FREE 5-Ingredient Recipe EBook

In This Post

My Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Is Just As Cozy, But Faster
Ingredients & Substitutions
How To Make Vegetable Soup In The Instant Pot
My Tips & Variations
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (Quick & Easy) Recipe card
Recipe Reviews

My Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Is Just As Cozy, But Faster

I love a good stovetop soup, but some nights I just want to toss everything into one pot, walk away, and have something warm and cozy ready fast. That’s how this Instant Pot vegetable soup came to be. Here’s why you’ll love it:

Faster and more hands-off than the stovetop – My Instant Pot veggie soup has the same savory tomato broth and similar hearty veggies you’d find in my stovetop veggie soup, but pressure cooks in a fraction of the time.
Simple, flexible ingredients – I use common vegetables and pantry staples you can find at any grocery store, but it’s also easy to toss in whatever you have in the fridge. So, this soup is perfect for a clean-out-the-fridge night!
Good for you, but still so cozy – Even without meat or pasta, this Instant Pot vegetable soup fills you up, thanks to the chunky veggies. The tender veggies, fire roasted tomatoes, and savory herb broth always warm me up on a cold day.

If you don’t feel like cooking tonight either, make this Instant Pot vegetable soup with me and let the pressure cooker do the work!

Hearty, colorful Instant Pot vegetable soup in a bowl with a spoon.

“This was not only delicious, but it made me feel really good. We’ve been having such snowy cold weather, this recipe was absolutely perfect for our family.”

-Krissy

More Reviews

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Vegetables – I used carrots, celery, green beans, and cauliflower, but you can throw in whatever you have. Spinach, kale, zucchini, cabbage, or bell peppers work great. If you’re using greens, add them at the end so they don’t overcook. For swapping in frozen veggies or harder ones (such as potatoes or root vegetables), see my tips below.
Aromatics – A mix of onions and garlic add flavor to this Instant Pot veggie soup. Sometimes I grab jarred garlic for a shortcut.
Canned Tomatoes – I like the flavor from fire-roasted tomatoes, but regular diced tomatoes work fine.
Vegetable Broth – I use low-sodium broth, so I can season to taste. You can also use chicken broth or homemade bone broth if you don’t need it to be vegetarian.
Seasonings – A combination of sea salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and a couple bay leaves give the soup a cozy, savory flavor. You can add more herbs if you like.
Olive Oil – For sauteing. Any neutral oil works here.

Labeled recipe ingredients: Cauliflower, green beans, carrots, onion, celery, roasted tomatoes, olive oil, vegetable broth, garlic, bay leaves, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

How To Make Vegetable Soup In The Instant Pot

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

Saute the onion. Turn on the sauté mode on your Instant Pot and heat the oil. Add the onion and cook until it softens and smells fragrant.
Saute the garlic. Turn off the heat, then stir in the garlic. Let it cook in the residual heat for 30 seconds so it doesn’t burn.
Add the vegetables and broth. Stir in the carrots, celery, green beans, cauliflower, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Pour in the broth and tomatoes, then give it a good stir to combine.
Pressure cook. Close and seal the lid, with the valve set to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes.
Quick release. When the timer beeps, carefully turn the valve to venting for a quick release — this prevents the Instant Pot vegetable soup from overcooking. Once the steam is gone, open the lid and remove the bay leaves. I like a sprinkle of fresh parsley for serving. You can also add crushed tortilla chips or almond flour crackers.

Sauteing garlic and onions in the pressure cooker.

Adding veggies and broth to the Instant Pot.

Piping hot Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe.

My Tips & Variations

The cook time is only 4 minutes, but coming up to pressure takes longer. My Instant Pot takes about 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before that timer starts.
Want to use frozen vegetables? Just adjust the time to 0 minutes instead of 4. Since they’re already partially cooked, that’s all it takes to heat them through without turning them mushy.
Want to add hardier veggies? Potatoes, corn, butternut squash, peas, or even beans like chickpeas or white beans make this Instant Pot vegetable soup more filing. For harder vegetables, like potatoes or root veggies, I recommend smaller pieces so that they cook quickly enough.
In the mood for something cozier? Stir in a splash of heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk after cooking. It mellows out acidity and gives it a creamy finish without overpowering the veggies.
Add a protein: Sometimes I add leftover shredded chicken or cooked ground beef with the veggies. You can also cook your protein on the Saute setting at the start of the recipe. I don’t recommend doing it at pressure, because the veggies will get mushy before chicken or beef cook through.
Adjust the flavor to your taste. It varies a bit each time I make this recipe, depending on the brand of broth or type of product I have. If your soup is too bland, too acidic, too sweet, or just needs a little something, check my classic vegetable soup recipe for tips to fix it.