Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

If there's one soup you need to make this month, it's this Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon. 

Smooth and creamy, this full-flavoured paleo Potato Leek Soup with Bacon is a family favourite. All made in one pot, it's easy to prepare:  minimal chopping, it's quick to cook and there's only one pot to clean. A win-win!

It's like a fully-loaded baked potato in a bowl of soup.

I had to laugh while we had this for lunch recently. I suddenly realized that it was similar to a baked potato with "all the fixin's."

If you're anywhere near my age, you might remember how loaded baked potatoes were popular in restaurants. The server would come to your table with an assortment of toppings, usually sour cream, bacon bits, chives, and grated cheese for you to load up, or overload, your potato. That was on top of the melted butter that was already oozing its way into the oversized spud.

While loaded baked potatoes are no longer trendy in restaurants, we still love those flavours!

Besides the flavour, there's a lot to love about this Potato Leek Soup!

In particular, I love how easy it is to make! One pot, a quick sauté, then 22 minutes of cooking and steam release time while you make a spinach salad or some baking powder biscuits and clean up the kitchen. Then all this Instant Pot soup needs is a quick whir in the blender before it's ready to serve, piping hot.

Ready to make a pot of homemade soup? Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients for Potato Leek Soup

bacon:  nitrate-free, hormone-free bacon is readily available in supermarkets now.

leeks: 2 large ones

garlic: fresh is always best. You'll need 1 clove (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder if you don't have fresh.)

chicken broth: you'll need 4 cups, either homemade or store-bought.

potatoes:  Yukon gold or other creamy potato variety works well in this soup recipe.

flour:  for thickening the soup. Gluten-free flour works well, too.

milk:  heavy cream, half and half or any plant-based milk. I use almond milk or cashew milk.

salt and pepper: to taste

for garnish:  bacon bits, snipped chives, and/or a swirl of cream, yogurt or sour cream.

Potato Leek Soup is quick and easy to make!

1. Begin by using the sauté function on your Instant Pot to fry the bacon pieces. Once crisp, remove a few pieces to save to garnish the soup.
2. Next, add the leeks and sauté until tender but not browned.
3. Add the garlic, followed by the flour. Stir until the leeks and bacon are coated with flour before adding the broth, potatoes, salt and pepper.
4. Now it's time to pressure cook! Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the steam release button to Seal. Press cancel, then Manual and adjust the time to 7 minutes.
5. Once the time is up, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes, then manually release the remaining steam before opening the lid.
6. Stir in the milk or cream, then purée the soup with an immersion blender or by transferring to a blender or food processor.
7. Divide into bowls, garnish and serve!

No Instant Pot? No worries.

You can easily make this Potato Leek Soup on the stove top in a large, heavy-bottomed pot. Just follow the instructions below, but lengthen the cooking time, cooking until the potatoes are very tender before puréeing the soup.

However you decide to cook it, this soup is bound to become a favourite in your home, too!

Can I freeze this Potato Leek Soup?

Absolutely! This soup freezes well. Pour leftover soup into freezer containers, label and freeze, and you'll have lunch for another day. Thaw completely in the refrigerator, then gently reheat on the stove top or in a microwave.

What to serve with homemade soup

Try any of the following to round out your meal.

Super Seedy Snack Crackers--crunchy crackers, packed full of healthy seeds.

Herbed Gluten-Free Baking Powder Biscuits--simple to make with a handful of ingredients and a gluten-free flour mix.

Low-Carb Keto Mini Buns--These buns are quick and easy. Made with almond flour, they’re nutrient dense and filling but have a traditional bread-like texture.

Gluten-Free Cheesy Herb Cornbread--an easy recipe for gluten-free cornbread, baked in a skillet.

Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon

Smooth and creamy, this full-flavoured Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup with Bacon is one to make this month! Made with creamy yellow potatoes, leeks and bacon, it cooks quickly in an Instant Pot or on the stove top.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soups and Chowders

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 8 minutes

Cook Time: 22 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Flavour & Savour

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Immersion blender
• soup bowls

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, nitrate-free, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lb (2 large) potatoes, Yukon Gold or yellow potatoes, diced
• 2 tbsp gluten-free flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based milk, or heavy cream or half and half
• garnish options: crisp bacon bits, snipped chives, yogurt or sour cream drizzle

Instructions

• Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot. When it is hot, add the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until crisp. Once the bacon is crispy, remove a few pieces, drain on paper towel, and set aside for a garnish.
• Meanwhile, wash and slice the leeks into thin rounds. Add to the pot once the bacon is crisp. Cook until soft.
• Add garlic and cook for about a minute.
• Add the flour and stir until it is well mixed with the leeks and bacon.
• Stir in the chicken broth, salt, pepper and potatoes.
• Put the lid on. Set the steam release button to Seal. Press the Manual button and reduce (or increase) the time to 7 minutes by pressing the - or + key.
• Once the cooking cycle has finished, let the steam naturally release for 15 minutes. Manually release the remaining steam.
• Open the lid. Stir in the cream, milk or plant-based milk. Either use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer it to a blender. I like it left with a few small chunks instead of completely puréeing it.
• Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with a drizzle of sour cream or yogurt, fresh chives or green onions, and bacon bits.

Notes

Once the bacon is crispy, remove a few pieces, drain on paper towel, and set aside for a garnish.

Nutrition facts were calculated using unsweetened almond milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 1057mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 3g | Vitamin C: 29.6mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 4.4mg

Tried this recipe?Share a photo on INSTAGRAM and tag it #flavourandsavour! I love seeing what you've made.

This post was originally published in 2017. It has been updated with new information and photos.

I adapted this recipe slightly from The Simple Happy Foodie. See her original recipe here.

If you haven't jumped on the Instant Pot bandwagon, now might be the time! This is the one that I own. (affiliate link)

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