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Instant Pot Kale Potato Soup

By Deryn Macey

4.42 from 24 votes

on Sep 24, 2019, Updated Jul 18, 2024

This healthy Instant Pot Kale Potato Soup is easy to make in 30 minutes for a nourishing plant-based meal.

This simple, creamy potato soup is easy to make in an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker. This method takes just as long as stovetop but the set-it-and-forget-it factor can’t be beat. You can find stovetop instructions below as well though.

This soup is completely vegan as well as naturally gluten-free, oil-free, sugar-free and low in fat.

Kale Potato Soup Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this soup:

1. Onion, garlic, carrot and celery. These veggies add flavour to the soup. If you’re missing carrot or celery, no big deal. You can use either or, if needed. Onion and garlic are a must!
2. Herbs. You’ll need dried parsley, thyme and oregano to add the perfect savory flavor.
3. Yukon gold or red potatoes. Different varieties of potatoes have different starch contents and will react different when cooked in soups. I recommend using red, Yukon gold or white potatoes.
4. Vegetable broth. I like to keep vegetable bouillon cubes on hand so I’m always ready to make soups. You can use stock cubes, carton vegetable broth or homemade broth. The type of broth you use will change the colour of the soup, just something to keep in mind.
5. Kale. Fresh kale will get stirred in at the end to add even more nutrition to this already nutritious soup. The kale is technically optional, so if you want a plain potato soup, feel free to skip it

How to Make this Recipe

Making soup in your Instant Pot is so easy, you’ll love it as an alternative to cooking stove top. While it’s not necessarily faster, the fact that it’s completely hands off makes cooking a breeze. Let’s go over how to make this soup in an Instant Pot.

Before you start, prepare by chopping the carrot, onion, garlic and celery. While those are sautéing, chop the potatoes and while the soup is cooking, chop the kale.

1. Sauté the veggies then add the herbs.

The first step is to start cooking the onions, garlic, carrot and celery using the Instant Pot “Saute” function. Once the Instant Pot comes to heat, allow the veggies to cook for 6-7 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until they’re fragrant, softened and starting to brown.

Next, add savory favourites parsley, thyme and oregano. Missing one? No big deal. Add up to 2 tsp in any combination and you should have a lovely layer of flavor. I used 1 tsp oregano and 1/2 tsp each thyme and parsley.

2. Add the potatoes and broth.

Next is to add the potato and broth to the Instant Pot. You can see roughly the size the chopped potatoes should be in the images below.

2. Set the Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook”.

Next is to set the Instant Pot to “pressure cook” to start cooking the soup. Here’s how to do that:

1. Seal the Instant Pot lid.
2. Make sure the Vent Knob is pushed to “Sealing”.
3. Press “Pressure Cook” and adjust the time to 10 minutes.
4. The timer will not start right away. This is normal. It will read “On” until the Instant Pot comes to pressure. This could take 10 minutes or maybe a bit longer. Eventually, it will beep and a couple minutes later the timer will finally start.
5. Once the timer beeps to indicate it’s finished, carefully move the Vent Knob to “Quick Release”. I always use a towel or oven mit to do this, just in case! Allow the steam to escape until the Float Valve drops, at which point you can remove the lid.

5. Blend half the soup.

Once the soup has finished cooking, it’s time to blend! You can either scoop half of it out and into a blender or use an immersion blender right in the Instant Pot. I would recommend the blender method for the a creamier soup, just make sure you allow the steam to escape while blending.

Once you’ve blended the soup, pour it back into the Instant Pot with the unblended portion.

5. Stir in the kale.

That’s it! Once you’ve stirred in the kale, taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired. A little spritz of fresh lemon juice is also nice!

How to Make this Soup Stovetop

Here’s how to make this recipe on the stovetop:

1. Add the carrot, onion, garlic and onion to a soup pot with about 2-3 tbsp water or broth. Saute over medium heat for 6-7 minutes.
2. Add the dried herbs and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or two.
3. Add the broth and potatoes and simmer lightly until the potato is tender, approximately 15 minutes.
4. Carefully blend half of the soup then pour it back into the pot.
5. Stir in the kale, season and serve.

Toppings

The best part of potato soup is the toppings, don’t you think? Here are some delicious ways to top this hearty bowl of soup:

• fresh chopped chives
• chopped green onion
• crumbled tempeh bacon
• roasted chickpeas
• vegan sour cream
• grated vegan cheese

More Healthy Soups

• Instant Pot Quinoa Chili
• Vegan Kale and Cauliflower Soup
• Chickpea Vegetable Chowder
• Cauliflower Potato Soup with Peas
• Vegan Zuppa Toscana

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.42 from 24 votes

Instant Pot Kale Potato Soup

By: Deryn Macey

This hearty, creamy potato soup is so easy to make in the Instant Pot you’ll love it for a simple, warm meal all Fall and Winter long. Serve with fresh sourdough bread for a real treat.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 white onion, diced (approx. 2 cups)
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 3 carrots, peeled and sliced (approx. 1 heaping cup)
• ▢ 2 ribs celery, chopped (approx. 1 heaping cup)
• ▢ 1 tsp dried oregano
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• ▢ 2 lbs. Yukon gold or red potatoes, chopped into cubes (approx. 6 cups)
• ▢ 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 2 cups de-stemmed and finely chopped kale
• ▢ salt and pepper, to taste
• ▢ squeeze of fresh lemon juice

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Instructions 

• Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the Instant Pot with 1/4 cup water or vegetable broth. Press “Saute” and allow to come to heat. Once it’s hot, cook, stirring often, for 5-6 minutes until starting to soften and become fragrant.
• Add the oregano, thyme and parsley. Stir to combine and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the potatoes and vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
• Seal the lid and make sure the venting knob is turned to “Sealing”. Press “Pressure Cook” and set the timer to 10 minutes. There is no need to press start. The display will now read “On”. The Instant Pot will take 10 minutes or so to come to pressure at which point, you will hear a beep and the timer will begin.
• Once the timer has finished, carefully turn the Vent Knob to “Quick Release”. Allow all the pressure to release until the Float Valve drops, at which point you can remove the lid.
• Once the soup has finished cooking, you can either scoop half of it out and into a blender or use an immersion blender right in the Instant Pot. I would recommend the blender method for the a creamier soup, just make sure you allow the steam to escape while blending. Once you’ve blended half the soup, pour it back into the Instant Pot with the unblended portion.
• Stir in the chopped kale then season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, if desired.
• Serve right away. Optional toppings include chopped chives, green onion, crumbled tempeh bacon or grated vegan cheese. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days or freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

I updated this recipe August 2019. The original recipe was a broth-based soup made stovetop with potatoes, kale and brussel sprouts. I completed revamped the recipe to make it a cream-based potato soup with kale, made in the Instant Pot. See post for instructions on making this soup stovetop or leaving it unblended.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6th of recipe, Calories: 150kcal, Carbohydrates: 34g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 0.3g, Fiber: 5g

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

This recipe was originally published April 8, 2013. It was updated August 2019 with new photos and a revised recipe.