This easy Instant Pot Vegetable soup is cozy, hydrating, and loaded with vegetables. Make it easily in the Instant Pot, and customize with your favorite veggies!
We just love this fully loaded vegetable soup as a way to load up on veggies during the cooler months. Lucky for us, it's even easier to prepare in the Instant Pot!
A classic, nourishing, and hearty soup that is bursting with healthy veggies, this Instant Pot vegetable soup is a one-pot meal that comes together in just over an hour, most of which is completely hands off time. It's a go-to recipe for meal prep in our home during the fall and winter!
This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, low in calories, and filled with wholesome veggies!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- it's loaded with healthy vegetables and nourishing ingredients, but still packs a delicious punch of flavor
- it is vegan, low carb, and gluten-free
- it's perfect for busy weeknights, lazy Sundays, or for stocking the freezer with easy meals
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see how to cook Instant Pot vegetable soup! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel and Facebook page.
Ingredient Notes
- Veggie stock - you can use store bought veggie stock, or homemade vegetable stock. Swap for turkey stock, or bone broth - any of these options will work!
- Kidney beans - can be swapped for your favorite fully cooked beans; chickpeas, white beans or black beans will all work!
- Diced tomatoes - for added flavor, consider adding flavored diced tomatoes such as fire-roasted, garlic + herb, or even Rotel for a kick
- Cauliflower - fresh or frozen cauliflower can be used, but try to stick to 1 inch or smaller cauliflower florets; some frozen cauliflower is too large to eat in soup.
- Nutritional yeast - is a deactivated yeast that boosts the flavor of the soup; you can swap for parmesan cheese
Other Vegetables You Can Add
- broccoli
- green beans- add after cooking
- corn or peas (fresh or frozen)- add after cooking
- parsnips
- kale or spinach- add after cooking
- potatoes or sweet potatoes- cut into ½ inch cubes
- squash
- leeks- sauté with onions (or in place of onions)
Keep in mind that changing the veggies may alter the cooking time; use your best judgment to determine when the vegetables are soft enough to eat.
Step by Step directions
Sauté Onions & Garlic
Select the 'sauté' function of the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil and onions to the stainless steel inner pot, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until they are soft and translucent.
Make a space in the middle of the onions, then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring until it is fragrant and cooked through.
Combine
Add the carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, zucchini, basil, oregano, salt, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, kidney beans, and nutritional yeast. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is stuck.
TIP- it's a good idea to deglaze the bottom of your Instant Pot after sautéing to avoid triggering the burn warning.
Cook
Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully transitioning the valve to the 'venting' position, releasing all remaining pressure.
Serve
Remove bay leaf. Serve with bread or crackers.
FAQ
Yes, this soup should work just fine in a slow cooker! We haven't tested this exact recipe in the slow cooker, but it should cook up on low for 4-6 hours. Or, you might enjoy this Tuscan slow cooker chicken stew that is also loaded with veggies!
You sure can! Our fully loaded vegetable soup includes directions for stovetop cooking.
Yes! You can omit any of the veggies, and swap for the veggies listed in the "other vegetables" section of this post. A variety of different veggies work well for this soup!
Meal Prep Tips
This Instant Pot vegetable soup is the perfect recipe to add into your meal prep routine! You can meal prep it in two different ways:
- cook ahead and reheat- cook a big batch of this stew on the weekend and reheat for easy lunches or dinners. We like storing the cooked stew in a 2 cup glass meal prep containers or a meal mug.
- assemble ahead but don't cook - as a crockpot freezer meal (find 34 more crockpot freezer meals here!)
- combine all ingredients in a large freezer bag, a large meal prep container or a reusable silicone bag
- freeze for up to 3 months
- when you are ready to cook, thaw completely and cook as directed (skipping the sauté steps)
Storage + Reheating
- Fridge- cool completely, then cover the pot, or portion out into air-tight storage jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezer- cool completely, then portion out into glass or plastic freezer jars. Leave ¼ of the jar empty to account for expansion, and leave lids ajar until the soup is fully frozen. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thaw - overnight in the fridge (speed the process by leaving on the counter for a few hours, or by immersing the jar in water).
- Reheat - Heat individual servings in the microwave until steaming hot. Heat larger portions in a pot over medium heat on the stove for 15-20 minutes, until warmed through.
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 ribs celery sliced
- 1 ½ cups cauliflower florets cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces; see note 1
- 1 ½ cups zucchini cut into 1 inch or smaller pieces
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes including juices; see note 2
- 6 cups vegetable stock
- 15 oz can of kidney beans drained and rinsed; see note 3
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast optional; see note 4
Instructions
- Sauté onions & garlic- Select the 'sauté' function of the Instant Pot. Add the olive oil and onions to the stainless steel inner pot, and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until they are soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the onions, then add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, until it is fragrant and cooked through.
- Combine- Add the carrots, celery, cauliflower florets, zucchini, basil, oregano, salt, bay leaf, diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, kidney beans and nutritional yeast. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to make sure nothing is stuck.
- Cook- Put the lid on the Instant Pot and set the valve to the 'sealing' position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. When the cooking cycle has completed, allow the pot to naturally release for 10 minutes before carefully transitioning the valve to the 'venting' position, releasing all remaining pressure.
- Serve- Remove bay leaf. Serve with bread or crackers.
Tips:
- fresh or frozen cauliflower can be used, but try to stick to 1 inch or smaller cauliflower florets
- for added flavor, consider adding flavored diced tomatoes such as fire roasted, garlic + herb, or Rotel
- kidney beans can be swapped for your favorite fully cooked beans; chickpeas, white beans or black beans will all work
- nutritional yeast boosts the flavor of the soup; you can swap for parmesan cheese
- fridge- cool completely, then cover the pot, or portion out into storage jars. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- freezer- cool completely, then portion out into glass or plastic freezer jars. Leave ¼ of the jar empty to account for expansion, and leave lids ajar until the soup is fully frozen. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- broccoli
- green beans- add after cooking
- corn or peas (fresh or frozen)- add after cooking
- parsnips
- kale or spinach- add after cooking
- potatoes or sweet potatoes
- squash
- leeks
Video
Nutrition Information
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