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Thick, chunky and creamy at the same time, this simple Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup is the perfect cozy bowl you will love. About 15 minutes of prep and the rest is done by the Instant Pot!
Creamy, cozy and oh so very simple. Your pressure cooker does a whole lot of work for you with this Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup!
When the cold weather hits, the creamier the soup, the better. Comfort food is a bowl of cheesy potato soup. And it's even more comforting to know you didn't have to work so hard for it, right?!
I took for granted how incredible soup was growing up, so now it's time to make up for lost time! This soup and my Broccoli Cheddar Soup are on repeat these days!
This creamy potato soup is as easy as chopping and tossing in the ingredients--oh and just a touch of sautéing, but you won't even care, promise!
Grab the Instant Pot and maybe your favorite grilled cheese, and let's have some soup!
What you need to make this recipe:
- I use red potatoes in this Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup. I don't peel them but you are more than welcome to if you prefer.
- Leeks are super simple to cut, check out this video if you haven't used them before!
How to make this recipe:
After prepping all of the ingredients, you really just have to sauté the leeks and celery and from there you are just adding ingredients or stirring. It's pretty amazing!
Turn your Instant Pot to the "Sauté" setting and allow it to heat up. Heat your butter (or oil will work) until melted and add in the leeks and celery. Stir frequently. When celery and leeks begin to soften, add the garlic and stir in. Heat for another minute. (steps 1 and 2)
Turn the Instant Pot off and add in the broth, potatoes, and seasonings. Stir to combine. The broth should pretty much cover the potatoes or at least cover them almost completely. (steps 3-5)
Cover your Instant Pot and turn it to Pressure Cooking setting. (On mine it says "Manual" for pressure cooking option.) Set it to 10 minutes. Make sure the vent is sealed and you should be all set!
After the cycle is complete, do a quick release to allow the pressure to escape. (step 6)
Here's where things get realllllly good. Time for the cream and cheese!
Whisk together the corn starch and milk well until the corn starch is dissolved. Slowly pour the mixture into the pot and stir to fully combine. (step 7)
From there, stir in the heavy cream, cheese and sour cream. Stir until cheese is melted. You can serve it up from there or use an immersion blender to quickly blend the soup a bit (but not too much, cause we want some chunks, right?!)
Serve it up with all of your favorite toppings!
We love:
- more cheese (obviously)
- chives
- Fritos (trust me on this one!)
- Bacon
- and a side of fresh bread
Notes and Tips:
- You can use olive oil instead of the butter in this potato soup if you prefer. Either will work just fine.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can pour half of the soup into the blender and blend that half until smooth. Then pour it back into the pot and stir to combine.
- Sometimes I add more than just a cup of cheese, in this potato leek soup. Just depends on my mood. Cream based soups can be on the rich side so I like to start lower with the cheese and then add to my taste.
Check out these other cozy soup recipes:
- CHUNKY ITALIAN VEGETABLE SOUP
- SLOW COOKER CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP
- BLACK BEAN AND RICE SOUP
- MAPLE ROASTED SWEET POTATO CARROT SOUP
- SLOW COOKER SWEET POTATO CHILI
- PUMPKIN QUINOA CHILI
- TOMATO TORTELLINI SOUP
DID YOU MAKE ONE OF MY RECIPES? LEAVE A COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! I ALSO LOVE TO SEE YOUR LEMONS + ZEST RECIPES ON SOCIAL MEDIA–TAG ME @LEMONSANDZEST ON INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK!
Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
Ingredients
- 3 lb potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 large leeks, whites only, roughly chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ T butter (or olive oil)
- 4 c broth
- ½ teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 3 T corn starch
- 1½ c milk
- 1 c cheese
- ½ c sour cream
- ½ c heavy cream
- ¾ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Chop veggies and prep ingredients. Turn your Instant Pot to "Sauté" and allow it to heat up. Melt butter. Add in leeks and celery and heat for about 3-4 minutes or until slightly softened. Add in garlic and stir. Heat another minute.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and add in broth, scraping anything off of the bottom of the pot. Add the potatoes, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Close the Instant Pot and lock it. Make sure the vent is turned to "Sealing" and set it to pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the cycle is complete, do a quick release to allow pressure to escape. Remove the lid. Whisk together the milk and corn starch until corn starch is dissolved.
- Slowly pour the milk and corn starch mixture in and stir. Add the cream, sour cream and cheese and stir until cheese is melted. From there, use an immersion blender to blend the soup slightly, but not too much if your prefer your soup chunky! You can also use a blender to do this.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.
Notes
- You can use olive oil instead of the butter in this potato soup if you prefer. Either will work just fine.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can pour half of the soup into the blender and blend that half until smooth. Then pour it back into the pot and stir to combine.
- Sometimes I add more than just a cup of cheese, in this potato leek soup. Just depends on my mood. Cream based soups can be on the rich side so I like to start lower with the cheese and then add to my taste.
Nutrition
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Jen says
YES, thank you!! SO GOOD. I have never cooked with leeks before, so your recipe for this soup is what brought me here. I used a can of coconut milk instead of of corn starch, cheese, milk, sour cream and heavy cream. Wanted you to know it comes out delish!! I def plan to try your recommendations of bacon and Frito toppings, thanks again for the inspiration.
Lorie says
Oh that is so awesome to hear!!! Thanks for the info and so glad you enjoyed it Jen!