Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

This comforting vegetable soup is perfect for anyone who wants a healthy, filling meal that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Your whole family will love how this hearty soup packs tons of fresh veggies into every spoonful without weighing you down with extra calories.

Recipe Details

Timing & Servings: Prep Time: 20 minutes, Additional Time: 10 minutes, Total Time: 30 minutes, Serves: 5 people.

Nutrition Profile: Nut-Free, Dairy-Free, Healthy Immunity, Soy-Free, High-Fiber, Vegan, Vegetarian, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Low-Calorie.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 193 Calories, 7g Fat, 26g Carbs, 7g Protein.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Extra-virgin olive oil: You’ll need 2 tablespoons for cooking, plus a little extra for drizzling on top. This adds such a nice rich flavor to the soup base.

Onion: Half a cup of chopped onion gives you that perfect sweet foundation. Any type of onion works great here!

Green bell pepper: Half a cup chopped up adds a lovely fresh crunch. You can use red or yellow peppers too if that’s what you have.

Garlic: Two cloves minced will fill your kitchen with the most amazing smell. Fresh garlic makes such a difference!

Green cabbage: You’ll need 1½ cups chopped, which adds great texture and makes the soup super filling.

Cauliflower: 1½ cups of small florets work perfectly. They get tender and creamy in the pressure cooker.

Carrots: One cup chopped gives you sweetness and beautiful color. Baby carrots work fine too – just slice them up!

Green beans: Half a cup cut into 1-inch pieces adds a nice pop of green. Fresh or frozen both work great.

Vegetable broth: 4 cups of low-sodium broth makes the perfect base. You can use regular broth and just skip the added salt.

Diced tomatoes: One 14-ounce can of no-salt-added tomatoes brings wonderful flavor. Regular diced tomatoes work too.

Bay leaf: Just one leaf adds such depth to the broth. Don’t forget to remove it before serving!

Salt: Half a teaspoon brings out all the veggie flavors perfectly.

Fresh spinach: 4 cups of chopped spinach wilts down beautifully and adds amazing nutrition.

Cannellini beans: One 15-ounce can, rinsed, makes this soup hearty and protein-packed.

Fresh basil: Quarter cup chopped adds the most wonderful fresh finish to every bowl.

How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Step 1: Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your multicooker. Turn on sauté mode and let it get nice and hot. Add your chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic. Stir them around often for 2 to 3 minutes until they start getting soft and smell amazing.

Step 2: Add the cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, and green beans to the pot. Keep stirring often and cook for 4 to 6 more minutes. You’ll see everything start to soften up nicely.

Step 3: Pour in the vegetable broth and diced tomatoes. Add your bay leaf and salt. Turn off the heat right away. Close and lock the lid on your pressure cooker.

Step 4: Cook at high pressure for exactly 5 minutes. When it’s done, release the pressure carefully. Remove that bay leaf – you don’t want anyone biting into it!

Step 5: Stir in the fresh spinach, cannellini beans, and chopped basil. The spinach will wilt perfectly from the heat. Serve with a nice drizzle of olive oil if you want!

Easy and Quick Instant Pot Vegetable Soup Version

Want to make this even faster? You can totally use frozen mixed vegetables instead of chopping everything fresh! Use about 3 cups of frozen veggie mix and skip all that prep time. Just add them right to the pot with the onion and garlic. The cooking time stays exactly the same, and you’ll save yourself 15 minutes of chopping.

Serving Ideas

This soup is honestly a complete meal all by itself! It’s packed with protein from the beans and tons of filling veggies. If you want to make it extra special, serve it with some crusty bread or crackers on the side. A simple green salad with lemon dressing would be perfect too.

Storage

Store your leftover soup in the fridge for up to 4 days in covered containers. To reheat, just warm it up on the stove over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes until hot.

Substitutions

No cannellini beans? Any white beans work great – try navy beans or great northern beans! Don’t have fresh spinach? Frozen spinach works perfectly – just use about 1 cup frozen instead of 4 cups fresh. You can swap the green beans for zucchini or yellow squash if that’s what you have on hand.

Pro Tips

• Don’t skip the sauté step: Those few minutes of cooking the veggies first builds so much more flavor in your soup.
• Quick pressure release: This prevents your veggies from getting mushy – you want them tender but not falling apart.
• Add greens at the end: Spinach and fresh herbs should go in after pressure cooking to keep their bright color and fresh taste.
• Taste and adjust: Every batch might need a little different seasoning, so taste before serving and add more salt if needed.

FAQs

Can I make this soup without an Instant Pot?

You bet! Just use a regular large pot on the stove. Sauté everything the same way, then add the broth and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then simmer covered for about 20 minutes until the veggies are tender. Add the spinach, beans, and basil at the end just like the original recipe.

Can I freeze this vegetable soup?

Sure! This soup freezes beautifully for up to 3 months. Just let it cool completely first, then store in freezer-safe containers. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove. The texture might be slightly different, but it’ll still taste amazing.

What if I don’t like some of these vegetables?

No worries at all! This recipe is super flexible. Skip anything you don’t like and add more of what you do like. Zucchini, broccoli, or diced potatoes would all be delicious additions. Just keep the total amount of veggies about the same.

Can I add meat to this soup?

Absolutely! If you want to add some cooked chicken or turkey, just stir it in with the spinach and beans at the end. About 1-2 cups of cooked, diced meat would be perfect. It’ll warm up quickly from the hot soup.

I hope you love this cozy vegetable soup as much as my family does! It’s become our go-to recipe for busy weeknights when we want something healthy and satisfying. Let me know how yours turns out – I’d love to hear about any fun variations you try!