15-30 min6-8 servingsAmerican

Tater Tot Soup

By Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

6-8 servings

15-30 min

Easy

Recipe Details

Course: Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Main Dishes

Difficulty: Easy

Prep Time: 5 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 15-30 min

Cooking Technique: Max Pressure Cook, Pressure Cook, Sauté

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp garlic, peeled and minced
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 lb frozen unseasoned hash brown cubes
2 cups frozen tater tots
2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese

Here’s the fastest cheese-and-potato soup we can imagine! The Tater Tots break apart— even break down— under pressure, leaving you with little potato shreds, as if you’d grated a potato into the soup. Those potato bits also thicken the soup, particularly as it sits a few minutes after cooking to melt all that (absolutely necessary) cheese. The frozen hash brown cubes then give you more little bits of potato throughout the soup for a better overall texture. Dried herbs work better than fresh here. They have an earthier flavor that matches the Tater Tots and cheese. And one other thing: Heat the liquid up before you add the Tater Tots. Otherwise, they fall to the bottom of the pot in the (colder) liquid. You’ll end up with a burn notice, no question.

INSTRUCTIONS

Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot®. Set it to High, More, or Custom 400°F / 205°C, and set the time for 10 minutes.
In the Instant Pot®, combine the broth, butter, garlic, dried herbs, onion powder, and pepper. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid begins to steam. Stir in the hash brown cubes and tater tots. Lock the lid onto the pot.
Option 1: Max Pressure Cooker Press Pressure Cook on Max Pressure for 3 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off.
Option 2: All Pressure Cookers Press Soup/Broth or Pressure Cook (Manual) on High Pressure for 4 minutes with the Keep Warm setting off. Ensure the valve is closed.
Use the quick-release method to bring the pot’s pressure back to normal. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir in the cheese. Place the lid askew over the pot for a couple of minutes to allow the cheese to melt. Stir again, then serve hot. Enjoy!

Notes

Beyond
• For an 8-quart Instant Pot, you must increase the broth to 2 quarts (8 cups).
• For a richer soup, stir up to 1 cup heavy or light cream into the soup before you add the cheese in step 5.
• For a sweeter soup, use half regular tots and half sweet potato tots (sometimes called “puffs”).
• Garnish the servings with crumbled bacon, sour cream, and / or minced chives (or the green part of a scallion). Or crisp Tater Tots in a skillet,
toaster oven, or an air fryer and use them as a garnish on the soup

Share:

About the chef

Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough

In this duo, Bruce Weinstein is the chef and Mark Scarbrough, the writer. Together, they’ve published over 35 cookbooks, hit international best-seller lists, won national and international awards, and have been interviewed by the best, from Lester Holt to Barbara Walters. Weinstein also writes knitting books, designs patterns, and teaches knitting workshops. Besides writing their cookbooks, Scarbrough also teaches literature classes; has a podcast called Walking With Dante, where he takes you on journey from hell to paradise; and has written a memoir, BOOKMARKED: HOW THE GREAT WORKS OF WESTERN LITERATURE F*CKED UP MY LIFE.

View All Bruce's Recipes