Instant Pot Dairy Free Cheeseburger Soup

A bowl of creamy soup garnished with chopped chives, bacon bits, and a dollop of sour cream, reminiscent of a cheeseburger in flavor, with a spoon resting in the bowl. The background features a patterned cloth.

Instant Pot Dairy Free Cheeseburger Soup

This comforting and hearty cheeseburger soup is made in the Instant Pot and is completely dairy free and gluten free. This is great as a stand-alone meal or alongside biscuits or cornbread.

Makes about 2 quarts (8 cups) of soup

Course Soups

Cuisine American

Keyword dairy free cheeseburger soup, instant pot cheeseburger soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 15

Servings cups

Calories 479kcal

Author Sarah Jane Parker

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Spray oil
1 pound 90/10 lean ground beef
1-2 cloves pressed fresh garlic (or 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder)
1 teaspoon all-purpose Cajun seasoning (we use this as an all-purpose seasoning)
1-2 teaspoons onion powder
½ - 1 teaspoon smoked salt
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon black pepper
5 cups chopped potatoes, unpeeled (my favorite are Yukon gold)
1 ½ cups chopped red bell pepper* (1 large bell pepper)
3 cups beef broth
12 ounces uncured bacon
1 ½ cups canned coconut milk
3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ cups dairy free cheddar cheese shreds (we like Violife)
3-4 Tablespoons cornstarch
Toppings: chopped green onions, dairy free sour cream, dairy free cheddar shreds, optional chopped dill pickles

Instructions

Turn on the Instant Pot to saute setting, add a little oil to the bottom of the pot and brown the beef with the garlic and seasonings in the pressure cooker until the beef is browned/cooked.
Turn off the saute function.
Add the chopped bell pepper, chopped potatoes, and beef broth to the pot, close and lock the lid, and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes.
While the soup is cooking, prepare the bacon by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F and lining a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.
Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the pan and bake in the oven for 13-16 minutes, until crispy.
Remove excess oil from the bacon strips by blotting with a paper towel, then chop the bacon and set it aside.
Once the soup is done cooking in the pressure cooker, allow the pressure to release naturally for 25 minutes, then do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
Remove the lid and turn the Instant Pot on to saute setting to simmer the soup.
Add the nutritional yeast flakes and the dairy free cheddar cheese and continue to simmer, stirring to help the cheese melt into the soup.
Whisk the cornstarch into the coconut milk and add that to the simmering soup and stir regularly until thickened. We used 3 Tablespoons of cornstarch for our soup, but you can use 4 tablespoons (which is 1/4 cup) if you want a really thick soup.
Turn off the heat, add the bacon, and allow the soup to cool for about 10-15 minutes before serving. I usually remove the pot from the machine and set it on a cooling rack to help it cool a bit faster. Test taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed.
Top with dairy free sour cream, green onions or chives, and optional chopped dill pickles (I liked the dill pickles on top but my husband wasn't a fan).
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Notes

*Alternatively, you can add chopped tomatoes after pressure cooking or 3/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers after cooking while thickening the soup.

The nutrition info is an estimate that does not include soup toppings.

Nutrition