If you are looking for a hug in a bowl, this Instant Pot Creamy Sausage and Rice Soup is right up your alley. Savory and comforting and takes just minutes. 

It was a balmy 65 degrees here last night and I knew exactly what I needed to do. I mean, what I needed to do was make dinner for the offspring, but what I WANTED was something warm and cozy. As luck would have it, my kitchen was stocked with chicken broth, cream cheese, rice, and sausage. And that’s all I needed!

But here’s the best part… 2/3 of the kids and 100% of the husband claimed this was a new favorite meal. They raved the entire dinner and asked me to make it again. And I fed the entire family WITH LEFTOVERS for around $10 total. That’s just nuts. 

We are really trying to budget wisely this year on spending. With a family of 5 it is easy to get carried away with our food bills. And we certainly did over the pandemic between Instacart and Door Dash and Uber Eats. It’s wild to think that with all the extra time staying home, we can still spend a damn fortune. But we did, so this year we are trying to be more mindful. 

It seems we are off to an excellent start with this meal – inexpensive, quick in the Instant Pot, and loved by all. I’ll take it. And to make extra sure I stay on track, I’m going to take a page out of my own book, literally. If yo udon’t have a copy of Affordable Paleo Cooking with Your Instant Pot, now’s the time (well it’s always the time). Pages and pages of delicious budget-friendly recipes that are delicious and super quick. Find it HERE and keep it close at hand!

Instant Pot Creamy Sausage and Rice Soup

Print Recipe

• Author: Jennifer Robins

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 7 cups chicken broth
• 1 pound Italian or breakfast sausage
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (can sub dairy free cream cheese)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon coconut aminos

Instructions

1. Press the Saute button on your Instant Pot and add in the sausage
2. Break it up as it cooks for around 5 minutes, it does not need to be cooked through all the way
3. Add in all remaining ingredients except for the cream cheese
4. Stir and secure the lid, closing the pressure valve
5. Cook at high pressure for 7 minutes, quick release the pressure, and remove the lid once safe to do so
6. Add in the cream cheese, stirring to fully incorporate
7. Serve right away
8. If you have leftovers, the rice will continue to absorb the broth overnight. Add in a bit more broth the next day if desired