Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup

Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup is a savory, thick soup made creamy with Yukon Gold potatoes and thickened with starchy russet potatoes, a healthy serving of ham and a bit of cheese. You’ll love how easy this Instant Pot Potato Soup Recipe is to make! Hearty and delicious, it’s an easy weeknight meal!

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First Published: January 14, 2018… Last Updated: April 23, 2019

Instant Pot Ham and Potato Soup

I have a new edition to the blog that I’m really excited to share with you. It’s all about pressure cooking! Have you heard of an Instant Pot? It’s the latest thing in cooking, and I’m not a person to jump on the band-wagon, but I love this piece of equipment.

< Let me tell you the story behind the story…

I received my pressure cooker, an Instant Pot as a gift in September. It’s a sharp-looking piece of equipment and I proudly set it out on my countertop to display it because it is shiny and pretty…. and there it sat for two months.

I was afraid to try it.

Pressure cooking = scary, right? I contacted a colleague and she gave me two super easy recipes to try, one was for Meatballs in Gravy and Instant Pot Taco Pasta. My theory was making these recipes would take away the “fear” associated with using a pressure cooker!

And it worked!

The recipes turned out great and I was proud that I gave it a try! Then I promptly displayed it on the cupboard for another two months until Thanksgiving Day….

On Thanksgiving, while the stuffing was baking in the oven, I heard a loud POP!!! Then three beeps from my oven. I walked over to the oven and realized somehow the broiler had turned on all by itself….

And the oven door locked itself….

And the cancel button on the front of the oven would not turn the oven off!

Dan was off to get his Mom. I was home by myself. Frankly I panicked. Especially as I watched the casserole inside the oven go from golden brown to black and begin to smoke.

Should I call the fire department?

I did the only thing I could think of – I ran to the breaker box and shut off the power to the kitchen. Thankfully it worked!

Dead oven.

The motherboard was fried….literally. We were lucky the house didn’t burn down.

Long story short, it took five long weeks to get the oven repaired. In that time I decided it was time to figure out this whole instant pot pressure cooker thing!

Ham and Potato Soup Instant Pot

The most popular soup on the blog is my Vegetarian Potato Soup and I decided since it’s such a favorite, it would be perfect to share a meaty potato soup recipe with you first!

I think you’re really going to love it!

Instant Pot Potato Soup – grocery list

• russet potatoes
• yukon gold potatoes
• onions
• celery
• ham
• cheese
• chicken stock
• garlic
• salt
• pepper
• half and half (or substitute milk or cream)
• olive oil
• Tabasco sauce (optional)

No pressure cooker, no instant pot? No problem, you can make this on the stovetop or in your slow cooker.

What’s the advantage of the pressure cooker? It cuts the cooking time in half! Unlike the slow cooker, everything doesn’t turn into a mushy paste without texture!

Does ham and potato soup freeze well?

Sadly no, this soup is best even while it’s fresh. Freezing the soup changes the texture and makes it mealy. Plan accordingly when you’re making this meal.

How do you thicken this soup?

The starch in the potatoes will thicken the soup. There’s no need to add flour or cornstarch!

What do you eat with potato soup?

A simple grilled cheese is a great pairing with this meal. As is this Steakhouse Salad or Spinach Garbanzo Bean Salad – the bright flavors are a great combination!

Potato Soup with Ham – Tips

• use a mixture of potatoes when making this soup
• the starch in russet potatoes will thicken the soup and
• Yukon gold potatoes add a creamy texture

Step by step directions to make soup

Because this is a new venture for me (and quite possibly for you!) Here are step-by-step directions so you can easily make this at home.

• Turn the Instant Pot on sauté. Allow to heat one minute. Add the diced onion, celery and potatoes. Sauté for two minutes.

• Add the garlic, salt and pepper, stir well – saute for another 30 seconds. Add the ham and chicken stock. Stir well.
• Add the lid to the Instant Pot. Seal completely. Turn the vent to seal. Change setting to steam and set the timer to 11 minutes.
• When the timer goes off. Do a quick release. Allow all of the steam to release.

• When the steam is completely released, remove the lid. Add the cheese and half and half. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes until the soup is the consistency you desire.

If you’re looking for a creamy, thick and savory soup this is a delicious meal! The Yukon Gold potatoes offer a creamy texture and the starch from the russet potato help thicken this soup.

Using an old fashion potato masher ensures you still have some texture. With a healthy serving of ham with a bit of cheese, this is an easy soup to make!

More of my favorite potato recipes!

• Roasted Radishes Recipe with Potatoes
• Pressure Cooker Baked Potatoes
• 4 Ingredient Candied Sweet Potatoes
• Loaded Potato Soup Recipe

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If you’re looking for a pressure cooker, here’s the one I have!

< If you love this as much as we do, be sure to leave a five star rating below! I reply to every comment on the blog and I’d appreciate to hear what you think of this recipe!

If you make this, be sure to tag me on Instagram @bowl_me_over or use the hashtag #bowlmeover – that’s me!