This is how to make potato soup with frozen hash browns in Instant Pot. Cheesy with bacon bits or ham, you have to make this for dinner tonight. If you loved our Crockpot Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns this is how to make it fast!
If you have ever had this at Longhorn Steakhouse and wanted to make it yourself you are in luck! Here we show you how to make this as an easy Instant Pot recipe or in your Ninja Foodi with the lid that is not attached.
At the very beginning of our pressure cooker journey I made this version of Instant Pot Potato Cheese Soup. With that one I used fresh diced russet potatoes. Though that is wonderful I don’t always have the energy or produce in my house to start from scratch so here we share how to do the same thing with a bag of frozen shredded potatoes.
Should you defrost frozen hashbrowns to make potato soup?
Not in this case. Actually you want to keep them hard to start with so they don’t completely disintegrate when cooked using high pressure. We share all sorts of different ways of How to Cook Frozen Hash Browns here, this is the quickest and most creative of them all though.
Ingredient Notes
You will want to add some salted butter to help make it super creamy. My favorite is Kerrygold. If you needed a dairy free alternative, Country Crock has one but you would want to add a pinch of salt with that one.
Diced onions are optional but we like white cut fine so they get nice and soft under high pressure but lend a great flavor to the dish.
Chicken broth is way better than water for the necessary liquid needed to make this into a soup. Use less or more depending on how thick you prefer it to become.
Then the magic ingredients is using a bag of frozen hash browns, 32 oz. is best, right out of the bag. I have used store brand and Ore Ida and there isn’t much of a difference.
A can of Campbell’s cheddar cheese soup is another surprising element that makes this easy with fewer ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste
And I will typically add a bit of cream cheese, cubed, used to thicken it up and continue with more creaminess.
To make this dairy free with the cheeses you can find products that are lactose free, Daiya and Lactaid have options at the store for that. You could leave that out entirely though if you just wanted a creamy plain version more similar to our Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup.
What can you use other than cheddar cheese soup?
If you still want a creamy thick outcome to your dish go ahead and use another flavor. Cream of potato in this case would be the best substitution but cream of chicken soup or mushroom variety would work as well. Just swap out your fave and no other alterations are necessary.
How Long to Cook Potato Soup with Frozen Hash browns
This is the fastest method by far cooking in just 3 minutes on low pressure, or high for 2 minutes. When cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. If you made this on the stove it would take closer to 30 minutes over medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes.
FAQ
If your electric pressure cooker doesn’t have a low-pressure button, you can still make adjustments to cook your food properly at high pressure by modifying the time a bit, by reducing the cooking time by about 25-30%. Allow the pressure cooker to cool and release pressure naturally after cooking. This slower release can help prevent overcooking and maintain texture
That depends on the result you want when it is done. If you want a chunky texture you would want to use the small diced pieces. Shredded will break down more easily and become pretty smooth so there isn’t much chunk or texture to those.
First off it will thicken as it cools so allow it to sit uncovered for a good 15 minutes and then check the texture again. If it is still too thin you can saute, in a bowl mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or all-purpose flour with cold water or broth to make a smooth slurry and whisk that in. A bit of mashed potatoes works great for potato soup, or use a dollop of sour cream.
To pressure cook food in the Ninja Foodi multi-cooker you will want to use the one that is not attached. Leave the other one up and once your food is added, snap that one on and close the steam valve on top before setting the cook time. This will cook quickly under high pressure for creamy results.
Instant Pot Potato Soup with Frozen Hash browns
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup onion
- 4 cup chicken broth
- 1 bag frozen hashbrowns, 32 oz, kept frozen
- 1 can cheddar cheese soup, or cream of potato or mushroom instead if you don't want cheesy
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 oz cream cheese, cubed
- 1.5 cup cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
Instructions
- Add butter and onion to the instant pot and saute until butter is melted and cooking onions until tender. Add broth, soup, spices and frozen hash browns and stir well.
- Place the lid on the electric pressure cooker and seal shut. Set to manual, low pressure for 3 minutes. (or high for 2 minutes if you don't have low)
- When cooking is complete, let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Open the pot and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese and cream cheese. Mix until completely melted. Serve topped with remaining shredded cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ninja Foodi Potato Soup with Frozen Hashbrowns
If you wanted to make this as one of our Ninja Foodi recipes you could. Use the lid that is not attached and the pressure cook button on the front, you won’t need the other unless you wanted to melt an additional layer of cheese on the top at the end.
