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. It’s easy to make, hearty and delicious! This is an easy weeknight meal! First Published: January 14,2018… Last Updated: April 23, 2019

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Hearty and delicious this soup is a quick and easy recipe made in the pressure cooker.

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.

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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?  Scroll to the bottom and click the link to check it out!

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!

This soup is thick and savory and a wonderful meal. Great dinner idea for tonight!

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!

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!

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 ham and potato 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 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 made in the Instant Pot or Stove – soup is good food!

More of my favorite potato recipes!

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

Some of the items below contain affiliate links; I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. However, I only promote things that I love and think you will love, too. For more information, please see my Disclosure Policy.

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

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

Print Recipe

5 from 11 votes

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!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time11 mins

Total Time21 mins

Course: Lunch or Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Asparagus Soup Recipe, Savory

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 383kcal

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

• Clean and peel the russet potatoes, diced into a one inch dice. Set aside
• Clean the yukon gold potatoes. Dice into one inch sized dice. Set aside
• Clean and dice the onion and celery, mince the garlic.
• 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.
• 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 and seal. Turn the vent to the seal position. Change setting to steam and set the timer to 11 minutes.
• When the timer goes off. Do a quick release by opening the vent valve. 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 they are the consistency you desire.
• 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!

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

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 707mg | Potassium: 1162mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7.6% | Vitamin C: 21.9% | Calcium: 27.1% | Iron: 21.5%