½cupshredded cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley or sliced green onions for garnish
Instructions
Heat Instant Pot using the Sauté function. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and set it on a paper towel to drain. Reserve bacon pieces for garnish.
Add onion to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to deglaze, removing all browned bits. Turn off Instant Pot.
Add potatoes, cauliflower, remaining chicken stock, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Attach lid and securely seal, making sure valve is in “sealing” position. Switch the Instant Pot to the Pressure Cook -- High Pressure setting. Set the timer for 10 minutes. It will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure.
When the Instant Pot finishes cooking, quick release the pressure manually.
Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to the desired consistency, or transfer it in batches to a blender to puree. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, or garlic powder, if desired.
Stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Garnish with reserved bacon, additional cheese, parsley or green onion.
Keep soup warm for up to 1 hour using the “keep warm” setting on the Instant Pot. Makes about 7 cups.
Video
Notes
Vegetarian option: omit the bacon, and use 1 tablespoon of olive oil to sauté the onion. Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Yukon gold potatoes make the creamiest soup-- we don’t recommend substituting russet or red potatoes.
More garnish ideas: Fresh chopped parsley, French-fried onions, homemade croutons, or fried sage leaves perfectly garnish this soup.
Sharp cheddar cheese can be replaced with another type of cheese. Use a cheese with plenty of flavor and that melts well, such as a sharp fontina, Gruyère, or Swiss.