Whole30 Potato Soup {Instant Pot Potato Soup}
A cozy bowl of comfort food, Whole30 Potato Soup is a healthy and simple dinner. This dairy-free potato soup one of the easiest and most delicious soup recipes you’ll ever make! Instant Pot potato soup is a fast weeknight meal.
Having a wood stove means we jump on firewood deals when we find them. Well, we found one, but it took Troy three trips in his truck to get all the wood home. It gets dark in Seattle at 4:30 pm from November through February. Whomp whomp.
Thankfully my belief in dinner prep paid off, and everything for this soup was already chopped and ready to be thrown into the Instant Pot. Before I could finish picking all the splinters out of my hands, this Whole30 Potato Soup was done. Finished. Finito. Potatitio?
I’m not sure about you, but potato soup is on my top five favorite comfort foods list (also on that list? Whole30 Tomato Soup Vegan Butternut Squash Soup, and Paleo Chicken Pot Pie Soup). Creamy goodness, bacon, and something hot to warm you up after your evening of lumberjacking.
Plaid is the new chevron.
Soup is pretty much my favorite thing. Whole30 soups are so delicious, comforting, and healthy that I actually put together a guide on 15 Whole30 Soups to keep you warm and cozy.
If you are new to pressure cooking and the Instant Pot, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners. As always there are non-Instant Pot instructions included in the printable recipe.
What Ingredients Are in Whole30 Potato Soup?
The ingredients are very simple and incredibly humble. But when cooked the correct way, they become potato-flavored magic.
- Potatoes! I prefer plain ol’ Russets (organic if it fits your budget)
- Ghee (use olive oil to make it vegan or dairy-free)
- Onion & garlic
- Broth – veggie or chicken (try homemade chicken bone broth)
- Milk of choice (favorite dairy-free or regular milk if not Whole30/dairy-free. I used Nut Pods original)
- Toppings – bacon, green onions/chives. Shredded cheese if you’re not Whole30/dairy-free.
If you don’t want to make your own homemade bone broth, check out this post on where to buy bone broth. In a very dorky move on my part, I’ve created a free download where you can compare protein and sodium content as well as the price per ounce for various brands. #nerdalert
Where Do You Get Whole30 Compliant Bacon?
Whole30, paleo, and sugar-free bacon can be challenging to find, so I have rounded up all the Whole30 bacon brands out there. Yah welcome.
And if you enjoy being smart and efficient (and you do), you’ll want to bake up a bunch of bacon at once in the oven to keep in the fridge/freezer.
How to Make Dairy-Free Potato Soup
*Detailed and printable recipe card is available at the bottom of this post (and slow cooker and stove top instructions too. Booyah!)
Melt the ghee (or olive oil) on Saute in your Instant Pot and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook down for a few minutes.
Add in the potatoes and broth. Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>6 minutes. <—–If you have any questions about those terms, check out this post on recipes for Instant Pot beginners.
After it finishes cooking, perform a quick release and wait for it to depressurize.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to your preferred thickness. I prefer to leave some chunks of potato in there. Add the milk, salt, and pepper. Stir.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You don’t have to the peel the potatoes but it will alter the appearance quite a bit if you don’t.
- White and yellow onions are best, as red (c’mon, we know they’re really purple) will make your dairy-free potato soup an odd pink hue. Call it unicorn soup and really sell it to your kids.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the soup in batches to a blender. Remove the middle part of the lid and place a towel over it. This will allow some of the steam to escape and won’t blow open the lid.
Other Whole30 + Paleo Soup Recipes
Check out my entire Instant Pot Soup Recipes category, and these other great soup recipes:
- Instant Pot Paleo French Onion Soup {Dairy-Free}
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Chipotle Instant Pot Turkey Chili {Whole30, Paleo, Dairy-Free}
- Whole30 Beef Stew
- 14 Easy Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings (not Whole30 compliant)
Cozy up to a bowl of this soup at the end of the next cold and blustery day. Hauling firewood, splinters, and spiders aren’t required experiences to enjoy Whole30 Potato Soup, but the hint of danger definitely adds a flavor boost.
Whole30 Potato Soup Weight Watchers Points
One serving of Whole30 Potato Soup has 3 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Making this recipe or others?
Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #sustainablecooks. I can't wait to see your take on it!
A cozy bowl of comfort food, Whole30 Potato Soup is a healthy and simple dinner. Instant Pot potato soup is a fast weeknight meal.
- 8 cups Russet potatoes peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 onion preferably white or yellow, sliced
- 4 tbsp ghee, butter, olive oil
- 4.5 cups chicken stock try homemade
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1-2 cups milk of choice Nutpods original for Whole30
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups Russet potatoes peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 onion preferably white or yellow, sliced
- 4 tbsp ghee, butter, olive oil
- 3 cups chicken stock try homemade
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 1-2 cups milk of choice Nutpods original for Whole30
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Peel and chop your potatoes. The smaller you cut them, the faster they will cook.
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter/add the olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the potatoes, garlic, and onions, and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
Add the broth, and bring the spuds and onions to a boil, and boil until they have softened further. If you prefer a thicker soup, reduce the broth by 1/2 cup.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to your preferred thickness. I like to leave some chunks of potato in there. Slowly stir in milk until the consistency is to your liking. Stir. Cook down for another 5 minutes.
Melt the ghee (or olive oil) on Saute in your Instant Pot and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook down for a few minutes. Press Keep Warm/Off.
Add the potatoes and broth. Lock the lid into place and set the steam release handle (valve on top) to “Sealing”. Press Manual>High Pressure>6 minutes.
When the time is up, carefully do a manual release. Be patient, it takes up to 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup to your preferred thickness. I prefer to leave some chunks of potato in there. Slowly stir in milk until the consistency is to your liking. Stir.
Add potatoes, onions, and garlic and cover with chicken stock. Cook on low for 6 hours. (No ghee or olive oil is needed for the slow cooker version).
Blend the softened potatoes with an immersion blender or carefully transfer to a blender.
Add the milk, salt, and pepper.
If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer the soup in batches to a blender. Remove the middle part of the lid and place a towel over it. This will allow some of the steam to escape and won't blow open your lid.
You don't have to the peel the potatoes but it will alter the appearance quite a bit if you don't.
White and yellow onions are best, as red will make your dairy-free potato soup an odd pink hue.
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I see that it says to do a manual release for the Instant Pot version. Is this the equivalent of a “quick release”? Will the potato soup spray out? I have seen some horror videos on YouTube about this for soups and pastas!
Hi Aidan, yes, manual and quick release are the same thing. I’ve never had soup spray out every when making this, and I even just made it on Thursday.
That being said, if you have a 3 quart, I would allow it to do a natural release. There is less space in a 3 quart and the soup would be closer to the lid.
“After it finishes cooking, perform a quick release” that’s what she said!
Leeks are also a delicious addition to potato soup! I’m hoping to get a instant pot soon (thank you income tax return!) I’m def going to be stalking your site for all the instant pot tips and recipes!
Ha, total missed opportunity for me!
Excited for you to get an Instant Pot! Given the crew you have to cook for, I would go for the 8 quart.
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Made this tonight. I learned that should definitely peel the potatoes (as instructed) if I don’t want it to look like prison gruel, but boy did it taste good! Love the healthier take on a favorite comfort food.
Eating with your eyes closed can be an adventure, so prison gruel be damned! So glad you liked the soup my friend!
This was so good. Great taste and texture. I didn’t miss the heavy cream or cream cheese that potato soup often calls for.
So glad you enjoyed it Mia! We’re also having it again this week and I’m looking forward to it.
I love a good soup on a cold day. This didn’t disappoint!
So good. I did the instant pot version. Easy and fast.
I’ve mafe this several times for my kids. They love it. My kids call it Mashed Potato Soup. I also add corn after blending the potatoes!
You just listed this as you meal plan for the week of Nov 16-22 2015, and as I have a huge thing of potatoes that need to be eaten up and some cashew milk that needs to be consumed, I do believe we are having this for supper. Maybe I’ll even go crazy and make some homemade biscuits or something to go with it.
Thanks for being so awesome!
Try slicing the potatoes in rounds next time and see what you think – I aim for about 3/8″. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but 1/4″ is too thin and 1/2″ is too thick. No need to bust out the calipers, though. I saw it on America’s Test Kitchen, and didn’t believe it, so I tried it. They really do cook super fast & evenly that way. AND, it doesn’t take as long to prepare. 🙂
I made your soup and it was AWESOME! My son even took leftovers in his lunch today! I linked your recipe and blog on my blog in hopes of sending more traffic your way!
Thank you Margareta! I appreciate it, and am so glad you guys liked it.
I made this for a birthday lunch at work today, and several coworkers told me it was the best potato soup they’d ever had! Good recipe, thanks for sharing.
Yippee!! Glad it was well-received.
Made this last night and it is WONDERFUL! I just used my regular old beater to puree the veggies in the pot, then added finely chopped ham I’m still working on from New Year’s. So easy and so wonderful! With every bite I kept saying “I can’t believe how rich and tasty this is!” Hubby loved it too. Definitely a keeper and I am certainly going to try your crock pot stock idea too. So glad I stumbled on to your blog.
Glad to hear it! I love that the “cream” of this soup is actually based on a veggie and not something heavier.
Crockpot stock is where it’s at.
I wonder if there’s a way this could be done without a blender or immersion blender. Perhaps mash everything through a strainer? I’ve never had soup like that (actually, I dont know how to and have never attempted to make any sort of soup besides canned!), but this one really sounds yummy… definitely bacon.
I think if you’d let everything bake down more until very soft, you could mash it up. I’d probably add a bit more milk because the soup will be quite chunky.
Thank you! This recipe sounds “lighter” but still creamy and tasty. I with ya, too on the homemade stock. No comparison to store-bought. I’m lucky enough to have some in my freezer now from chickens I raised myself. No question about how they were fed/medicated/mistreated!
Yep, it is lighter; you use the potatoes to build the bulk, and yet it still crazy rich (tasting).
Loving the homemade stock. It’s practically free! I’m impressed you raise your own chickens for meat!
I love baked potato soup! I haven’t made it in years. I will be making it tonight, thank you! 🙂
Sounds yummy. I will have to try it!
I JUST made this for dinner 2 nights ago. So good! I even fried the potato skins in a little bit of the bacon drippings for a little potato skin chip!
Did you put those crispy bits on the top of the soup? Or just eat them by the handful (as I would do)?
Sounds delicious!
Will have to try this. I made potato soup over the weekend and the recipe was very heavy in calories. Thank you for the recipe! BTW I got a Dutch oven for Christmas and Love it!
Have you named her (the dutch oven) yet? She needs a name!