There are few things better than a hearty bowl full of soup. Lately, I have been using our pressure cooker to make all of the soups. The weather in Minnesota has been frigid, soup helps. One thing that has surprised me about using my pressure cooker to prepare soup is the unmatched flavor, ease of use, and minimal messy dishes! I love that you get that simmered-all-day flavor, but it really only cooked for 20 minutes. I have been going through the process of making all of my go-to soups ‘pressure cooker friendly’. Some of them turn out very similar to the stovetop, others change for the better.

This pressure cooker sausage and potato soup is an adaptation of a soup from a popular restaurant. I have been making it stovetop off and on for the last few years, but lately have found myself putting it on the menu at least once a month because it is very simple to make in the pressure cooker. 

I have an Instant Pot pressure cooker. While I am not overly familiar with other pressure cooker options, I am confident this recipe will work with any pressure cooker that has the ‘saute’ setting. Make adjustments as you see fit. 

You will need:

• 1 lb ground pork sausage, defrosted (plain or hot)
• 6 Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp Oregano
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 32 oz chicken broth
• 1 ½ cup frozen kale
• 1 ½ cup half and half or heavy cream

First, turn on your pressure cooker and select the ‘saute’ setting for ten minutes. Once the inner liner has warmed up, add the ground pork sausage and the diced onion.  If I’m feeling extra lazy, or don’t have an onion, I will shake in some dried minced onions when browning up the pork. While the pork is browning, add the salt, pepper, and garlic to cook in the flavors. While the pork is browning up, work on scrubbing and dicing up the potatoes. I usually use 6, sometimes more or less, it truly depends on how many I have on hand and what size they are.

As the pork finishes up cooking, add in the potatoes and the oregano. Stir the mixture together, then add in the broth and a little more salt and pepper. Place the lid on the pressure cooker, press and twist to make sure it is locked. Then, you will set the valve to sealing and pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the time is up, do a quick release by flipping the valve at the top to ‘venting’.

When the pin drops, remove the lid and add in the frozen kale. You could use chopped, fresh kale, but I prefer buying a bag of it in the freezer section for less cost and a longer ‘shelf’ life. If you aren’t a kale fan, spinach also works well in this recipe. I add in the half and half. Sometimes I use heavy cream for an extra rich taste, if you prefer to omit the cream or half and half all together, I am confident the soup will taste just as great.

Serve with your favorite baguette or soup crackers. I hope you enjoy it!