Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Name: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 45 min
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; 1/4 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

Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes Instant Pot Soup, Stew, and Chili Recipes January 6, 2024 | By Kristen Chidsey | 65 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

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Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is a hearty, healthy, and incredibly flavorful soup that comes together in just over 30 minutes.

Serve this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup with Dutch Oven Bread and a Spinach Avocado Salad for a delicious healthy Easy Vegan Dinner Recipe that the whole family will enjoy!

White Bowl with Instant Pot Vegetable Soup and Instant Pot in the background.

Vegetable soup has always been a soup I either LOVE or HATE, depending on how the soup is prepared and flavored.

Today, I am sharing with you the ultimate recipe for Instant Pot Vegetable Soup that will guarantee your soup is incredibly full of flavor and hearty and never bland, watery, or boring.

Reasons to Love Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Layered Flavors. The secret to making the best version of Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is to layer flavors. Adding a bit of dry red wine, a variety of dried spices, and balsamic vinegar adds depth and flavor to an otherwise simple soup recipe.
Comes Together Quickly. Thanks to the speed and convenience of Instant Pot, this veggie soup is ready in just over 30 minutes.
Wholesome Recipe. Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is packed with vegetables, which in turn, fills this soup with nutrients and fiber.
Affordable. This Instant Pot Vegetable Soup recipe calls for basic ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
Versatile. Change out the veggies to suit your preference or what you have on hand.

Notes on Ingredients & Equipment

Ingredients for Vegetable Soup labeled on counter.

Vegetable Broth: Use low-sodium store-bought or homemade vegetable broth.
Red Wine: A bit of dry red wine adds dimension to this recipe. I recommend using a dry red wine such as a Merlot or Cabernet that is worth drinking for the best flavor. If you don't care to cook with alcohol use additional vegetable broth in place of the wine.
Aromatics: The base of this vegetable soup is built with onions, celery, and garlic, which adds a classic, rich flavor to the soup.
Spices: Oregano, salt, pepper, and 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.
Potatoes: You can use red potatoes, gold potatoes, or russet potatoes. I would recommend peeling russet potatoes, but the red and gold potatoes can be left unpeeled if desired.
Green Beans: Use fresh or frozen trimmed green beans.
Carrots: Use peeled, sliced carrots or frozen diced carrots.
Italian-Seasoned Diced Tomatoes: Instead of using a can of plain diced tomatoes, look for one that has added oregano and garlic, which will lend additional flavor to the vegetable soup.
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.
Balsamic 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 pop in your mouth. It is a secret addition that makes this soup out of this world!
Instant Pot: 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.

Substitutions/Modifications

Regular Diced Tomatoes: If you use regular diced tomatoes, double the amount of garlic and oregano added to the soup, to amp the flavor up.
Diced Frozen Veggies: Feel free to use up to 3 cups of frozen mixed vegetables in place of the green beans, carrots, potatoes, corn, etc.
Oil-Free Option: 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.

How to Make Vegetable Soup in the Instant Pot

While this is an incredibly simple recipe, if you are unfamiliar with cooking in an Instant Pot or the functions of your Instant Pot, be sure to start with How to Use an Instant Pot for the best results on this and future recipes. You will find the full recipe in detail in the recipe card below.

Step One: Saute Veggies. Rather than simply dumping the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic into the pressure cooker along with the other ingredients, taking a few minutes to saute the onions, celery, and carrots with the garlic will help develop the rich flavor in the soup.

Step Two: Deglaze. Whenever you saute ANYTHING in the instant pot, it is crucial to add thin liquid and scrape up any browned bits off the inner pot. This is called deglazing and will help to prevent a burn warning.

Wine added to inner pot after sauteeing celery and onions in inner pot.

Step Three: Layer Ingredients. Add in the vegetable broth, potatoes, carrots, green beans, diced tomatoes, and seasonings, and stir gently to combine.

Ingredients for vegetable soup layered in inner pot.

Step Four: Pressure Cook & Pressure Release. The cooking time for this vegetable soup is only 5 minutes. Any longer than that, your vegetable will turn to mush. After the cooking time has elapsed, allow pressure to release naturally for at least 15 minutes. 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.

Pressure cooked vegetable soup inside inner pot.

Step Five: Finish Soup. After pressure has been released, stir in greens and vinegar and let the greens wilt. Note: For softer kale, add it to the soup before pressure cooking.

Vegetable soup after adding greens to inner pot.

Serving Suggestions

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is a fabulous, hearty, and healthy meal that is perfect to serve for dinner or lunch with homemade biscuits or whole wheat rolls and a side salad tossed with balsamic vinaigrette to compliment the balsamic added to the soup. Or serve with Whole Wheat Dutch Oven Bread and a Caesar Salad.

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: Allow the vegetable soup to cool slightly and then store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Freeze: While you can freeze this soup, keep in mind that the texture of the vegetables will not be the same after thawing and reheating.