10 Instant Pot Soup Recipes for Chunky, Comforting Bowls

Instant pot soup recipes are my answer when you want deep, slow-simmered flavor on a weeknight clock. The sealed pot drives heat through the liquid fast, so beans soften, barley goes tender, and broth picks up all the caramelized bits from a quick sear. A good soup also leans on one supporting ingredient for body: cream, beans, rice, or starchy potatoes.

Start with the Classic Chicken Noodle if you want the benchmark bowl. The Beef Barley is for Sunday-level richness, the Black Bean brings heat, and the Butternut Squash is the fastest route to a silky centerpiece.

Which Instant Pot Soup Should You Make?

Classic Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the version you reach for when someone in the house has a cold or the evening just calls for a clear, golden broth. It keeps the noodles firm by cooking them in the broth at the end, so they don’t turn to mush.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 680 g (1.5 lb)
• Carrots, sliced into coins: 3 medium
• Celery stalks, sliced: 3
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, minced: 4
• Dried thyme: 1 tsp
• Low-sodium chicken stock: 1.9 L (8 cups)
• Egg noodles: 170 g (6 oz)
• Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp
• Kosher salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Turn on your Instant Pot to Sauté and add the 1 tbsp vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add the 680 g chicken thighs and brown them for 4 minutes per side, just until the outside loses most of its pink.

Step 2: Take the chicken out and set it on your cutting board. Add the 3 sliced carrots, 3 celery stalks, and 1 large diced onion to the pot with a pinch of salt, then cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until the onion goes soft and sweet.

Step 3: Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 tsp dried thyme, then pour in the 1.9 L chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pot, and you’ll need to press Cancel before you seal.

Step 4: Secure the lid and set Manual or Pressure Cook on High for 10 minutes. When the time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before you quick-release the rest.

Step 5: Use your tongs to transfer the chicken to a plate and shred or chop it. Switch to Sauté, add the 170 g egg noodles, and cook them for 7 minutes, until just tender, then stir the chicken back in and season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot in deep bowls.

Creamy Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup

This one is for the night you want a silky bowl that tastes like the end of summer, even if the tomatoes came from a can. Heavy cream and fresh basil go in after pressure cooking so the soup stays bright.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Canned whole peeled tomatoes: 800 g (28 oz) can
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic cloves, smashed: 4
• Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
• Vegetable stock: 480 ml (2 cups)
• Heavy cream: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Fresh basil leaves: 20 g (1 cup lightly packed)
• Granulated sugar: 1 tsp
• Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and melt the 2 tbsp butter. Add the 1 medium diced onion and cook for 4 minutes, until it’s soft at the edges, then stir in the 4 smashed garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste.

Step 2: Add the 800 g can of tomatoes with their juices, the 480 ml vegetable stock, and 1 tsp sugar. Break the tomatoes up with your spoon, then seal and cook on High for 8 minutes.

Step 3: Quick-release the pressure and take off the lid. Add the 20 g basil leaves, then use your immersion blender to blend until completely smooth.

Step 4: Stir in the 120 ml heavy cream and set the pot to Sauté. Cook for 3 minutes, just until the soup bubbles at the edges, then you can taste and add salt and black pepper.

Step 5: Ladle the soup into your bowls and top each with a few small basil leaves.

Instant Pot Beef Barley Soup

I keep this one in the rotation for the beefy depth you usually only get from a slow braise. Searing the chuck first is non-negotiable because those browned bits dissolve into the broth and give it real body.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• Beef chuck, cut into 2.5 cm cubes: 900 g (2 lb)
• Pearl barley: 200 g (1 cup)
• Carrots, sliced: 4
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, minced: 4
• Tomato paste: 3 tbsp
• Beef stock: 2.4 L (10 cups)
• Dried thyme: 1 tsp
• Vegetable oil: 2 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Heat the 2 tbsp vegetable oil in your Instant Pot on Sauté. Season the 900 g beef cubes with salt and pepper, then brown them in two batches for about 3 minutes per side, so you get a good crust on all sides.

Step 2: Move the browned beef to a plate. Add the 1 large chopped onion and a pinch of salt to the same pot, then cook for 5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits with your wooden spoon.

Step 3: Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 3 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tsp dried thyme, and you’ll smell it turn darker in a minute. Pour in the 2.4 L beef stock and return the beef to the pot.

Step 4: Seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 25 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before you quick-release the rest.

Step 5: Take the lid off and switch to Sauté, and you’ll see the broth has deepened. Stir in the 200 g pearl barley and 4 sliced carrots, then cook at a gentle bubble for 20 minutes, until the barley is tender but still has a little bite.

Step 6: Taste it yourself and add more salt if you think it needs it. Ladle the soup into your bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

This version gets its tang from lime and its smoke from chipotle, not from a long simmer. You’ll want the crushed tortilla chips in every spoonful, so don’t skip them.

Ingredients (makes 5 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: 680 g (1.5 lb)
• Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: 400 g (14 oz) can
• Black beans, drained and rinsed: 400 g (14 oz) can
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 medium
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Smoked paprika and cayenne: 1 tsp and 1/4 tsp
• Chicken stock: 1.2 L (5 cups)
• Limes, juiced: 2
• Crushed tortilla chips: 100 g (2 cups)
• Kosher salt: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and let it heat up for a minute. Add the 1 medium chopped onion with a splash of the chicken stock and cook for 4 minutes, until the onion softens and you can smell its sweetness.

Step 2: Stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/4 tsp cayenne, and you’ll see the spices darken against the onion. Add the 400 g tomatoes, the 400 g black beans, and the remaining chicken stock.

Step 3: Nestle the 680 g chicken breasts into the liquid and seal the lid. Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes before you quick-release the rest.

Step 4: You’ll take the chicken out and shred it with two forks. Stir the juice of the 2 limes and the shredded chicken back into the pot.

Step 5: Ladle the soup into your bowls and pile the 100 g crushed tortilla chips on top of each one. Serve right away, while the chips still crunch.

Spicy Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

This is the one to make when you want a spoon that stands up on its own and heat that builds as you eat. Smoked paprika and a whole chipotle do the heavy lifting, so there is no long list of spices.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Dried black beans, soaked overnight: 450 g (1 lb)
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large
• Carrot, diced: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, minced: 4
• Chipotle pepper in adobo, minced: 1
• Smoked paprika: 1 tsp
• Ground cumin: 1 tsp
• Vegetable stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Lime, juiced: 1
• Salt: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Turn your Instant Pot to Sauté and let it heat for a minute. Add the 1 large chopped onion and 1 large diced carrot with a splash of vegetable stock, and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion goes soft.

Step 2: Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 chipotle pepper, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and 1 tsp cumin, and cook for 30 seconds, and you’ll smell the spices turn toasty.

Step 3: Add the 450 g drained black beans and the remaining vegetable stock. Seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 30 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before you quick-release the rest.

Step 4: Blend about a third of the soup with your immersion blender or a regular blender, then stir it back in to thicken the pot.

Step 5: Stir in the juice of 1 lime and salt to taste. Ladle the soup into your bowls and top with a spoon of sour cream if you like.

Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

You get a silky, sweet bowl here without any long roasting, and that matters on a weeknight. The pressure cooker steams the squash so fast it keeps its bright orange color.

Ingredients (makes 5 servings)

• Butternut squash, peeled and cubed: 1.1 kg (2.5 lb)
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 medium
• Garlic cloves, smashed: 2
• Fresh ginger, peeled and sliced: 15 g (1 tbsp)
• Vegetable stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Full-fat coconut milk: 240 ml (1 cup)
• Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
• Ground cinnamon: 1/4 tsp
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and melt the 2 tbsp butter. Add the 1 medium chopped onion and cook for 4 minutes, until it turns translucent at the edges.

Step 2: You’ll stir in the 1.1 kg cubed squash, the 2 smashed garlic cloves, the 15 g ginger, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Pour in the 720 ml vegetable stock and seal the lid.

Step 3: Pressure cook on High for 8 minutes, then quick-release the pressure before you take the lid off.

Step 4: Blend everything with your immersion blender until completely smooth. Stir in the 240 ml coconut milk and set the pot to Sauté for 2 minutes, just to bring it back to a bubble.

Step 5: Ladle the soup into your bowls and finish each one with a spoon of coconut milk from the can and a pinch of black pepper.

Instant Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Wild rice needs a long cook at normal pressure, and that is exactly what makes this version feel so cozy. You get a rich, nutty broth with a mix of chicken thighs and a little cream at the end, and it never turns heavy.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 680 g (1.5 lb)
• Wild rice blend: 180 g (1 cup)
• Carrots, sliced: 3
• Yellow onion, diced: 1 medium
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Dried thyme: 1/2 tsp
• Chicken stock: 1.4 L (6 cups)
• Heavy cream: 120 ml (1/2 cup)
• Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and melt the 2 tbsp butter. Add the 680 g chicken thighs and brown them for 3 minutes per side, until the outside just turns pale.

Step 2: Take the chicken out and add the 1 medium diced onion and 3 sliced carrots. Cook for 4 minutes, scraping the bottom with your wooden spoon, until the onion softens.

Step 3: You’ll stir in the 3 minced garlic cloves and 1/2 tsp thyme, then pour in the 1.4 L chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pot and stir in the 180 g wild rice blend.

Step 4: Seal and pressure cook on High for 25 minutes. When the time ends, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before you quick-release the rest.

Step 5: Use your tongs to lift the chicken out and shred or chop it. Switch to Sauté and stir in the 120 ml heavy cream, then cook for 2 minutes, just until the surface shimmers.

Step 6: Return the shredded chicken to the pot and taste the broth. Ladle the soup into your bowls and serve with a few cracks of black pepper.

Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

This is a garden soup, not a bean-and-pasta stew, because I keep the vegetables chunky and add the pasta at the end so it stays firm. You can use whatever sturdy greens you have in the drawer.

Ingredients (makes 8 servings)

• Cannellini beans, drained: 400 g (14 oz) can
• Carrots, sliced: 3
• Celery stalks, sliced: 3
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large
• Garlic cloves, minced: 4
• Tomato paste: 2 tbsp
• Ditalini or small pasta: 150 g (1 cup)
• Vegetable stock: 2 L (8 cups)
• Dried oregano and salt: 1 tsp, plus to taste
• Olive oil: 2 tbsp

Instructions

Step 1: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and warm the 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the 3 sliced carrots, 3 celery stalks, and 1 large chopped onion, and cook for 5 minutes, until the onion turns soft at the edges.

Step 2: Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 2 tbsp tomato paste, and 1 tsp dried oregano, and you’ll see the paste darken and cling to the vegetables. Pour in the 2 L vegetable stock and add the drained cannellini beans.

Step 3: Seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 4 minutes. Quick-release the pressure before you take the lid off.

Step 4: Set the pot to Sauté and stir in the 150 g pasta. Cook until the pasta is just tender, about 6 minutes, and you’ll want to check a piece against your teeth.

Step 5: Ladle the minestrone into your bowls and finish each one with a little more olive oil from the bottle.

Instant Pot Turkey Sausage Kale Soup

This brothy soup leans on garlicky turkey sausage for most of its flavor, so you barely need a spice rack. Kale goes in at the end, just long enough to soften but stay bright green.

Ingredients (makes 6 servings)

• Turkey sausage, casings removed: 450 g (1 lb)
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 large
• Carrots, sliced: 3
• Garlic cloves, minced: 4
• Red pepper flakes: 1/4 tsp
• Chicken stock: 1.5 L (6 cups)
• Cannellini beans, drained: 400 g (14 oz) can
• Tuscan kale, stems removed and chopped: 140 g (4 cups)
• Olive oil: 1 tbsp
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Warm the 1 tbsp olive oil in your Instant Pot on Sauté. Add the 450 g turkey sausage and break it up with your spoon, cooking for 6 minutes, until the edges brown and you hear it sizzle.

Step 2: Add the 1 large chopped onion and 3 sliced carrots, and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, and you’ll smell the garlic turn mellow.

Step 3: Pour in the 1.5 L chicken stock and add the drained cannellini beans before you seal the lid, then pressure cook on High for 5 minutes.

Step 4: Quick-release the pressure before you switch to Sauté. Stir in the 140 g chopped kale and cook for 3 minutes, just until it wilts and turns glossy.

Step 5: Taste the broth yourself and add salt and black pepper. Ladle the soup into your bowls and serve with a little more olive oil on top.

Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup

This one turns russet potatoes into a creamy pot without any roux. Smoked turkey and a sharp cheddar finish give you that loaded-baked-potato flavor, and the pressure cooker does the mashing in one step.

Ingredients (makes 4 servings)

• Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed: 900 g (2 lb)
• Yellow onion, chopped: 1 medium
• Garlic cloves, minced: 3
• Chicken stock: 720 ml (3 cups)
• Whole milk: 240 ml (1 cup)
• Sharp cheddar cheese, grated: 120 g (1 cup)
• Smoked turkey, chopped: 85 g (3 oz)
• Unsalted butter: 3 tbsp
• Sour cream: 60 ml (1/4 cup)
• Salt and black pepper: to taste

Instructions

Step 1: Melt the 3 tbsp butter in your Instant Pot on Sauté. Add the 1 medium chopped onion and cook for 4 minutes, until it goes translucent and you can smell its sweetness.

Step 2: You’ll add the potatoes, all 900 g, plus the 3 minced garlic cloves and the 720 ml chicken stock before you seal the lid and pressure cook on High for 8 minutes.

Step 3: Quick-release the pressure and take the lid off. Use your potato masher to smash about half the potatoes right in the pot, leaving the rest chunky.

Step 4: Stir in the 240 ml milk, 120 g cheese, and 85 g smoked turkey. Set the pot to Sauté and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until the cheese melts and you see bubbles around the edges.

Step 5: Take the pot off heat and stir in the 60 ml sour cream, then taste it yourself and add salt and black pepper.

Step 6: Ladle the soup into your bowls and top each with a little extra cheddar and a pinch of black pepper.

Whenever you make any of these, the single biggest trick is the same: scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot after sautéing. Those browned bits are flavor, and a dry pot can trigger a burn notice before pressure even builds. Add a splash of stock and loosen them with your spoon every time.

Pick the one that matches your night, set the timer, and let the pot do the slow work. You’ll sit down to a bowl that tastes like it took all day.