Potato Salad Soup
Do you ever look at the clock and suddenly realize its 5 o’clock and you haven’t given dinner a single thought? Yeah, me either *cough, cough*. To be fair, I love using my crock pot so much that I’m usually loaded and ready to go in the morning. But sometimes I get busy, or lose track of time, or I drive in from a 5 day visit to my parents and have no clue what to do about dinner. That’s where this surprise potato salad soup came from.
So here we are, it’s 5pm, I have no meat thawed and the only thing in abundance is potatoes. I’m somewhat conditioned to believe that dinner has to have meat, but from a nutritional standpoint there’s nothing wrong with vegetables. Although potatoes aren’t exactly a vegetable. Close enough, right?? But…if you make soup, you bypass the need for meat, or any other vegetable really. Because potato soup is a perfect meal all by itself!
Potatoes and Instant-Pot to the rescue. Let’s talk about this marvel that is the pressure cooker. I bought mine last year during Black Friday week on Amazon (get a 30 day trial for free) because the whole world was hyping them up. I went big and got an 8qt because I have several kids and a hungry husband. I love the convenience of dinner in about an hour with zero plans. However, I do have to say I wish it was easier to store in the cabinets! I keep it on top of my refrigerator, and I’m short so I have to climb Everest to get to it and put it away! But today it’s saving dinner, so I truly can’t complain! Supposedly it does a bunch of cool stuff I’ve never tried. I use it for soups and whole chickens.
But you’re just here for the potato soup! I see you giving me the side eye wondering, potato salad soup Stacey? What in the world is this? Does it have mayonnaise or apples? What southern sin have you broken in creating this recipe? Don’t worry, I just brought a little summer picnic flavor in the form of dill and mustard. So how do we do this? Well, dump the potatoes, butter, seasoning blend (frozen onions and peppers), salt, pepper, fennel seed, dry mustard, dill weed, garlic, and bay leaves in the pressure cooker. Pour vegetable broth over, close lid, set gauge to sealing, and set on soup (high pressure) for 10 minutes.
If you’re new to using an Instant-Pot, check out this article to get started.
When it comes to releasing pressure on the Instant Pot, I like to do some natural release, then switch to manual. Always use a pot-holder when moving the pressure release valve! Also be sure to turn it away from your upper cabinets so the steam doesn’t warp your wood!
Open pressure cooker and remove bay leaves. In blender, place milk and some cooked potatoes. Blend until smooth and return to pot. Add cheddar cheese and mix until well blended. Serve immediately.
If you enjoyed this potato salad soup, check out my Southwest Corn Chowder, featuring potatoes, corn, and bacon, or my family recipe for mashed potatoes.