Looking for a delicious instant pot vegetable beef soup recipe? Look no further! This hearty soup is packed with tender beef, nutritious vegetables, and savory flavors.
The instant pot vegetable beef soup is a comforting dish that warms your soul and helps you use up those leftover vegetables in your fridge. It features tender, succulent beef chunks and a mix of vegetables; all simmered in a flavorful beef broth.
Jump to recipe
Why should you cook soup in an instant pot?
- Timesaving: Pressure cooking significantly reduces cooking time compared to traditional stovetop or slow cooker methods.
- Retains flavors: The sealed environment of the pot traps and intensifies the flavors of the ingredients, resulting in a rich and flavorful soup.
- The pot helps tenderize tough cuts of meat, such as beef, in a relatively short time.
- Convenience: Once you've added all the ingredients to the pot and set the cooking time, you can let the instant pot work without the need of stirring.
Check out more instant pot recipes: Instant Pot Potato and Leek Soup, Instant Pot Pork Roast, or Instant Pot Chicken Stew.
Recipe ingredients
- Beef stew meat is derived from tougher cuts of beef, such as chuck and/or round, which contain a generous amount of connective tissue. When simmered in a liquid, the collagen-rich connective tissue gradually breaks down, resulting in tender meat.
- Vegetable oil for sautéing the vegetables and browning the meat.
- Vegetables: Onion and garlic form the flavor base of the soup. Carrots contribute flavor and texture to the soup offering a hint of natural sweetness. Cabbage adds a crisp and slightly sweet taste.
- Potatoes add substance to the dish, making it more satisfying and comforting.
- Tomatoes: Tomato paste and diced tomatoes from a can.
- Beef broth: You can use homemade beef broth or store-bought broth. Consider the saltiness of the stock and adjust the salt in the instant pot beef and vegetable soup accordingly.
- Seasoning: Oregano, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, fine sea salt or kosher salt, ground black pepper.
- Balsamic vinegar adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor to the soup. Its touch of acidity is mandatory when cooking hearty soups.
- You can replace it with another type of vinegar, like apple cider or red wine vinegar. However, in this case, you might also consider adding ¼ - ½ teaspoon of sugar, as balsamic is slightly sweet.
- Worcestershire sauce brings a complex umami flavor. You can replace it with soy sauce or even fish sauce.
What else can I add?
- Barley: Either instead of potatoes or use ½ the number of potatoes and replace the rest with barley.
- Other vegetables like two sticks of celery, 1 cup of frozen green beans, 1 cup of cauliflower florets (or chopped leftover cauliflower stem from another recipe), one chopped parsnip, 1 cup of thawed peas (added at the end; the hot soup will cook them slightly).
- Other spices you like: Season the instant pot beef and vegetable soup with cumin and coriander; add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper for some heat.
- And you could flavor it with other herbs like lovage (it goes great with beef), dill, thyme, or rosemary.
How to make beef and vegetable soup in the instant pot?
- Brown beef: Set the pot to the sauté mode, add ½ of the vegetable oil, and sear the meat in two batches on all sides, 3-4 minutes per batch (1). Remove from the pot.
- Sauté diced onion, carrots, and garlic in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes.
- Add remaining vegetables and tomato paste (2). Stir well and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot. Pour in the beef broth and add the seasoning and the browned beef.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Select the pressure cook/manual mode and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Allow for a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes. Carefully release any remaining pressure (3).
- Add vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and adjust the taste with salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the parsley before serving.
Expert Tips
- Flavoring sauce: I use balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce to lift/ improve the dish’s flavors. This little touch at the end always has a crucial effect on the overall taste.
- You can substitute balsamic with another type of vinegar (for instance, apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar) and the Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce.
- I often use fish sauce; it might seem unusual, but it works; rest assured, the beef soup will not taste of fish.
- Avoid overfilling the instant pot. Leave enough headspace to prevent the liquid from foaming and spattering during cooking.
- Adjust liquid quantities: Since the pot is a sealed environment, less liquid evaporates compared to traditional stovetop cooking. That’s why we use less broth than we would typically use in a stovetop recipe to avoid ending up with a thin or watery soup.
- Natural release: For soups, it's generally recommended to use natural release for a few minutes before switching to quick release. This helps the flavors meld together and prevents liquid from spurting out during quick release.
Recipe FAQ
Can I double the recipe?
The instant pot has a maximum fill line, so it's important to stay within that line when cooking a large batch. If the ingredients go above the line, you may need to cook in batches or adjust the recipe accordingly.
How can I thicken the soup if it's too watery?
If the soup turns out thinner than desired, you can thicken it using a cornstarch slurry (mix cornstarch with cold water and stir it into the hot soup) or let it simmer uncovered to reduce the liquid.
You could also mash it gently with a potato masher to break down some of the veggies and potatoes and thus thicken the soup slightly.
How to store and reheat?
- Refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Reheat it on the stovetop or microwave.
- Freeze it airtight for 3-4 months. Defrost it in the fridge and reheat it before serving.
What to serve with vegetable beef soup?
- Our first choice is always bread. Try our Spelt Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Overnight Bread Rolls, or Herb Baguette.
- Grilled cheese sandwich: A classic grilled cheese sandwich is a comforting and satisfying option.
More beef soups
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
This hearty instant pot vegetable beef soup is packed with tender beef, colorful vegetables, and savory flavors. It’s easy to make, comforting, and economical; the perfect family meal.
Print
Pin
Share
Grow
Rate
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 376kcal
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef stew meat diced, 450 g
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots sliced
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 cups cabbage 270 g, chopped, Note 1
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2-3 potatoes ½ inch/ 1 cm cubes, 350 g/ 12.5 oz
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes 400 g/ 14 oz
- 4 cups beef broth 950 ml
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- fine sea salt or kosher salt
- ground black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar to taste
- 1-2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce to taste, Note 2
- 2-3 tablespoons parsley chopped
Instructions
- Brown beef: Choose the sauté mode: Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the pot is hot, brown the beef in two batches on all sides, 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove from the pot and set it aside. 1 lb/ 450 g beef + 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Sauté onions: Add the second tablespoon of oil, then the diced onion, carrots, garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until they become fragrant and translucent. 1 tablespoon oil + 1 onion + 2 carrots + 3 garlic cloves
- Sauté vegetables: Add peppers, cabbage, potatoes, and tomato paste. Stir well to combine and sauté for another 5 minutes. 1 pepper + 3 cups/ 270 g cabbage + 2-3/ 350 g potatoes + 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add: Pour in the diced tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits. Add the beef broth, Italian seasoning, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the instant pot. Stir well. 1 can diced tomatoes + 4 cups/ 950 ml beef broth + 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning + 1 teaspoon oregano + 2 bay leaves + ½ teaspoon fine sea salt (to taste, depends on the saltiness of the broth) + ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Return the beef to the pot and stir.
- Close the lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Select the pressure cook/manual mode and set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Natural release: Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes. Then carefully perform a quick release to release any remaining pressure.
- Add balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, and adjust the taste with salt and pepper if needed. Stir in the parsley before serving. 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (more to taste) + 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (more to taste) + 2-3 tablespoon chopped parsley
Notes
- Vegetables: You can add or use other vegetables, such as parsnips, green beans, celery stalks, cauliflower, peas, etc.
- Worcestershire sauce adds flavor. However, if you don’t have it, you can leave it out or substitute it with soy sauce or even fish sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1portion from 4 | Calories: 376kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1062mg | Potassium: 1346mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 6338IU | Vitamin C: 87mg | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 5mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @adinabeck or tag #WhereIsMySpoon!
Leave a Reply