This Vegetable Beef Soup comes together in a snap with the help of an instant pot. It is the perfect cozy, cold-weather comfort food!
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The weather had turned cold and that means it is officially soup season! This soup is not only delicious, but it's also a great way to use up lots of vegetables!
I love making soups in the instant pot. Typically soup benefits from simmering all day on the stove, but the instant pot gets the job done in just a short amount of time.
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Ingredients and substitutions
This soup can easily be made with just about whatever vegetables that you like or have on hand.
- Beef Stew Meat - you can also use cooked and drained ground beef
- Oil - any mild flavored oil that tolerates high heat will work. I used avocado oil.
- Salt and Pepper
- Onion - you can use 3 teaspoons of onion powder if you prefer.
- Garlic - you can use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Italian Seasoning
- Celery Salt
- Tomato Sauce or crushed tomatoes
- Beef Base or beef bullion
- Russet Potatoes - you could also use red potatoes or yukon gold
- Carrots
- Green Beans
- Frozen Corn
- Frozen Peas
- Frozen Lima Beans
You can substitute any of the vegetables with other vegetables that you prefer. You can also substitute any of the vegetables for frozen or canned varieties. If you do use canned vegetables, then I recommend giving them a good rinse under cold running water to remove the tinny taste.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Making homemade vegetable beef soup in the instant pot is about as easy as it gets!
Start out by placing the liner (the stainless steel cooking pot) into the instant pot base and adding the oil. Set the instant pot to saute at high heat. On most models, you do this by pressing 'saute' then the '+' sign until the light over 'More' is illuminated.
Once the oil is hot, add the beef and season it with salt and pepper. Cook the beef for a few minutes until it is browned all over. Then, add the diced onion, garlic, and seasoning.
Stir and continue cooking until the onions are beginning to turn translucent. This should just take a couple of minutes. Then, turn off the instant pot.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the instant pot, adding the water last. Add the water to fill up to the 5-quart line on the pot.
Hint: 5 quarts is the highest that you should fill a 6 quart instant pot. Be sure that the water does not go over the 5-quart line. If you are using an instant pot that is larger than 6 quarts, just add 4 cups of water.
Give everything a good stir, then cook it under high pressure for 45 minutes. When the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally.
Note: The recipe card includes clear instructions for the most common instant pot model (Instant Pot Duo 6-qt) If you have a different model, consult the user manual for proper function. You can find copies of manuals for every instant pot model here!
Variations
Besides using different vegetables, there are plenty of other ways to change up this recipe!
- Slow Cooker - If you prefer to make this in a slow cooker, simply complete step 2 on the stove top in a heavy bottomed pot. Then place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
- Spicy - Add chili powder and/or ground cayenne pepper to taste.
- Low Carb - Substitue some or all of the higher carb vegetables (basically everything but the green beans 😂) with low carb alternatives. I like to use peeled and cubed turnips, cabbage, and mushrooms.
Equipment
This recipe uses basic equipment plus an instant pot (obviously). You will need the following:
- Measuring cups and spoons
- A good knife - I LOVE my Henckels chef's knife. It's about as good as it gets at a price point of less than $50.
- Cutting board
- A vegetable peeler
- An Instant Pot - I recently upgraded to an Instant Pot Pro Plus and so far I really love it. This was actually the first recipe that I cooked in it. I like that it can be used for canning, and honestly, so far my favorite feature that that you can set the steam release method ahead of cooking and it automatically releases using the method you selected at the end of cooking. My old instant pot was one of the earliest models, so honestly - these features may be common now.
Storage
One of the greatest things about soup is leftovers! This soup makes a bunch and it is almost even better leftover.
Store soup in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 7 days. Make sure that the soup has fully cooled before sealing the container.
You can also freeze leftovers for up to 1 year. I like to freeze the soup in twist-top storage bowls. They perfectly hold 1 serving, so I can heat up just enough and then eat it straight from the storage bowl so there are fewer dishes.
I have also seen souper cubes all over the place and with rave reviews. They are basically large silicone ice cube trays made for freezing soup. After it is frozen, you can remove the soup cube from the mold and store it in a freezer bag. I haven't tried these myself but it does sound intriguing 🤔
FAQs
You have to be careful to not cook the vegetables too long when using an instant pot. Remember that the cooking time not only includes the actual time the pot is under pressure but also the time it takes to get to pressure and the time it takes to release the pressure.
For quick-cooking vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini - you only need to cook under pressure for a minute or 2 at most.
I use vegetables that take longer to cook or are unlikely to get mushy for this soup so you shouldn't have to worry about it.
Overcooking stew meat is almost never an issue with an instant pot. since the meat is cooked under pressure, the liquid is kept in the meat which prevents it from drying out. If you find that your stew meat is too tough or chewy, it may benefit from a few more minutes of cooking.
I also find that using a frozen beef oven causes the end result to be tough and chewy so I suggest thawing the meat fully before cooking if this is an issue for you.
Yes. The directions will all be the same, including the cooking time. The only change is that an 8-quart pot may take longer to come to pressure and to release pressure.
I like to use an Italian seasoning blend, celery salt, along with onion and garlic. I also prefer to use beef base instead of beef broth as it lends a richer soup.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Equipment
- 6 quart instant pot
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Knife
- Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb Beef Stew Meat
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste, I used about ½ teaspoon of each
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 tablespoon Garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Celery Salt
- 30 oz Tomato Sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups Water
- 2 tablespoon Beef Base or beef bullion
- 2 Russet Potatoes peeled and cubed
- 3 Medium Carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Green Beans trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup Frozen Corn
- 1 cup Frozen Peas
- 1 cup Frozen Lima Beans
Instructions
- Place the liner into the instant pot base and add the oil. Set the instant pot to saute at high heat. On most models, you do this by pressing 'saute' then the '+' sign until the light over 'More' is illuminated.1 tablespoon Oil
- Once the oil is hot, add the meat and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until the beef is browned on all sides.1 ½ lb Beef Stew Meat, Salt and Pepper
- Add the onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, and celery salt. Continue cooking for about 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions have begun to turn translucent.1 Onion, 1 tablespoon Garlic, 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning, 1 teaspoon Celery Salt
- Press the 'Cancel' button on the instant pot. Then, add the remaining ingredients leaving the water for last. Add the water just until it reaches the 5 qt line of the inner liner of the instant pot, this should be about 4 cups of water. 5 quarts is the maximum that can be added to a 6 quart instant pot, so be mindful not to go over that line. Gently stir everything together.30 oz Tomato Sauce, 2 tablespoon Beef Base, 2 Russet Potatoes, 3 Medium Carrots, 1 cup Green Beans, 1 cup Frozen Corn, 1 cup Frozen Peas, 1 cup Frozen Lima Beans, 4 cups Water
- Place the lid on your pot in the 'locked' position. Set the sealing valve to 'closed' if applicable. Set the instant pot to cook at high pressure for 45 minutes. On most models, you will press 'Pressure Cook' then '+' or '-' until 0:45 is displayed then press 'pressure level' until the light under 'high pressure' is illuminated.
- Once the cooking time is complete, allow the pressure to naturally release. Then, carefully remove the lid and stir the soup. Adjust salt and pepper if needed and enjoy!
Be sure to read the entire post for tips, tricks, and help troubleshooting.
The nutrition information listed here is only an estimate and is simply provided as a courtesy. It nor any other information within this post should constitute medical or nutritional advice. Be sure to read all packaging and ingredient labels for potential allergens. Optional ingredients are not included unless otherwise specified.
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