This Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe is a quick, delicious way to eat more veggies! It’s comforting, nutritious and it’s great for meal prep!

Instant pot vegetable soup in a bowl with parsley and pepper

I love incorporating soup into my meal plans because they’re comforting, delicious and are a great way to get more veggies in our diet. 

This white bean and kale soup is a favorite, and this collection of soup recipes has something for everyone in the family!

I utilized my trusty Instant Pot to create this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup, and I’m so impressed with how quick and easy it is. The vegetables are perfectly soft without being mushy, and the soup is packed with flavor.

It really doesn’t get much better than a comforting bowl of chunky vegetable soup, especially when it can be prepared even faster. 🙂

Love your Instant Pot? Be sure to check out my collection of easy Instant Pot recipes for inspiration!

Instant pot vegetable soup in a bowl with bread and parsley garnish

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Healthy and delicious. It doesn’t get much more healthy than a bowl of vegetable soup! This vegetarian meal is nutritious, full of chunky vegetables, and it’s packed with flavor.
  • Quick and easy. Making pressure cooker vegetable soup is SO quick and easy you may never make it any other way again.
  • Versatile. It’s extremely versatile! You can swap the veggies out for your favorite types, or simply utilize what you have on hand.
  • Great for meal prep. The soup keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge, or your can freeze it for up to 3 months.

Recipe ingredients

This may look like a lot of ingredients, but they’re important to lend flavor, color, and make this Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe nice and hearty.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe ingredients.

Ingredient notes

  • Mirepoix. No soup is complete without a mirepoix, which is the foundation of flavor in French cooking. The mirepoix consists of onion (in this case leek), carrot, celery and garlic. I love the mild onion flavor in leeks, but you can use whatever type of onion you have on hand.
  • Parsnips. I’ve opted to make this Instant Pot vegetable soup with no potato as I prefer to use parsnips instead. If you’re not familiar with parsnips, they are similar to carrots but are even sweeter with an earthy flavor. They can be substituted with any root vegetable such as potato, rutabaga or turnip if you prefer.
  • Bell pepper. Yellow bell pepper adds color and sweet flavor to the soup. Sub with fresh or frozen corn as desired.
  • Green beans. Sub the green beans with broccoli or green peas if desired.
  • Diced tomatoes. Use fire roasted diced tomatoes to amp up the flavor in this soup.
  • Vegetable broth. Use homemade vegetable stock to make this soup next level, or use your favorite store bought brand.
  • Bay leaf and herbs. A combination of bay leaf and fresh thyme and rosemary add great depth of flavor. Sub with your favorite fresh herbs, or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of your favorite dried herbs.
  • Lemon juice. A bit of fresh lemon juice heightens the flavors in this soup!
  • Spinach. Use fresh or frozen spinach, or your favorite fresh greens such as kale or Swiss chard.

How to make vegetable soup in the Instant Pot

Making vegetable soup in the Instant Pot is so quick and easy. Simply prep the veggies, and the soup comes together in mere minutes.

Pro tip: Prep your vegetables a day or two in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.

See the recipe card below for full instructions.

How to make vegetable soup in the Instant Pot
  1. Sauté the leeks, carrots, parsnips and celery for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and bell pepper, and sauté 1 minute longer.
  2. Add the green beans, diced tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, herbs and salt and pepper to taste, and stir well. 
  3. Secure the lid, close the venting valve, and set to High Pressure for 3 minutes.  Note: the Instant Pot will take 10-15 minutes to come to pressure before it begins the cooking process.  After 3 minutes, quick release the pressure and remove the lid when it’s safe to do so.
  4. Discard the bay leaf and stir in the spinach and lemon juice.  Adjust the seasoning if needed and serve!
Vegetable soup in Instant Pot with a wooden spoon

FAQs

Is homemade vegetable soup healthy?

Most store bought vegetable soups are packed with sodium and preservatives.  Homemade vegetable soup is healthier because you control the ingredients. 

You can customize this Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe with your favorite vegetables, herbs and other ingredients that are right for you. And if you incorporate my homemade vegetable stock, you’ll add even more flavor to your soup and control the sodium.

What is the benefit to making vegetable soup in the Instant Pot?

There are several benefits to choosing to make vegetable soup in the Instant Pot instead of the stove top:

Faster cooking time: While it may not be significantly faster because it takes about 10 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, the Instant Pot does cook vegetables much more quickly than the stove top method.

More flavor: Pressure cooking intensifies the flavors of your soup as the pressure locks the steam inside. This concentrates the flavors dramatically.

Hands-free cooking: There’s no standing over the pot stirring the soup as it simmers. Once you give the vegetables a quick sauté in the Instant Pot, you add the herbs and stock, lock the lid in place and forget about it until it’s done.

How long does Instant Pot vegetable soup take to cook?

Instant Pot vegetable soup takes about 18 minutes of cooking time. While there is only 8 minutes of actual cooking time (5 minutes to sauté the mirepoix and 3 minutes for the actual cooking time of the soup), you must allow 10 minutes additional time for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.

What are some good vegetable soup variations?

The glory of vegetable soup is that you can incorporate any of your favorite vegetables or utilize what you have on hand in your pantry and refrigerator.

I always recommend using onion, carrot, celery and garlic as foundation of the soup as it adds great flavor.

Vegetable swaps: Swap out any veggies depending on the season. In the fall and winter, potatoes, parsnips, winter squash, cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are great options. In the spring and summer, mushrooms, summer squash, corn, bell pepper, green beans, tomatoes and greens are wonderful as well.

Add legumes: Add lentils or beans to bump up the protein and fiber content of your vegetable soup.

Add grains, rice or pasta: Grains such as barley, farro, rice or pasta will make your vegetable soup even more satisfying.

Make it creamy: Add some cream or coconut milk to add richness, or top the soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Add flavor boosters: Experiment with a variety of herbs and seasonings or add citrus juice at the end to make the flavors pop. Tomato paste adds great depth of flavor, and a splash of soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos will add umami flavor.

Serving suggestions

There are so many delicious ways to serve this Instant Pot vegetable soup. Below are some of my favorites!

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Prep your vegetables a day or two in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
  • Customize this soup with your favorite veggies, herbs and seasonings!
  • Store Instant Pot vegetable soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Bowl of Instant Pot vegetable soup with a spoon and garnished with parsley

More soup recipes you’ll love

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Instant pot vegetable soup in a bowl with parsley and pepper.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is healthy, flavorful and so easy to make! It's gluten-free, vegan and great for meal prep!
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium leeks halved and sliced (white and light green parts only)
  • 2 medium carrots chopped into 1/2" chunks
  • 2 medium parsnips peeled and chopped into 1/2" chunks
  • 2 stalks celery chopped into 1/2" chunks
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper chopped
  • 6 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
  • 15 ounces low sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable stock add more as desired
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 3 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions 

  • Press the Sauté button on the Instant Pot and heat the olive oil. Add the leeks, carrot, parsnip and celery, and sauté 5 minutes. Add the garlic and bell pepper and sauté 1 minute longer.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 2 medium leeks, 2 medium carrots, 2 medium parsnips, 2 stalks celery, 3 cloves garlic, 1 yellow bell pepper
  • Add the green beans, tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, herbs and stir. Secure the lid and close the venting valve, and set to High Pressure for 3 minutes. When done, quick release the pressure and remove the lid when it's safe to do so.
    Note: the Instant Pot takes about 10 minutes to come to pressure and begin the cooking process.
    6 ounces green beans, 15 ounces low sodium fire roasted diced tomatoes, 6 cups vegetable stock, 1 bay leaf, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, 1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary
  • Remove the lid and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the spinach, lemon juice, then taste and the desired amount of salt and pepper. Enjoy!
    3 cups fresh baby spinach, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, to taste

Notes

  • Pro tip: Prep your vegetables a day or two in advance to make this recipe go even more quickly.
  • Customize this soup with your favorite veggies, herbs and seasonings!
  • Store Instant Pot vegetable soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 99kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 786mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 7g

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

**This post was originally published in January 2020. The photos have been updated, and the text has been modified to include more recipe information.

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