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Home » Instant Pot Magic

Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup

By Gary White
This post may contain affiliate links.
Read my full disclosure here.

Published March 6, 2019. Last modified August 1, 2025 By Gary White

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Tomato basil soup image for Pinterest.

This is a rich and savory Instant Pot tomato basil soup with a hint of sweetness; not to mention a bit of tang from a surprise ingredient: buttermilk! Easily done in about 30 minutes. This is a great example of simple comfort food.

Tomato basil soup in white bowl with spoon.

It's amazing how food can be therapeutic for your soul. There's something about tomato soup and grilled cheese that reminds me of being 8 years old again. Well, I wish I could share this Instant Pot tomato basil soup with my 8-year-old self. I'm pretty sure he'd be head-over-heals for it; much more than that can of Campbell's that he's probably eating. 

This soup is ridiculously easy to make and can be taken to a new level with a few adjustments from your average recipe. First, I HIGHLY recommend making your own chicken broth; not just for this one, but for ALL your soups! It's  the single best thing you can do to transform a soup recipe. And secondly, and I am aware this may sound bizarre... we added buttermilk instead of heavy cream for the creamy element of this soup. Definitely not traditional, but it adds a bit more character to the flavor profile. Try it!

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

  • Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Pressure Cooker Potato Soup
  • Instant Pot Italian Sausage Soup with Turnips and Butternut Squash

How to Make Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup

Chicken leg quarters seasoned with salt in pot.
Add leg quarters to pot, along with 1 tablespoon of salt.
Chicken leg quarters in pot covered with water.
Add 8 cups of water to pot. Lock lid and cook for 30 minutes at high pressure.
Chicken leg quarters in broth in pot.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. Remove chicken and set aside for another use (I usually shred it for lunch salads during the week). Pass the broth through a fine mesh stainer and store refrigerated in airtight containers, using as needed.
Butter melting in pot.
Using sauté setting - begin melting butter...
Butter melting in pot with diced onions.
and add onions.
Diced onions sautéing in butter.
Cook onions for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. You don't want any color on them, so if they begin to brown, turn off heat.
Sautéed onions, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and chicken broth in pot.
Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, sugar, and black pepper to pot. Lock lid and cook for 1 (yes, one) minute at high pressure. Don't worry, the soup will cook plenty as it comes up to pressure.
Cooked tomato basil soup in pot.
Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure.
Finely chopped basil and parsley on top of soup in pot.
Remove lid and add basil, parsley...
Pouring buttermilk into soup.
...and buttermilk. Mix well and serve.

And this is the AMAZING result…

Tomato basil soup in white bowl with grilled cheese on side plate.

★ Did you make this Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup?

Please give it a star rating below! ★

📖 Recipe

Tomato basil soup in white bowl with grilled cheese on side plate.

Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup

This soup is rich, savory, with a hint of sweetness; not to mention a bit of tang from a surprise ingredient: buttermilk!
4.78 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 174kcal
Author: Gary White

Ingredients 

  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 cup yellow onions diced
  • 30 oz. canned tomatoes petite diced
  • 28 oz. canned tomato sauce
  • 2 cups homemade chicken broth
  • ⅓ cup sugar
  • ¼ tsp. cracked black pepper
  • 1 oz. fresh basil finely chopped
  • 0.5 oz. fresh parsley finely chopped
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or heavy cream)

Instructions

  • Using sauté setting – begin melting butter and add onions. Cook onions for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. You don’t want any color on them, so if they begin to brown, turn off heat.
  • Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chicken broth, sugar, and black pepper to pot. Lock lid and cook for 1 (yes, one) minute at high pressure. Don’t worry, the soup will cook plenty as it comes up to pressure. Once cook time is complete, quick-release pressure.
  • Remove lid and add basil, parsley, and buttermilk. Mix well and serve.

Notes

You'll notice that (for once) there is no salt added to this recipe. There is salt in the butter, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and broth. No need to add anymore. But don't get used to me saying that. Lol.
It's a little unconventional to use buttermilk in this soup, but give it a try! It adds a unique tang that cannot otherwise be duplicated.
If at all possible, I recommend using homemade chicken broth. It will add a richness to this otherwise very light soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 961mg | Potassium: 776mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1230IU | Vitamin C: 25.3mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag us Today!Mention @thefoodieeats or tag #TheFoodieEats!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Carol

    March 07, 2019 at 3:12 pm

    Would you please give tablespoon/cup equivalents for the fresh basil and parsley.

    Adding prayers to bring comfort for you and family in the recent loss of your brother.

    Reply
    • Gary

      March 07, 2019 at 7:21 pm

      About a teaspoon and a tablespoon.

      Reply
  2. Amanda

    March 09, 2019 at 7:05 pm

    5 stars
    I made this tonight for dinner and followed your directions exactly (except for the chicken broth, I agree homemade is best but I didn’t have enough frozen or time to make a new batch). But, it turned out excellent! My husband said it is the best tomato soup he has ever had!

    Reply
    • Gary

      March 11, 2019 at 7:57 am

      Glad you guys liked it!

      Reply
  3. Rachel

    March 10, 2019 at 7:51 pm

    3 stars
    Waaaaaay way too sweet. Next time I make it will cut sugar at least in half, if not all the way down to only 1-2 T.

    Reply
    • Gary

      March 11, 2019 at 8:02 am

      Hey Rachel, sorry it was too sweet for you. One thing I really hate is the taste of canned tomatoes. For that reason, I typically add 2T of sugar for each can. It's the only solution I've found to the incredibly high acidic taste.

      Reply
  4. Beth

    March 13, 2019 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it was amazing! We served out with grilled cheese. Will definately make this again!

    Reply
    • Gary

      March 13, 2019 at 7:00 pm

      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  5. Paula

    March 30, 2019 at 12:38 am

    How many chicken hind quarters did you use for the stock? It looked like about 3? I just happen to have some in my freezer, yay! Easier for me to find and cheaper than whole chickens.

    Reply
    • Gary

      April 01, 2019 at 11:23 am

      I think I used 3 or 4, it's doesn't really matter. They will both yield amazing broth!

      Reply
  6. Michele

    October 01, 2019 at 11:40 am

    5 stars
    Lights out delicious! I use spaghetti sauce in place of the tomato sauce; a winner!

    Reply
  7. Stephanie

    March 07, 2021 at 1:20 pm

    5 stars
    I have now made this recipe 3 times and my husband loves it!!! ❤️❤️❤️

    Reply
4.78 from 9 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Meet Gary

I'm Gary... husband, dad, recipe developer, and comfort food nerd. I believe in real food for real life. This blog? It’s where I share the recipes my family actually eats. Simple, soulful, and full of flavor. My goal is simple: help you cook food worth making again. More about me...

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