Vegan and gluten-free, this detox-friendly Instant Pot vegetable soup is hearty and nutritious, filled with veggies, greens and mushrooms. It's a great example of a traditional Italian farmhouse soup.
Want a quick and easy soup that is hearty and nutritious? This Italian farmhouse-inspired Instant Pot vegetable soup is just the thing. It's a tasty yet light (vegan-friendly) soup that is perfect for those nights when you want to give your digestion a break or if you feel like a need a lighter meal. You know those times, right?
WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT THIS SOUP?
I focused on accessible, nutrient-dense vegetables that are light and easy to digest. The best thing is that although this soup is detox and diet-friendly, it doesn't skimp on the flavour. With the addition of savoury mushrooms, lots of garlic and herbs, this meal is bursting with tasty goodness and nutrients.
This veggie soup is very light and low in calories (under 200 calories per serving). But, as you can see from the full nutritional breakdown below the recipe, this dish is full of nutrients, especially vitamins C and K. Want to up vitamin D level? Add more mushrooms. Get a few more minerals like zinc and selenium? Top the finished soup with a handful of nuts and seeds. More calcium? Say cheese!
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT VEGETABLE SOUP
This soup is a great canvas, and as a painter, you can add whatever vegetables you have on hand. The most time-consuming part about making this vegetable soup is the chopping. Once all the veggies are ready, you will throw everything in and the soup cooks in no time at all.
Want to make it a bit heavier? Add some white potatoes or parsnips or a little more olive oil. Feel like turning it into an omnivore's delight? Add some free-range chicken or ham or top it with grated cheese.
I used cavolo nero, which is a dark green, leafy, kale-like vegetable common in Italian cooking. You can use regular kale, spinach or collard greens instead. Dried porcini mushroom add the most amazing forest, umami flavour to this dish but if you can't find any, feel free to use some dried shiitake, or just stick to fresh button mushrooms.
You can make a large batch to enjoy over a few days.
CAN I FREEZE THIS VEGETABLE SOUP?
Yes, this vegetable soup freezes quite well and should keep in the freezer for up to 4 months. Having said that, it also lasts in the refrigerator for 4-5 days as it's vegetarian. Speaking of cold things, you can also use a bunch of frozen vegetables in this soup.
MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup (Vegan, Gluten-free)
- Instant Pot Potato Soup With Poblano Peppers
- Instant Pot Corn, Sweet Potato & Chipotle Soup
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Udon Soup
- More Instant Pot Soup Recipes here
Rate This Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (Italian Farmhouse)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 brown onion diced
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- ½ long red chilli sliced
- 2 celery sticks sliced
- 2 medium carrots peeled, halved lengthways and sliced
- 6 large button mushrooms sliced
- 4 cloves garlic diced
- A handful of dried porcini mushrooms forest mushrooms, optional
- 3-4 oz. cavolo nero/kale leaves a medium bunch of kale, leaves removed from the hard stems and sliced roughly
- 1 small zucchini diced
- 1 cup diced tomatoes or tomato passata
- 1 litre vegetable stock or chicken stock (4 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- Lemon zest and chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot on and press Sauté function key, the pot will start to heat up.
- Add coconut oil, onion, salt, celery and carrots and stir through. Cook for about a minute or two, while slicing the mushrooms.
- Add the chilli, mushrooms, garlic, and dried porcini mushrooms and stir through. Cook for 2 minutes on Sauté while preparing cavolo nero/kale leaves and zucchini.
- Add the kale, zucchini, tomatoes, stock and bay leave and stir through. Press the OFF function key. Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Check that the lid knob is turned to Sealing. Press Manual key, High Pressure, and set to 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, allow the pressure to release naturally for a couple of minutes and then use the quick release method to let the rest of the steam out. Serve in bowls with grated lemon zest and chopped parsley on top.
- If you eat dairy, feel free to grate some Parmesan cheese over the top.
Nutrition
SAVE THIS SOUP RECIPE TO PINTEREST
Andrea Stephens
The veggies flavor the soup and it’s perfect for anytime of the year. I used baby portabella mushrooms because they were easier for me to find, regular kale, and an Anaheim pepper. Absolutely delicious.
P. Zemke
recipe looks great.
How big is the brown onion?
Instant Pot Eats
Medium size but it won't matter if it's small or large 🙂
Bob
It’s a great recipe but you didn’t say whether to use water or broth and how much 3 cups 4 or more?
instantpoteats
Hey, Bob
It's under ingredients - 1 Litre vegetable or chicken stock. Hope that helps.
IPE team
Leslie Stewart
DELICIOUS!!! This is one of the best soups I have ever made. I used coconut oil not olive oil. I used a can of red gold diced tomatoes with onion and garlic for the tinned tomatoes. I couldn't find the chile's or dried mushrooms so I left those out (hopefully will find and use next time) and I used better than bouillon vegetable paste for the stock and everything else as written. I made this again yesterday for a group of women and it was hit. I decided to cook on stove since I was doubling recipe and didn't think it would all fit in my IP. I followed directions for sauteing and when it was time to cook I had the soup come to a boil then simmered for over an hour. THANKS for a soup I will make often!!!!
Laurie
This soup was delicious! I added shredded chicken for some protein. Do you have any idea what the calories are per serving?
instantpoteats
Hey Laurie, chicken is a great addition! Don't have the exact calories but as it is mostly veggie-based, it is a low-calorie meal. But, due to all the fibre in the veggies, it is also quite satiating. You can copy/paste the ingredients into MyFitnessPaleo calorie calculator or something similar to get the exact numbers. We'll try to get through some of our popular recipes and get those numbers.
Jane
Do I put the dried mushrooms in "Dried" or do i reconstitute them first?
instantpoteats
You can add them dried as they will rehydrate during the cooking process.
Jen
Great soup! My 10yo daughter said it is the best soup I've made. I used fire roasted tomatoes, omitted the chile (kids) and the button mushrooms, but used all other veggies plus a small purple skinned yam (the kind with white flesh) It was a great addition.
Tank you for the recipe!
Deann P.
Today is the third time making this delicious soup. Thank you so much for the recipe. I tweeked it a little by adding the kale in after it was done so it was not so mushy. And I used a can of Rotel tomatoes as I did not have a red chili. It all worked and now I have a big batch of yum!
instantpoteats
Thanks Deann, we're glad it has become a favourite.
Teri McElroy
Very good soup. I actually used fresh tomatoes and chicken broth and bought some" super greens" instead of just kale. I put them in without chopping and fished them out, pureed them and poured them back in. My husband never knew the difference and liked the soup.
instantpoteats
Yum sounds like a great upgrade with extra 'super greens'. A sneaky way to hide those extra nutrients 😉
Alice
If I were to add a can of beans to the recipe, when would I add it into the pot for the beans not to over cook? Should I wait until the end to put them in or something else? I just recently bought my pot and haven't used it yet - I appreciate any advice you can offer. Thanks.
instantpoteats
You can add it right at the start or at the end, shouldn't matter too much.
Elizabeth
So far, I love all the recipes I've found on your site. This was no exception. It's refreshing, hearty and delicious!
Alison
Thank you for this--it was wonderful. I used a can of fire-roasted tomatoes because it's what I happened to have. The mushrooms were crucial--I used shiitake since I couldn't find porcini. A new favorite!
instantpoteats
Isn't the addition of mushrooms amazing? Glad you loved it!
Sioux
Can you double this in the 8 qt?
instantpoteats
Yes, definitely!
Becca
Can you double in the 6 qt?
instantpoteats
It can be tough with soups due to the liquid. If you don't fill over the "max" line in your inner pot, you can double any recipe though.
Becky
I love this soup. It tastes simply amazing and it has so many yummy veggies in it! I have made it several times and my family gobbles it up. I change it up a little each time I make it. I usually add spinach instead of kale. I don't often add the tomatoes because they are a problem for me. But, I do add some (about 2 T) of organic tomato paste. ( I assume that is what tomato passata is?) Today, I am going to add some cooked chicken, since my husband needs MEAT because he is a construction worker, ha, ha. Perfect day for soup today here in Wisconsin.
instantpoteats
Thanks Becky! Yes, as the weather gets colder, soups are the way to go. This one is perfect as it also helps to support your immune system. Yes, passata is kind of like a smooth tomato puree, not as concentrated as tomato paste but closer to chopped tinned tomatoes. Chicken is a great addition for protein 🙂
Vivian Tenuta
Fabulously easy and tasty recipe to put together for Meatless Monday!! The porcini mushrooms pull it all together. My husband thought they were meat. Thank you so much for the recipe! I will definitely make it again.
instantpoteats
I couldn't agree more, it's those beautiful mushrooms that really make it. Although, it would still taste delicious with regular button mushrooms. Thanks for your lovely feedback 🙂
Lisa Thiele
When you say red chili, what are you referring to? Here in Texas, I would think a red chili pepper. But I could also think those dried red peppers they use in spicy Chinese food
instantpoteats
Red chili pepper you have is perfect. To be honest, dried red peppers are also fine, whatever will give you that little kick of heat and spiciness.
prpl
italian farmhouse soup - with coconut oil instead of olive oil?
Bad!
Debbie
Artery clogging evil. Olive oil, always. ??
instantpoteats
To each his or her own! Any oil will work in any of our recipes, so everyone's preference can be honoured.