Instant Pot Recipe for Potato Soup with Ham

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

Potato Soup with ham is a savory, hearty delicious bowl of soup made in the Instant Pot or your pressure cooker.

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.

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker – want to purchase your own? Click here for more information (affiliate link)

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. Making these recipes would take away the “fear” associated with using a pressure cooker.

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 cooking our holiday meal I heard a loud POP and 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!

I’m so glad I was forced into learning this piece of equipment, haha!

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!

Potato Soup with Ham – grocery list

• russet potatoes
• yukon gold potatoes
• onions
• celery
• ham
• cheese

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!

A delicious hearty bowl of Potato Soup with Ham ready in just minutes in the Instant Pot

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 direction to make potato 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.

Add the vegetables to the Instant Pot

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

Next the ham goes in.

• 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.

Mash the potato soup until it is creamy.

• 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!

Potato Soup with Ham

5 from 11 votes

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Potato Soup with Ham

Potato Soup with Ham is a savory, thick soup made creamy with Yukon Gold potatoes and thickened with starchy russet potatoes, a healthy serving of ham with a bit of cheese, it's an easy soup to make!

Course Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 11 minutes

Total Time 21 minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 383 kcal

Author Souper Chef Deb

Ingredients

• 3 pounds russet potatoes
• 1 pound yukon gold potatoes
• 1 onion yellow onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
• 1/2 cup half and half you can substitute milk or cream
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp tabasco sauce optional

Instructions

1. Clean and peel the russet potatoes, diced into a one inch dice. Set aside

2. Clean the yukon gold potatoes. Dice into one inch sized dice. Set aside

3. Clean and dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic.

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

5. Add the garlic, salt and pepper, stir well - saute for another 30 seconds. Add the ham and chicken stock. Stir well.

6. Add the lid to the Instant Pot and seal. Turn the vent to the seal position. Change setting to steam and set the timer to 11 minutes.

7. When the timer goes off. Do a quick release by opening the vent valve. Allow all of the steam to release. 

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

9. Check the seasoning. You may need to add an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add Tabasco sauce if desired. Stir again, serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

• This is a full pot of soup! Please keep in mind the Instant Pot will take several minutes to come to pressure 10-15 mins. and another 5-10 mins. to release pressure at the end of the cooking time and plan your meal accordingly. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts

Potato Soup with Ham

Amount Per Serving

Calories 383 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 46mg 15%

Sodium 707mg 29%

Potassium 1162mg 33%

Total Carbohydrates 45g 15%

Dietary Fiber 4g 16%

Sugars 4g

Protein 18g 36%

Vitamin A 7.6%

Vitamin C 21.9%

Calcium 27.1%

Iron 21.5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Potato Soup with Ham is a savory, thick soup made creamy with Yukon Gold potatoes and thickened with starchy russet potatoes, a healthy serving of ham with a bit of cheese, it’s an easy soup to make and so delicious!