The Key Tip For Making Potato Soup In Your Instant Pot

The Instant Pot is the countertop savior of many busy people trying to get dinner on the table, make the school run, and maintain sanity. These appliances can do many things for which we would otherwise need to stand over a stove; they're lifesavers. Besides time savers, a lot of recipes turn out pretty great when made in an Instant Pot, which is why they're such a popular kitchen accessory despite sales slowing post-pandemic. However, one point of frustration might be that your regular recipes don't always turn out right when made in the Instant Pot.

When making soups in the Instant Pot, like a silky-smooth potato soup, you might end up with something that's a bit too soupy for your liking. The solution is to add less liquid before locking the lid on, whether it's broth, stock, or plain water. If you're following a recipe that hasn't been converted for use with an Instant Pot, you should be aware of how much liquid you're adding.

When cooking soups in your Instant Pot, reduce the liquid for your soup recipes. This is because an Instant Pot is basically an electric pressure cooker. The food cooks in a closed environment – any liquid you put in the pot stays in the pot instead of evaporating away as it would on the stovetop. This includes any water released by ingredients and any liquid not absorbed by starchy ingredients like rice or pasta. So, if you open the lid to your Instant Pot expecting a glorious, thick potato soup but are met with a thinner consistency, this is why.

You can fix this if it happens by turning on the sauté mode and letting the soup reduce with the lid off. If it's still not to your liking or you're in a time crunch, the easiest way to thicken your soup is with a slurry of cold water and flour or cornstarch. The next time you make your potato soup recipe, only add half the stock or broth that the recipe calls for. If that's still too much, reduce it by half again until you get your desired results.

Many of the recipes we use on the stovetop aren't directly compatible with an Instant Pot without some tweaking. If the recipe requires anything browned or crisp, it won't work because the Instant Pot cooks using moist heat, not dry like sautéing. However, if you're craving something that simmers or stews, the Instant Pot is the ideal tool. You should also be mindful of timing. If you've converted a recipe that specifies a cook time, aim for a third of that. If it's not enough time, it's easy to add more minutes to the clock.

As for specific ingredients, there are definitely things you should never cook in your Instant Pot. Take care with ingredients like fish, watery vegetables, and dairy. Delicate foods can fall apart in the pressure cooker and even easily overcook, and dairy will curdle at high temperatures. Add any dairy at the end of cooking to prevent curdling.

You can test your own recipes in the Instant Pot until you come up with something you like. It may take a few tries, but you'll end up with something that you know works well in the Instant Pot and tastes good. If all else fails, find tested Instant Pot recipes from sources you find reliable, such as the Instant Pot website or your favorite food blogger.