Our easy Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is ready to eat in only 30 minutes and is made a broth that is one of the best out there! This soup is a great way to use up leftover vegetables or canned vegetables from the pantry. You can also make vegetable soup on the stovetop.
We know that vegetable soup is a perfect "cleaning out the fridge" soup. Throw whatever veggies and beans you've got lying around in there and you've got vegetable soup! This recipe is great for busy weeknights and lazy days when you don't feel like cooking but still want a warm, comforting meal. Our spicy tofu soup, pastina soup and pressure cooked beef barley are other favorites for those nights!
Your kids will love it. You will love it. And I hope it will become one of your go-to effortless soups on cold and dreary winter days!
Table Of Contents
Ingredients
- Vegetable broth
- Vegetable juice
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Onions, garlic and celery
- Vegetables: carrots, green beans, peas, corn, kale, spinach, etc.
- Chickpeas
- Ditalini pasta: or other short pasta like elbows or stars
- Herbs: parsley, thyme, basil
kick up the flavor
The BEST Way
What kicks up the flavor in the broth for Instant Pot Vegetable soup is a combination of vegetable broth, vegetable juice, and the tomato juice from the diced tomato cans. Always use the juices from the canned tomatoes, and use V8 tomato juice if you can, as the generic versions don't have the same flavor.
Instructions
- Saute the onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in olive oil for 3 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth and deglaze until a wooden spoon runs smooth on the bottom of the pot and all stuck bits are released. Then add vegetable juice, tomatoes and spices. Do not stir. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
- Complete a controlled quick release and add the canned veggies, chickpeas (or beans) and ditalini. Give it a good stir, then set to saute on high for 6 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot carefully to another surface, to prevent overcooking. Let cool slightly, serve, and enjoy!
- As it stands, the pasta may soak up too much broth for your liking. Simply add 1 cup of vegetable broth with ½ cup tomato juice along with a little salt to make more broth.
Serve vegetable soup with a green salad and homemade bread. Garlic bread and tomato basil bread are excellent choices for dipping. But the kids love saltines or oyster crackers, and sometimes even plain white sandwich bread or pita chips.
kristina's tips
How To Make The Best Vegetable Soup
- Use fresh onion, garlic, and celery to make the broth base.
- Replace the chickpeas with your favorite bean.
- Use the juices from the canned tomatoes for more flavorful broth.
- Use any short pasta, or no pasta all.
- The pasta will soak up broth as the soup sits, so you may need to add a combination of vegetable broth and vegetable juice if you have leftovers (add in increments of 1 cup vegetable broth and ½ cup vegetable juice).
Recipe Variations
- There are many substitutions for the vegetables. Keep it super easy by using canned veggies or chop up fresh vegetables that are about to expire. I always use canned corn, tomatoes, and green beans. But peas, potatoes, asparagus, and any others that you love are perfect for vegetable soup.
- Change up the legumes also. Instead of chickpeas, use cannelloni beans or kidney beans. I think any kind of bean works to make this soup heartier, healthier, and full of protein.
- You can make this with or without the pasta, or even add ground beef or Italian sausage!. If you want to add meat, brown it in the Instant Pot before following the recipe as written. Once it's browned, deglaze the pot and keep it in the Instant Pot. Then follow the recipe as written.
How To Store
Fridge: Store in a covered container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Freezer: Freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 5 celery stalks chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 4 cups vegetable juice such as V8
- 6 cups vegetable broth or 6 cups water + 6 bouillon cubes
- 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes plus the liquid
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 15 oz can corn drained
- 1 15 oz can green beans drained
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups uncooked ditalini pasta or other short pasta
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute on high for 3 minutes. Add the oil and when heated, add onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Stir frequently.
- Turn off saute and add the vegetable broth. Deglaze until a wooden spoon runs smooth on the bottom of the pot and all stuck bits are released. Then add vegetable juice, tomatoes and spices. Do not stir. Seal the lid and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes.
- Complete a controlled quick release and set back to saute mode on high for 6 minutes. Add the ditalini and canned corn, green beans, and chickpeas. Give it a good stir and let cook for 6 minutes.
- Turn off the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot to a heat proof surface to prevent overcooking. Let cool slightly, and serve with your favorite salad or bread.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Add all ingredients except for the pasta to the slow cooker.
- Set to high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. With 30 minutes left add the pasta and cook for remaining time.
Notes
Nutrition
Meryle Stanley says
Just made this soup so quick and easy with lots of flavor thank you.
Brenda says
What size instant pot do you use if you want to double the recipe?
Kristina says
Hi Brenda. As written this fills up a 6 quart Instant Pot nearly to the fill line. I think you could double it using a 10 quart pressure cooker, but it may become overloaded with the addition of the pasta. You may need to cook the pasta separately, then add it to the soup at the very end (or to individual bowls).
Jack says
How about potatoes?
Kristina says
Sure, you can use potatoes too!
Julie Hernandez says
Love! Can I freeze it you think?
Kristina says
Hi Julie,
Yes! You can freeze this soup. The pasta may fall apart a little bit, depending on how long you freeze it for. But it will still be delicious! It's great for meal prep freezer lunches and for moms wanting to meal prep before new baby arrives. 🙂
nurp says
Could you please add link to your broth recipe? Thanks a lot for sharing!
Kristina says
Hello! I do not have another post for just the broth, only the soup.
Toni says
I can't wait to make this again! So good!
Erin Gierhart says
I love how easy this is!
Scott says
Do we drain canned vegetables? I’m a novice.
Kristina says
Hi Scott, you should drain everything but the tomatoes.