Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Name: Instant Pot Vegetable Soup With Cabbage
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons oil, optional (or use a splash of the vegetable broth); 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend; 4 large cloves garlic, minced; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 ribs celery, chopped; 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into coins or half moons; 1 pound red or gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces; ½ small head cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and chopped (I like to cut into large bite-size pieces, about 2x2 inches.); 2 teaspoons shiitake mushroom powder, optional (see Note 1); 1 teaspoon fine sea salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste; 1 (14 oz) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes; 4 cups vegetable broth; 2 cups water; 1 bay leaf; ⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or a squeeze of lemon juice); 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari (check for allergens)

Instant Pot vegetable soup is perfect when you're craving a nourishing, light meal. It's ready in 40 minutes, and aside from chopping a few vegetables, it couldn't be easier! Just add everything to the Instant Pot, and soon you're ready to dig in! This soup is vegan and allergy-friendly. Stovetop instructions included.

Colorful Instant Pot vegetable soup in a white bowl resting on a wooden serving board.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love It
Ingredient Notes
How To Make Instant Pot Vegetable Soup
Variations
Equipment
How to Store and Freeze Vegetable Soup
FAQs
Top Tip
Serving Suggestions
Recipe
💬 Comments

Why You'll Love It

There's just something about a bowl of vegetable soup that's so satisfying. Lightly seasoned with Italian herbs, it's broth-y, lightly tomato-y, and has all of the varying textures of veggies and potato.

What we really love about this particular recipe is that the Instant Pot cooks the vegetables perfectly! And it's so easy it's essentially a "dump-and-start" kind of Instant Pot recipe.

After briefly sauteing the herbs and garlic to enhance the flavors, you simply add everything else to the Instant Pot, lock on the lid, and pressure cook on high for 9 minutes.

The flavors and colors of the vegetables stay more vibrant with pressure cooking, as opposed to the extended simmering required for stovetop vegetable soup.

And with the cabbage and potatoes, I find it especially comforting and satisfying. I hope you love it, too!

a labeled photo of the 12 ingredients needed for vegetable soup.

Ingredient Notes

cabbage - most vegetable soup recipes don't include cabbage, but in my opinion, it's the veggie that totally makes this soup! It cooks up perfectly tender, and we really prefer it over green beans, which are often in vegetable soup (and often over-cooked).
onion - any variety
potatoes - I used gold potatoes and left the skins on. Red potatoes or russets are also great in vegetable soup. If using russet potatoes, I recommend peeling them first.
canned diced tomatoes - I used fire-roasted tomatoes but regular diced tomatoes are fine, too.
broth - either store-bought or homemade vegetable broth
fresh parsley - added after pressure cooking, it gives the soup a pop of color and lovely fresh flavor.
mushroom powder - I'm always looking for easy ways to add umami to my plant-based recipes, and dried mushrooms/mushroom powder have become a staple in my pantry for that reason. If you don't have this ingredient, that's no problem. Just skip it!
Italian seasoning - this is a blend of oregano, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, basil, and sage. If you don't have the blend on hand, make your own with about ¾ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon each of marjoram, rosemary, and thyme, and a few dashes of sage.

See recipe card below for quantities and complete instructions.

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How To Make Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Once you gather your ingredients and chop the vegetables, prep is a breeze!

two photos showing the stages of adding the soup ingredients to the Instant Pot.

1 - First, preheat the Instant Pot using the saute function. Set it for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes it will automatically turn off (or press cancel). Add the oil and give it a few seconds to get hot. Add Italian seasoning and garlic. Stir and let sit 1 minute.

2 - Add the remaining ingredients, and stir well. Lock on the Instant Pot lid, and set to sealing. Select manual/pressure cook, and cook at high pressure for 9 minutes. The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure, then the timer will begin.

When the timer beeps and the 9 minutes are complete, carefully quick release the pressure by flipping the knob to the venting position.

Remove the lid, and stir in the fresh parsley and apple cider vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and soy sauce, if desired.

Variations

Spicy - add diced jalapeno or other hot peppers, either to the pot or to individual servings. Crushed red pepper flakes and your favorite hot sauce are also quick and easy additions.
Kid friendly - omit the black pepper and slightly reduce the Italian herbs. Serve with crumbled crackers and grilled cheese or vegan quesadillas on the side.
Proteins - to make vegetable soup even more filling, add cooked tempeh, vegan ground beef, tofu chorizo, beans, or other vegan meats to the finished soup. Or bump up the amount of vegetable broth and add red lentils, TVP, or soy curls to the Instant Pot before cooking.

RELATED: If you're into healthy comfort food, don't miss these soups and Instant Pot recipes:

Equipment

I've included stovetop instructions in the recipe below, but otherwise you'll need an Instant Pot! I'm currently using this 8-quart model. It's also fantastic for making vegan yogurt, by the way.

A 6-quart Instant Pot should also be large enough for this volume of soup.

If you have a smaller pressure cooker you'll need to adjust the ingredient amounts accordingly.

How to Store and Freeze Vegetable Soup

This soup keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

To freeze vegetable soup, first allow it to cool completely. Transfer to a freezer-safe container leaving space at the top for the liquid to expand. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Let the soup thaw overnight in the refrigerator then reheat on the stovetop or in a microwave. You can also use the Instant Pot's saute function to reheat soup.

FAQs

What vegetables are best for vegetable soup?

For this Instant Pot recipe, you'll want to consider is whether the vegetable has a similar cook time to the other ingredients. A few options are frozen corn, peas, and green beans. For softer, quick-cooking vegetables like summer squash, split the pressure cooking into two sessions. Release the pressure after 5 or 6 minutes, add the squash, and resume pressure cooking for 2 to 3 minutes. Leafy greens like spinach and kale should be added after cooking. The residual heat of the soup is enough to soften the greens.

Can I cook it on the stovetop?

Absolutely. See the stovetop instructions in the recipe card below.

Is vegetable soup good for weight loss?

Yes, vegetable soup can be helpful for weight loss since it is low in calories and satisfying. Whether you're trying to lose weight, increase fiber intake, or simply eat more vegetables, homemade vegetable soup is a healthy option.

Top Tip

Cut the potatoes into somewhat evenly-sized, 1- to 1 ¼-inch pieces. This helps them cook evenly. If they're smaller, they may over-cook and split apart. Of course, it's just soup. An overly soft potato isn't the worst thing!