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Instant Pot Family Dinners
Instant Pot Ecuadorian-Style Locro de Queso with Avocado
Starchy potatoes create their own silky body in this mild Ecuadorian cheese soup, finished after pressure with queso fresco, milk, avocado and cilantro.
Directions
Sweat the aromatics
Select Sauté Normal on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt butter and cook onion 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cumin and annatto for 30 seconds without browning.
Deglaze and layer
Pour in 1 cup broth and scrape until the heating plate is completely smooth. Add remaining broth, potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir once and keep the contents below the maximum-fill line; do not add milk or cheese before pressure.
Pressure-cook
Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure. Use a controlled quick release in short pulses, pausing immediately if starchy liquid sputters. Open only after the float valve drops.
Create the creamy body
Mash roughly one-third of the potatoes against the pot wall, leaving the rest chunky. Select Sauté Low and stir often across the base for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add dairy safely
Stir in milk and 6 ounces queso fresco. Heat gently, stirring, until the soup reaches 165°F and the cheese softens; do not boil hard. Add up to the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt after tasting the cheese.
Finish the bowls
Ladle into warm bowls and top with the remaining queso fresco, avocado and cilantro. Serve lime, jalapeño and ají sauce at the table so the shared soup remains mild.
Why this works
Why it worksA full four cups of thin broth sit against a deglazed base, while burn-prone milk and cheese wait until pressure has fallen.
Why it worksYukon Gold potatoes both hold tender chunks and release enough starch when mashed to thicken the soup without flour.
Why it worksCool avocado, fresh cilantro and lime balance the rich potato-and-cheese base and mirror the visible finished presentation.
Useful kitchen gear
Tools that make this easier.
Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.
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Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe four-cup thin-broth base, potato load and controlled release are written for this capacity.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless-steel potato masherCoarse mashing thickens the locro naturally while leaving enough visible potato pieces for texture.See current options →
Compare on AmazonStainless-steel soup ladleA deep ladle portions the thick potato soup cleanly before avocado, cheese and cilantro are added.See current options →
Swaps & notes
Easy swaps
- Use russet potatoes for an even thicker soup, mashing less because they release more starch.
- Replace queso fresco with farmer cheese or a mild feta; reduce added salt if the substitute is briny.
- Use lactose-free whole milk and a suitable mild cheese if needed; plant milk changes the traditional dairy flavor.
Cook notes
- Total time includes about 12 minutes to pressurize, the 7-minute cycle, controlled release and post-pressure finishing.
- Follow the exact model manual for minimum liquid, maximum fill and venting; an 8-quart cooker may require more thin liquid.
- Potatoes are starchy, so vent in brief pulses and stop if foam or liquid emerges from the valve.
- The optional chile is intentionally served at the table rather than cooked into the family pot.
Storage
Refrigerate the soup without avocado in shallow containers for up to 4 days; freeze up to 2 months before adding dairy for the smoothest texture. Reheat gently to 165°F, stirring often and thinning with broth. Add fresh avocado only when serving.
Questions
Why is dairy added after pressure cooking?
Milk and cheese can scorch on the hot base or separate under pressure. Adding them during the gentle finishing stage gives a smoother soup.
Can I make locro de queso ahead?
Yes. Prepare through the dairy finish, cool promptly and refrigerate. Reheat slowly and add avocado, cilantro and lime just before serving.
What if the soup is thinner than I want?
Mash more potatoes and simmer on Sauté Low for a few minutes, stirring across the base. Avoid adding raw flour directly to the pot.
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Instant Pot Ecuadorian-Style Locro de Queso with Avocado
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1. Sweat the aromaticsSelect Sauté Normal on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt butter and cook onion 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, cumin and annatto for 30 seconds without browning.
2. Deglaze and layerPour in 1 cup broth and scrape until the heating plate is completely smooth. Add remaining broth, potatoes and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir once and keep the contents below the maximum-fill line; do not add milk or cheese before pressure.
3. Pressure-cookLock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 7 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure. Use a controlled quick release in short pulses, pausing immediately if starchy liquid sputters. Open only after the float valve drops.
4. Create the creamy bodyMash roughly one-third of the potatoes against the pot wall, leaving the rest chunky. Select Sauté Low and stir often across the base for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Add dairy safelyStir in milk and 6 ounces queso fresco. Heat gently, stirring, until the soup reaches 165°F and the cheese softens; do not boil hard. Add up to the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt after tasting the cheese.
6. Finish the bowlsLadle into warm bowls and top with the remaining queso fresco, avocado and cilantro. Serve lime, jalapeño and ají sauce at the table so the shared soup remains mild.