feeling lazy), while wax variety potatoes will just need to have eyes or any damage removed.
More Gluten-Free Instant Pot Recipes
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Loaded Instant Pot Gluten-Free Potato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 C Milk divided
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or Butter
- 1 large Yellow Onion medium chop
- 1 large Celery Stalk medium dice
- 1 large Carrot medium dice
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Thyme leaves only; can use heaping 1 teaspoon of dried thyme instead
- 3-5 cloves Garlic minced; can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder instead
- 2.5 pounds Potatoes large dice; see notes
- 4 C Chicken Bone Broth or substitute chicken or veggie stock or broth
- ½ C Heavy Cream or half-n-half
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper to taste
Optional Toppings
- Green Onions sliced thinly
- Bacon cooked & crumbled
- Cheddar, Jack, Pepper Jack, or Smoked Gouda freshly shredded
- Greek Yogurt or sour cream
- Cilantro
- Hot Sauce
- Ghost Pepper Flakes
Instructions
- Whisk the cornstarch with a few tablespoons of the milk to make a quick slurry. Set both milk and slurry aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté. Heat butter till beginning to bubble, then add mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery). Stir and cook for 5-8 minutes, until veggies are beginning to soften.
- Add garlic and thyme to Instant Pot, stirring to coat. Cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Add bone broth (or stock) and potatoes, plus 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt. Stir to incorporate.
- Place lid on Instant Pot. Set to Manual/Pressure for 7 minutes, then do a quick release.* See note.
- Remove lid and set Instant Pot to Sauté. Tip in milk, slurry and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Allow to come to a simmer and simmer for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
- Blend or Mash. Using an immersion blender: roughly blend while maintaining some chunks, or purée till smooth.Using a regular blender: blend about ½-¾ of the batch, then stir in the rest.Using a potato masher: mash the pot for about 5 minutes, until there are some chunks and some smooth parts.
- Scoop into bowls and top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Potato Variety: I like to use a 50/50 mix of Yukon Gold and Russet potatoes here. Note that if you use all Yukon Gold (or another form of wax potatoes), you should mash rather than purée the soup to ensure it doesn’t get gummy. Additionally, note that you don't have to peel Yukon Golds.
- The quick release will release a lot of steam very quickly. Be sure to take the proper precautions to safeguard your skin and any cabinetry around. I like to keep a kitchen towel nearby to toss over the valve to keep it from steaming the underside of my cabinets.
- Vegetarian - Making a creamy vegetarian potato soup is as simple as swapping in vegetable broth for the bone broth and omitting bacon from serving.
- Vegan/Dairy-Free - If you’d like to make a vegan creamy potato soup, swap in veggie broth and use the unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk and cream of your choice. For what it’s worth, I prefer oat milk for the creamiest gluten free dairy free potato soup.
- Chunky Chowder Style - The great thing about this Instant Pot potato soup is you can either purée it until it’s super creamy, leave it slightly chunky to make baked potato soup Outback-style, or leave it entirely chunky like a chowder. I’ve tried it all three ways and I prefer at least a little bit of texture. Feel free to make it your favorite way!
- Cornstarch-Free - Corn starch is an effective thickening agent, but if you're trying to avoid corn products, you can substitute:
- 6 tablespoon AP Flour - reduce initial pressure cook time to 6 minutes and increase simmer time to 10-15 minutes. This will not have as glossy of a finish, but should taste equally delicious.
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Arrowroot Flour - same cook times
- 2 teaspoons either Instant Potato Flakes, Tapioca Starch or Rice Starch - same cook times
Be sure that whatever ingredient you decide to use, you still add to a slurry. The amount of milk required to absorb the thickening agent will vary, but the total amount of milk added to the soup should remain constant.
Nicolle says
Hiya! You don’t say in The recipe itself to peel the outsides or how to cut them. And I didn’t see any measure of butter in the ingredient list. I improvised but wanted you to know!
Ash, The Grocery Addict says
Hi Nicolle! Thanks so much for pointing all that out—I've adjusted the recipe card to note that either olive oil or butter can be used and that potatoes should be diced large. There is a note in the recipe card re: peeling—you don't have to, but with some thick-skinned potato varieties you may want to. 💛