Instant Pot (or not) Baked Potato Soup
with tart apple and spinach salad
It's been a few years since we featured this satisfying soup (back in 2015), but it's a favorite this time of year. We've updated it with Instant Pot steps for even more low maintenance cooking. A green salad adds fresh flavors and crunch on the side.
Tags
Ingredients
Baked Potato Soup:
- Onions - 1/2, chopped
- Green onions - 3 stalks, chopped, white and green parts separate
- Bacon - 6 strips, chopped
- Potatoes, russet - 1 1/2 lbs, peeled and cubed
- Cheese, cheddar - 4 oz, grated
- Flour, all-purpose or whole wheat - 3 Tbsp
- Thyme, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Stock, any type - 6 cups
- Sour cream - 1/3 cup + 1/3 cup (sub plain or Greek yogurt)
Tart Apple and Spinach Salad:
- Shallots - 1/2 clove, thinly sliced
- Vinegar, red or white wine - 1 Tbsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1 tsp
- Honey - 1 tsp
- Oil, olive - 3 Tbsp
- Apples, any tart, green-skinned variety - 1, sliced
- Baby spinach - 5 oz
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:
1 serving
Servings Per Recipe
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories
660
Just a moment...
% Daily Value
Total Fat
35g
53%
Just a moment...
Saturated Fat
5g
27%
Just a moment...
Trans Fat
0g
Just a moment...
Cholesterol
25mg
8%
Just a moment...
Sodium
1017mg
42%
Just a moment...
Total Carbohydrate
61g
20%
Just a moment...
Dietary Fiber
5g
19%
Just a moment...
Sugars
15g
Just a moment...
Protein
27g
Just a moment...
Prep
- Onions / Green onions / Bacon - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Potatoes - Peel potatoes and cut into large cubes. (If doing this more than an hour ahead, soak in a bowl of water to prevent potatoes from turning brown.)
- Cheese - Grate cheese. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Slow cook soup: Heat a skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep ~2 Tbsp (30 ml) of fat in the pan and drain the rest. Add onions, white parts of green onions (reserve the green parts), and some salt and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour and thyme and saute until vegetables are coated. Combine onion mixture with potatoes and stock in the bowl of a slow-cooker. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours or low for 7 to 8 hours, until potatoes are tender.
- Make dressing - Slice shallots. Combine with vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Apples - Slice apples.
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Make
- When soup is finished cooking, add first part of sour cream and blend with an immersion blender until it reaches preferred consistency (either completely smooth or with some pieces of potato remaining). Season with some salt and pepper.
- Toss spinach and apples in dressing.
- Serve soup with cheese, bacon, remaining sour cream, and green parts of green onions on top. Enjoy with salad on the side!
Prep
- Onions / Green onions / Bacon - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Potatoes - Peel potatoes and cut into large cubes. (If doing this more than an hour ahead, soak in a bowl of water to prevent potatoes from turning brown.)
- Cheese - Grate cheese. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Make dressing - Slice shallots. Combine with vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Apples - Slice apples.
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Make
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep ~2 Tbsp (30 ml) of fat in the pan and drain the rest.
- To heated Dutch oven, add onions, white parts of green onions, and some salt and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add flour and thyme and saute until vegetables are coated. Add potatoes and stock. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, ~20 minutes.
- When soup is finished cooking, add first part of sour cream and blend with an immersion blender until it reaches preferred consistency (either completely smooth or with some pieces of potato remaining). Season with some salt and pepper.
- Toss spinach and apples in dressing.
- Serve soup with cheese, bacon, remaining sour cream, and green parts of green onions on top. Enjoy with salad on the side!
Prep
- Onions / Green onions / Bacon - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Potatoes - Peel potatoes and cut into large cubes. (If doing this more than an hour ahead, soak in a bowl of water to prevent potatoes from turning brown.)
- Cheese - Grate cheese. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
- Make dressing - Slice shallots. Combine with vinegar, mustard, honey, and olive oil. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
- Apples - Slice apples.
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Make
- Turn on the simmer function of an Instant Pot. Add bacon and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep ~2 Tbsp (30 ml) of fat in the pot and drain the rest.
- To heated Instant Pot, add onions, white parts of green onions (reserve the green parts), and some salt and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add flour and thyme and saute until vegetables are coated.
- Add potatoes and stock (reduce liquid by 10-20% to account for lack of evaporation in the Instant Pot). Be sure to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan (this will help to avoid the burn error).
- Turn off simmer function and allow to cool for a minute or two. Close and lock the lid. Set the pressure valve to 'Sealing'.
- Cook soup on manual / high pressure for 8 minutes. Let pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then manually release any remaining pressure.
- When soup is finished cooking, add first part of sour cream and blend with an immersion blender until it reaches preferred consistency (either completely smooth or with some pieces of potato remaining). Season with some salt and pepper.
- Toss spinach and apples in dressing.
- Serve soup with cheese, bacon, remaining sour cream, and green parts of green onions on top. Enjoy with salad on the side!
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size:
1 serving
Servings Per Recipe
4
Amount Per Serving
Calories
660
Just a moment...
% Daily Value
Total Fat
35g
53%
Just a moment...
Saturated Fat
5g
27%
Just a moment...
Trans Fat
0g
Just a moment...
Cholesterol
25mg
8%
Just a moment...
Sodium
1017mg
42%
Just a moment...
Total Carbohydrate
61g
20%
Just a moment...
Dietary Fiber
5g
19%
Just a moment...
Sugars
15g
Just a moment...
Protein
27g
Just a moment...
Reviews
Ratings
44 reviews
9 cups of stock for 6 servings sounded a bit much, so I cut it down it ~4 (also because I couldn't fit more into the slow cooker). Consistency was good, but missed something.
0 HelpfulFollowing other suggestions I did not make this in the instant pot for fear of disaster! Made it in the crockpot and cut down the stock slightly, it was very easy to make but without the added extras of bacon chives sour cream etc., it would’ve been pretty bland. Served with the side salad and fresh bread that I had baked that day
0 Helpful