This Instant Pot vegetable beef soup is incredibly simple to make! But the final product still delivers in richness and depth of flavor. Easily customizable, you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand for a delicious and easy meal!
(Originally posted August 24, 2018; Updated January 27, 2019)
Growing up, my mom used to make the best vegetable beef soup. She didn’t make it often but, for some reason, I have very fond memories of eating it. So this recipe is my attempt to recreate that memory from my childhood. There’s nothing fancy about it, but there is a richness and depth of flavor that I think will do my mom proud – which is every son’s goal, right?
Why This Recipe Works
- Browning and searing the beef before cooking the soup adds a rich depth of flavor that you won’t get otherwise.
- For this Instant Pot beef vegetable soup, you can literally use whatever vegetables you like. There are really no rules, and they will all probably work. The only ones I would say are a must are onions, carrots, and celery – also know as mirepoix, the base of SO MANY recipes all around the world. So, if you don’t like mushrooms, leave ’em out! Switch ’em out! You can’t go wrong.
How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Bring beef to near room temperature (out of fridge for at least 20 minutes). Then season beef with salt and pepper.
Using sauté setting – once hot add 2 tablespoons of oil and thoroughly brown beef. Do this in two batches and do not stir too frequently. After the first batch, add 1 tablespoon of oil.
Do not wipe or rinse bottom of pot! There’s so much flavor in there!
Continuing on sauté setting – add onions, carrots, garlic, celery, mushrooms, thyme, and bay leaves.
Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, making sure to scrape up any bits on bottom.
Then add all remaining ingredients (you can really add whatever vegetables you prefer) and mix well. Lock lid and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 25 minutes). Remove thyme bundle and bay leaves. Serve and enjoy!
And This is the Amazing Result…
Expert Tips
- Don’t be tempted to skip the step of browning the beef. According to the Kitchn, “Searing the meat is an essential step for making a great beef stew. This is where the stew really starts to build its deep, rich, flavor.” And while we’re making soup, not stew, this step adds an incredible depth of flavor that will set this vegetable beef soup apart from the rest!
- While you may add or substitute pretty much any vegetables you want, I recommend keeping all of the vegetables mentioned in step 2 of the recipe: the onions, carrots, and celery – also know as mirepoix.This is the base of the recipe, and your soup won’t be the same without them.
- The term “new potatoes” refers to small, young potatoes. They can be substituted for either gold or red potatoes. I do not recommend russet potatoes for this recipe, unless you peel them first; as their skins are not as tender or easy to eat and their starch content is much higher. They just work better in other ways than this.
- The reason for bringing the meat to room temperature is that cold beef will decrease the heat in the pot dramatically. You will have more success browning and searing the beef if it is not refrigerator cold.
FAQs
Can I use different vegetables than the ones you used? Can I add my favorite vegetable? Yes! The best part about this Instant Pot vegetable beef soup is that you can literally use whatever vegetables you like.
Can I add pasta? Yes! However, dry pasta usually cooks in an IP in 2-4 minutes, so I would cook it separately and mix it in when ready to serve.
Can I use a bag of frozen veggies? Yes!
Why did you use chicken broth instead of beef broth? You could certainly use beef broth, but we usually only use that for soups we want to have richer flavor. This soup is intended to be on the lighter side, so we opted for chicken broth – which actually has a more neutral flavor.
What size pressure cooker did you use to make this? We used a 6 Qt Instant Pot
to make this recipe.
More Instant Pot Beef Recipes
★ Did you make this Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup?
Please give it a star rating below!★
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 2.5 lbs. stew beef near room temperature
- 1 Tbsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil separated
- 3/4 cup yellow onions large dice
- 3 carrots roughly chopped
- 2 Tbsp. garlic minced
- 1/2 cup celery diced
- 8 oz. mushrooms roughly chopped
- 6 thyme sprigs tied in bundle
- 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 28 oz. canned crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 lbs. new potatoes quartered
- 8 oz. frozen green beans
- 15 oz. canned sweet peas drained
Instructions
- Season beef with salt and pepper. Then, using sauté setting – once hot add 2 tablespoons of oil and thoroughly brown beef. Do this in two batches and do not stir too frequently. After the first batch, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Do not wipe or rinse bottom of pot! There’s so much flavor in there!
- Continuing on sauté setting – add onions, carrots, garlic, celery, mushrooms, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, making sure to scrape up any bits on bottom.
- Then, return beef to pot and add all remaining ingredients (you can really add whatever vegetables you prefer) and mix well. Lock lid and cook for 10 minutes at high pressure.
- Once cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally (will take about 25 minutes). Remove thyme bundle and bay leaves. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips
- Don't be tempted to skip the step of browning the beef. According to the Kitchn, "Searing the meat is an essential step for making a great beef stew. This is where the stew really starts to build its deep, rich, flavor." And while we're making soup, not stew, this step adds an incredible depth of flavor that will set this vegetable beef soup apart from the rest!
- While you may add or substitute pretty much any vegetables you want, I recommend keeping all of the vegetables mentioned in step 2 of the recipe: the onions, carrots, and celery - also know as mirepoix.This is the base of the recipe, and your soup won't be the same without them.
- The term "new potatoes" refers to small young potatoes. They can be substituted for either gold or red potatoes. I do not recommend russet potatoes for this recipe, unless you peel them first; as their skins are not as tender or easy to eat and their starch content is much higher. They just work better in other ways than this.
- The reason for bringing the meat to room temperature is that cold beef will decrease the heat in the pot dramatically. You will have more success browning and searing the beef if it is not refrigerator cold.
FAQs
Can I use different vegetables than the ones you used? Can I add my favorite vegetable? Yes! The best part about this Instant Pot vegetable beef soup is that you can literally use whatever vegetables you like. Can I add pasta? Yes! However, dry pasta usually cooks in an IP in 2-4 minutes, so I would cook it separately and mix it in when ready to serve. Can I use a bag of frozen veggies? Yes! Why did you use chicken broth instead of beef broth? You could certainly use beef broth, but we usually only use that for soups we want to have richer flavor. This soup is intended to be on the lighter side, so we opted for chicken broth – which actually has a more neutral flavor. What size pressure cooker did you use to make this? We used a 6 Qt Instant Pot to make this recipe.Nutrition
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I made this last night and made a couple changes simply based on what I had in the pantry…I used diced tomatoes rather than crushed and added frozen corn, edamame, and sweet potatoes in place of the other frozen veggies and the potatoes. Oh and added zucchini after cooked and then did another 3 minutes of high pressure with natural release to cook that. It was amazing! Thank you for a great recipe that is so easily modified to what you have on hand!!
This is a super easy and really delicious soup! I followed the recipe pretty much, with the exception of using diced tomatoes because that’s all I had, and crushed thyme vs. sprigs. I also used less meat because I didn’t have more than a pound, and it was still excellent. The broth is good enough to enjoy on it’s own along with some good whole grain bread. This will definitely be put into the rotation.
Question- can I sub dry pasta for the potatoes? Trying to make alphabet soup for a 1st birthday party.
Dry pasta usually cooks in an IP in 2-4 minutes, so I would cook it separately and mix it in when ready to serve.
Can I use a bag of frozen veggies?
Definitely!
What a surprise! This was “bowl licking” good! I followed the recipe as is minus the thyme just I didn’t have any and used homemade chicken stock. I am thinking about adding some corn next time. Seriously was a hit!
Wow, what a great compliment! Thanks, Trisha!
Do I drain grease from beef before putting in veggies for soup
There shouldn’t be too much left, but don’t drain it. Use it to sauté the veggies.
Delicious! Shared with 4 friends at work and ALL declared it a keeper!
Glad everyone enjoyed it!
Made this tonight. Excellent! Used Lima beans instead of peas, added corn, fresh squash and zuchini. Definitely a keeper recipe
Sounds delish! Going to make this for a sick hubby tonight. Can I use fried Lima beans or should I get a can?
Sure, you can use whatever veggies you like!
This soup was so delicious! I left out the thyme and basil leaves and used beef broth instead of chicken broth. Other than that I followed the instructions and the soup was amazing! I will definitely use this recipe again.
Chicken broth? In beef soup?? Imma trust you. ?
Yes! You could certainly use beef broth, but we usually only use that for soups we want to have a more rich flavor. This is intended to be on the lighter side, so we opted for chicken broth – which actually has a neutral flavor that can pretty much be used at any time.
What size Instant Pot is used for this recipe?
All of our recipes are created using a 6qt. IP.
Thank you for this very flavorful recipe! My husband is a true food critic, and he really liked this soup…. went back for another large bowl! I was glad there was no acid taste from the tomatoes. I will make this for company with a salad & cornbread!
Question – I’m still figuring out my instant pot. I have a High, Medium, and Low Saute function. Which one is right for browning the meat vs veggies? Thanks!
Medium
Making this tonight. I want to add frozen corn, but should I do that at the end (and let the soup just heat it through, or add it with all of the other veggies? I’m a newbie and have no faith in my own decision-making abilities as yet. 😉
I’d add it with all the other veggies.
Yum! I’ve made this soup twice now and not only is it delicious but oh so easy to make. Preparing this recipe also has helped me to overcome my fear of the IP! Thanks!
Yah, they’re not really scary at all, once you understand them. Glad you like the soup!
This was very delicious and hit the spot on a cold, damp night! I used my 8 qt. IP and added heaping amounts of all of the ingredients. One thing I was surprised by is how truly delicious the CANNED peas are in it, as I’m not a fan of canned peas, but I thought, “why not?” It gives it, for me, a nostalgic, throw back vibe that I really liked. The worcestershire sauce complements all of these flavors so well! This will be my new go-to vegetable beef soup. In the future, I may throw in a little bit of barley, but it certainly is hardy enough without it. Thank you, Gary! Great recipe! Glad to have found your blog. 🙂
Thanks Karen! I’m glad you found us too 🙂
My daughter said “This is GOOD! Save the recipe!” My husband and son both said it was “really good!” Thanks for posting!!!
I’ve been looking for a beef barley soup and your recipe has all the features I want except the barley. If I want to substitute barley for the potatoes so that it will freeze better, would I adjust the cooking time at all? I’m thinking of adding 3/4 to 1 cup of barley and no potatoes. Thanks for the advice!
Unfortunately, I’m not familiar at all with barley cook times.
Made this with just a few modifications! I am not a fan of peas so I substituted with frozen corn! Awesome taste, tender beef! Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome recipe. I just made this earlier but used a more robust Worcestershire sauce and forgot to buy the peas. Will make it again!
A great recipe! I used a local favorite spaghetti sauce from a restaurant in place of the crushed tomatoes, and no thyme. I used beef broth, and I highly recommend it!
I’ve made this several times and each time I use different vegetables. I have made it with chicken broth as well as beef. I like to make a big pot so I add 1/2 to 1 cup of V8 to give a little kick. LOL great base receipt for any beef soup.
I haven’t made this yet but doesn’t the beef take longer to become tender than the vegetables? It seems like the beef should be cooked then add the vegetables. Won’t the vegetables be mushy if cooked the same amount of time as the beef? Please answer ASAP so I can cook this delicious looking soup.
I added 1/4 cup of wine to the beef as it was sauteing, and consumed the remainder of the bottle while completing this recipe. It turned out wonderfully! Easily the best dinner I ever made! (The soup was none too shabby, too! 🤤 )
Seriously though, this is a 10-star recipe in a 5-star world!
Do we sauté for 30 mins? Or how long do we sauté meat for?
Cook time for this part of the recipe will vary based on many factors. How large the chunks of beef are, how cold they are when placing in the IP, how cold the house is, can all affect it. Sauté in two batches until the beef is browned on the outside, and no longer red. It does not need to be cooked through. 🙂
I can’t wait to try this soup in my new pressure cooker. My Mom added cabbage and rutabaga. She also used browned short ribs along with some stew beef. It was so good,I hope I can come close to hers. Thank you for this recipe.
This is only the 3rd time I’ve used my instant pot because it still makes me a bit nervous. This recipe actually made me shed a couple tears. Reminds me of the soup my gramma used to cook on the stove for hours. It was so delicious and simple and I think it’s made me an instant pot convert. Thanks so much, it’s delicious!
I’ve made this before in my crockpot, but this is so much quicker. I’m making this right now, almost done! Smells so good! We can’t wait. Thank’s so much for this recipe!
Still new to my IP.. mine is in there as we speak but just to be clear, I am cooking this on “High Pressure” correct?
Yes, high pressure. 🙂
Delicious.
I added a few tablespoons of peach chutney after soup was cooked . Added a lovely flavour.