Instant Pot Soups and Stews That’ll Bowl You Over
It's getting chilly, so warm up with hearty meals straight from your pressure cooker. We’re excited to spoon-feed you some of the best Instant Pot soup and stew recipes on Yummly!
When it comes to comfort food, I’m not a slow cooker. I’m a fast cooker. That’s the big win when it comes to Instant Pot soup recipes. Beef stew on the table in a fraction of the time. Split pea soup that needs no minding or stirring. Set it, forget it, and go about your business until the cooker beeps. But c’mon. It’s an Instant Pot; there’s hardly time to forget it before you hear that beautiful beeping sound.
Jump ahead to:
Tips for mastering stews and soups in the Instant Pot >>
Healthy Instant pot soup recipes >>
Instant Pot soup recipes with chicken >>
Easy, hearty Instant Pot soups for busy weeknights >>
Instant Pot beef stews and soups >>
Instant Pot soup recipes with ground beef >>
Vegan Instant Pot stews and soups >>
Vegetarian Instant Pot stews and soups >>
Tips for mastering stews and soups in the Instant Pot
Learn how to make delicious soups and stews with one of your favorite kitchen appliances. Read our answers to the most commonly asked questions on the topic.
How to make soups in an Instant Pot
Making soups and stews in an electric pressure cooker starts out a lot like making them on the stovetop: Brown meat, if using. Sauté vegetables. Add liquid. Then it gets different. Lock on the lid, program the cooking time at high pressure, and you’re free to go.
Many recipes call for a natural release — the time it takes for the pressure to come down as the soup cools. Remember that as the pressure comes down, the food is still cooking. For the best doneness, only use the quick release if a recipe says to.
Do you need to use the Instant Pot soup function or stew setting? Nope — just follow the directions in the recipe, which almost always call for the regular pressure cooking setting. After IP-ing for years, I’ve yet to use those other buttons. Just ignore them.
How to adjust soup recipes to an Instant Pot
Liquid does not evaporate from a pressure cooker, so Instant Pot recipes call for less liquid. Don’t be alarmed. Read more here to adapt your favorite traditional soup or stew recipe to an Instant Pot.
How to thicken soups in an Instant Pot
Puree or mash. The easiest way! Cooking thick mixtures under pressure can cause the pot to get too hot and put out a burn warning, so don’t cook under pressure after mashing or pureeing ingredients.
Too liquidy? Boil with the lid off to reduce it.
Want a gravy? Add a cornstarch slurry. Do this right before serving, on the sauté setting.
How long to cook stew in an Instant Pot
The type of meat and its size will influence the cook time. One inch cubes of beef can be tender in half an hour, while oxtail stew might take 45 minutes under pressure. And don’t forget to account for the time it takes for the cooker to come to pressure and for the pressure to release. The recipe should give you both a pressure cooking time and total cooking time.
Can I make these in a 3-quart instant pot?
No, these are all recipes for 6- or 8-quart pressure cookers.
Healthy Instant pot soup recipes
Look here for low cholesterol, keto, Paleo, or low-carb Instant Pot soups
Instant Pot Broccoli Soup
If you’d like a gluten-free Instant Pot soup with no cheese, here it is! Mashed Yukon Golds make creamy soup that’s low in saturated fat. Leave out the bacon to make it vegan. And if you want broccoli cheddar … just add the cheese!
Vegetarian/Vegan Tom Yum Soup
This Instant Pot tom yum soup is divided into two stages: First, dump ingredients in and quickly cook at pressure. Then do a quick release and add lime juice and tender vegetables so they can stay crisp-tender, not mushy.
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Good and beany, and — even better — ready in under an hour, thanks to cans of white beans. Just leave out the sour cream if you can’t do dairy, and thicken with a cornstarch slurry if you want it thicker.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
The king of vegetable soups. Make this Instant Pot minestrone soup vegetarian by using veggie stock. If you have a jar of pesto in the fridge, put a dab on each bowl — heavenly!
Instant Pot soup recipes with chicken
Your IP rocks chicken — you can even add it in frozen!
Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
There’s nothing like homemade chicken noodle soup … and pressure cooker chicken soup is so easy, you’ll never make it on the stove or Crock Pot again.
Instant Pot Chicken Soup with Rice
No other soup has its own theme song with words and music by Maurice Sendak and Carole King. For those who prefer chicken soup with no noodles, go for rice.
Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken and dumplings warm the belly and soothe the soul. Add frozen chicken breasts directly to the pot — no need to thaw!
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Think of this as Mexican vegetable soup with chicken added. Don’t forget the tortilla strips! Craving beef? Pressure cook some classic taco soup instead.
Easy, hearty Instant Pot soups for busy weeknights
Heat things up with these beloved, easy Instant Pot recipes
Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder
Comfort food supreme! Frozen corn kernels are the foundation here, while heavy cream, potatoes, and bacon form the chowder holy trinity.
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
What goes together better than diced ham and split peas? This calls for chicken stock, but if you have a ham bone or ham hock, omit the stock and throw that in instead.
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Crowned with melty, crusty bread … this soup has it all. Serve in small bowls and get that beloved restaurant taste at home using boxed beef broth and a heap of caramelized onions.
Instant Pot beef stews and soups
Start with beef stew meat and end with magic
Instant Pot Beef Stew
Here it is, a textbook Instant Pot beef stew recipe you can’t improve upon. Worcestershire sauce adds extra savory notes. Thicken effortlessly with a cornstarch slurry instead of fumbling with a roux, and add frozen peas for a touch of color.
Pressure Cooker Oxtail Soup
Oxtails give you meltingly tender beef. It’s no surprise you find variations in nearly every cuisine, from Korea to the Philippines. This one is Chinese with the Western influences of a bay leaf and tomato paste.
Instant Pot Pho
An Instant Pot streamlines the laborious process of making pho. This is still a project — you’ll make your own beef broth — but your flavorful, aromatic reward awaits.
Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
Stew beef chuck roast in red wine for a flavorful staple of French cuisine. To avoid burn warnings, make sure you scrape all the tomato paste from the bottom of the pot before locking on the lid. Want an Instant Pot venison stew? Just use this with deer meat.
Instant Pot soup recipes with ground beef
Versatile and affordable, ground beef makes easy Instant Pot soup recipes
Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
Who has time for layered lasagna? Cooks the noodles right in the pot, and add a pile of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese plus a spoonful of ricotta to the bowls right before serving.
Instant Pot Hamburger Soup
An Instant Pot soup with frozen vegetables to cut prep time, this calls for a quick sauté before you dump everything in the pot. It’s savory with Italian seasoning, and substantial with potatoes and sweet potato. Think of it as a cousin of hamburger stew.
Instant Pot Healthy Albondigas Soup
Rice and mint are classic ingredients in the meatballs for this classic Mexican soup. Use ground beef or turkey and shape while the veggies sauté. Then drop them in the broth and go!
Vegan Instant Pot stews and soups
Loaded with vegetables, these soups have all you need
Instant Pot Eggplant Carrot Curry
A bevy of spices adds layers of flavor, while coconut milk brings substance, and jalapeño packs heat. Serve with rice.
Instant Pot Lentil Soup
It’s easy to make Instant Pot lentil soup vegan and packed with flavor. This recipe uses prepared salsa for a little kick, and adds spinach for color and nutrition.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
From its creamy swirl of coconut milk to its golden color, this keto, low-in-carbohydrates, gluten-free, delicious soup delights the senses.
Vegetarian Instant Pot stews and soups
Vegetarian soups satisfy cravings for wholesome meals
Instant Pot Chipotle Black Bean Soup
Want an Instant Pot bean soup, no soaking needed? Just use the sauté function to cook the aromatics, add dry beans, spices, and liquid, lock on the lid, program, and wait! Skip the sour cream topping and it’s vegan, too.
Instant Pot Tomato Soup with Basil
Carrots and roasted peppers, plus a finish of Parmesan cheese, elevate this into much more flavorful territory than the standard tomato soup.
Want more soup and stew recipes? We've got ‘em!
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