If you are looking for a bowl of healthy, comforting soup, this recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is for you! It is hearty, healthy, and full of incredible flavor thanks to a few ingredients! Made in just over 30 minutes, this plant-based instant pot recipe is a must-make meatless meal!
Serve up this Vegetable Soup with some Dutch Oven Bread and a Spinach Avocado Salad for a delicious healthy meal the whole family will enjoy!
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Vegetable soup has always been a soup I either LOVE or HATE.
Depending on how the soup is prepared and flavored, Veggie Soup is either incredibly full of flavor and hearty, or it is bland, watery, and boring.
I have a few secrets that help develop the most incredible Vegetable Soup, and it is prepared easily in the Instant Pot.
There is nothing fancy, no odd ingredients, and you can probably have all the ingredients needed right now to make this Vegetable Soup. My secret is to add in a bit of red wine, spices, and balsamic vinegar to add depth and flavor to an otherwise simple soup recipe.
It is a delicious plant-based recipe that makes a perfect meatless meal or healthy lunch!
Key Ingredients
- Vegetable Broth--I use my homemade vegetable broth. It is SO incredibly flavorful and easy to make. It really adds to the flavor of this simple soup. But feel free to use your favorite store-bought vegetable broth.
- Red Wine--A bit of wine really adds dimension to this recipe. I use a dry red wine such as a Merlot or Cabernet. If you don't drink, feel free to omit it.
- Vegetables--This soup is full of vegetables. The base is built with onions and celery, but also features green beans, carrots, and potatoes added to the soup. Feel free to add corn if desired.
- Diced Tomatoes--I love to use Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes for extra flavor. If you use regular diced tomatoes, I would add additional garlic and oregano.
- Spices--Garlic, oregano, and a bay leaf add flavor to this simple Veggie Soup. They all work together to bring out the flavors of the vegetables and complement the vegetable broth.
- Greens--I finish this soup with baby kale or spinach to add a hefty dose of nutrients. If you have super picky eaters, feel free to skip adding the greens. My husband NEVER complains if I omit them! HA!
- Vinegar--This may sound like an odd addition, but trust me. By finishing this soup with a bit of balsamic vinegar, your palate is open and the flavors really pop in your mouth. It is a secret addition that makes this soup out of this world!
How to Make Vegetable Soup in the Instant Pot
This soup is SUPER simple to make. The hardest part is chopping the veggies! It comes together with just a few steps and thanks to the Instant Pot, this Vegetable Soup develops really rich flavors in a very short amount of time.
The first step to preparing this soup is to saute the vegetables. Hit the saute function on the Instant Pot and let it heat up for a minute. Some models will read HOT, once heated, but it only takes a couple of minutes for the instant pot to heat up. Once heated, add in the olive oil, celery, and onions and saute until the onion is just beginning to soften, then add in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds longer. You don't want to saute the garlic too long, or it will cause your garlic to burn and ruin the soup.
Next, add in the wine and scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the inner pot--this helps prevent a burn warning. Let the wine simmer for just a minute and then turn off the Instant Pot. Add in the vegetable broth, vegetables, diced tomatoes, and seasonings.
Once the soup is prepared, place the lid on the Instant Pot and be sure your vent knob is sealed. Set cook time for 5 minutes.
After cook time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This is really important. If you try to release pressure before 15 minutes have passed, the hot liquid will spew out of your vent knob and make a mess, and potentially burn you.
After pressure has been released, stir in greens and vinegar and just let the greens wilt--this takes just a minute or two. Then serve up this soup and be prepared to be blown away by how good this simple, economical vegetable soup tastes!
More Plant-Based Instant Pot Recipes
- Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Instant Pot Rice and Beans
- Instant Pot Lentil Chili
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 small onion finely minced
- 2 ribs celery finely minced
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ¼ cup dry red wine optional
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon oregano seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 potatoes peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 3 large carrots peeled and cut into coins
- 1 cup fresh green beans cut into ½ inch pieces
- 1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, Italian flavor
- 1 cup finely chopped baby kale or spinach
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oil in Instant Pot on saute mode. Add onion and celery, cook and stir until softened, about 3-5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add in red wine, and let cook for one minute. Turn Instant Pot OFF.
- Add in vegetable broth and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot.
- Add in potatoes, carrots, green beans, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and bay leaves and stir.
- Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the cook time is over, let pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes
- Stir in greens and balsamic vinegar and let sit in the inner pot until greens just wilt.
- Taste to adjust seasonings and serve.
Equipment Needed
Notes
- If using a 3 quart pressure cooker, this recipe would need to be cut in half. It can be doubled in an 8 or 10 quart instant pot.
- For the red wine, use a dry red wine such as a Merlot or Cabernet.
- For the potatoes, you can use red potatoes, gold potatoes, or russet potatoes.
- If you use regular diced tomatoes, I would add in an additional ½ teaspoon minced garlic and ½ teaspoon oregano.
- Feel free to add in 1 cup of frozen corn as well to this soup if desired (add with the green beans, carrots, and potatoes.)
- If you don't have balsamic vinegar, you can use red wine vinegar in it's place.
- Do not be tempted to release pressure before 15 minutes has elapsed after cook time passes. This can result in a huge mess, as hot liquid will spray from vent knob.
- If you prefer to cook without oil, use a bit of vegetable stock in place of the olive oil to saute the garlic and onions in.
Karen W
Thank you so much for this recipe! I am an Instant Pot beginner, and this turned out so well. I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes, some cauliflower, frozen okra, lima beans, and corn, in addition to the other vegetables. I didn't have balsamic vinegar, so I used apple cider vinegar - not bad. I will definitely be making this again, with balsamic vinegar next time. Very easy and versatile recipe, delicious and comforting, too.
Laurie
This was exceptional! Great flavor and I love that the recipe uses fresh veggies.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so happy to hear this Laurie! Thank you for sharing!
Li
This was a quick and easy recipe in the instant pot or stovetop.
And it was amazing~ as days go by it becomes even better.
And it can easily be added to if desired.
Placed into my favourites .
Leslie
Perfect for getting ready for the winter snow headed our way. I got my kids to eat it and they not a fan of veggies! I made it again when my husband was sick and he said it paired nicely with his grilled cheese.
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you all stay warm and safe during the snow--and that your husband feels better! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Darlene
I have leftover veggies like red yellow orange peppers, baby spinach, and will add some other veggies…can’t wait to make it. I hate veggies going to waste so i make soup with them.. thank you for awesome recipe
Kristen Chidsey
You are welcome Darlene! Enjoy!
Mary Barber
Do you know if this recipe can be canned in a pressure canner?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Mary! I am not an expert at canning, but I do know that you need a certain about of acid (like lemon juice or vinegar) added to help preserve the recipe. Here is an article on how to can homemade soups that may help.
tine
Family reports this is one of the best soups we've ever had. Sincerely, thank you for this recipe. Made exactly to description with one small addition of 1/2tsp MSG to add a little more flavor. It's outstanding.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that Tine! Thanks for sharing!
Christine
Made this today and it is fantastic. Very easy to make. And the balsamic vinegar at the end is the perfect touch. Thanks for the recipe Kristen.
Kristen Chidsey
You are so welcome Christine! I am so happy to hear you enjoyed.
Rob Murray
Hello. Making this for my wife’s 50th. Can I use low sodium chicken broth? Thx
Kristen Chidsey
Yes, but it won't be quite as rich in flavor. I would recommend low-sodium vegetable broth if you can't use beef broth. And happy birthday to your wife!
Jennifer
My husband only likes vegetable soup if it has beef in it. Would you brown the meat in step 1 with the oil, onion and celery if adding to the recipe and would anything else need to be adjusted? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Jennifer! It would depend on the meat you are using. Stew meat would need a lot longer to cook, and the vegetable may overcook in that time. If you are browning hamburger meat, there would be no change to the cooking time.