Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup is easy, delicious, and comforting. Made with fresh tomatoes, this homemade tomato soup is easy to make in just 30 minutes. Pair it with a grilled cheese sandwich for a satisfying dinner!
The Instant Pot is a perfect gadget for making soups. I have made this soup many times in a stovetop pressure cooker. Now that I have the instant pot, I use it for almost all my soups, or rather I should say most of my cooking.
I prepare this soup with fresh tomatoes. However, if you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can always replace them with canned tomatoes. I prefer it with fresh tomatoes and prepared in bulk for dinner and packed lunches.
As you can see, I also like to sneak in lots of other veggies. I would not leave the opportunity to add more veggies, especially when they don't alter the taste much.
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Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup?
- Easy to make in less than 30 minutes
- Thick, creamy, and comforting
- Healthy with lots of tomatoes and veggies
- Perfect for cold fall and winter meals
- Loved by kids and adults.
- Vegetarian, Gluten-free, and can be easily made vegan
Fresh vs. Canned Tomatoes for Soup
In my opinion, fresh tomatoes are always the best for cooking and provide the best flavor. However, if fresh tomatoes are not easily available, then there is no harm in making soup with canned tomatoes preserved when the tomatoes are the ripest.
It is easy always to keep canned tomatoes in the pantry, which is convenient for everyday cooking. We love to use San Marzano tomatoes for soup.
Ingredients
Tomatoes: Use fresh, ripe tomatoes for the best taste and flavor in the soup. I prefer Roma or red vine tomatoes. You can also use canned tomatoes - San Marzano or diced tomatoes; either will work well. You can also use fire-roasted tomatoes to make roasted tomato soup.
Veggies: I have added carrots and celery, but they are optional. Red bell peppers would also work well in this soup if you like.
Olive Oil or Butter: For extra flavor, use butter for sauteing the aromatics. Use olive oil to make this soup vegan.
Onions: I use yellow onions for most soup recipes.
Garlic: Adds tons of flavor to this tomato soup.
Broth: I used vegetable broth to keep this soup vegetarian. But feel free to use the broth you have on hand. I use Better than Bouillon to make broth. It is convenient, and I don't have to store large broth packs.
In this recipe, as we are using lots of vegetables, it is okay to add water in place of broth too.
Honey: A little sweetness works well to balance the acidity from the tomatoes. You can use honey or sugar.
Cream: I use heavy cream to make this soup creamy. However, if you want to make a vegan version, use coconut milk.
Cheese (optional): Use parmesan or romano cheese. Skip for vegan variation.
Basil: Use 2-3 tablespoons of roughly chopped basil leaves. If you don't have fresh leaves, replace them with one teaspoon of dried basil.
Toppings: Fresh basil leaves, shredded parmesan or romano cheese, or cream.
How to make Creamy Tomato Soup in Instant Pot?
- Let's start with getting the ingredients ready. Chop the onions. You can cut the other veggies into bigger pieces, as we will use an immersion blender later.
- Heat butter or oil in the instant pot. Sauté chopped garlic and onions.
- Then add chopped carrots, celery, and tomatoes to the instant pot and the broth. You can add basil here if you have it, but the soup tastes great even without it.
- Pressure cook for 6 minutes.
- When the instant pot beeps, open it and use an immersion blender to make a smooth puree. An immersion blender has become one of my favorite gadgets as I make more one-pot recipes. (Note: You can also transfer the soup to a high-speed countertop blender and puree until smooth)
- If you prefer, strain the soup through a fine mesh to get a smooth texture. This is optional but recommended if you prefer a smooth consistency. Discard the residue, and transfer the soup back to the instant pot.
- Add honey, black pepper and salt, and stir it.
- Set the instant pot on sauté mode and let the soup boil. Stir in the cream and cheese until they are well incorporated. Let the soup cook for a couple of minutes.
- Serve in bowls and garnish with freshly grated cheese and basil leaves (optional). Enjoy with garlic bread.
Stovetop Method
Follow the same steps as above for Stovetop. In place of pressure cooking, cover the pot and simmer until the tomatoes and vegetables are soft, about 20-25 minutes, and then blend and follow the remaining steps.
Expert Tips
- Tomatoes: Use fresh ripe tomatoes. If using canned, use good quality tomatoes, such as San Marzano.
- Blend it smooth: Make sure to blend the soup smooth. You can use an immersion blender or transfer to a high speed countertop blender such as Vitamix.
- Vegan & Dairy-free: To make the soup vegan, use olive oil, coconut milk, and skip cheese.
- Double: This soup can be doubled in quantity in a 6qt instant pot. The pressure cooking time will remain the same.
How to Serve?
Garnish the soup with fresh basil leaves and some grated parmesan.
Top with croutons. Or pair it with some crusty bread or garlic bread, which is perfect for dipping.
A grilled cheese sandwich is perfect with this creamy instant pot tomato soup.
Add a protein-rich chickpea salad as a side.
Enjoy this soup with pasta. We love it with fettuccini alfredo or mushroom pasta.
How to Store?
This soup stores well. Let the soup cool completely and store it in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you want to freeze, skip the cream and cheese at the end. Transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
When you are ready to enjoy, let the soup defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat on the stovetop. Add the cream and cheese (optional), and bring to a boil. Adjust consistency based on your preference by adding broth or water.
Common Questions
Adding cream or coconut milk at the end usually helps to thicken. the soup. Simmer the soup for a few minutes after adding cream.
You can also add some grated parmesan or romano cheese. You can also add cashew paste or a cornstarch slurry to thicken tomato soup.
I prefer to make tomato soup with fresh tomatoes. However canned tomatoes work well too. Roma, San Marzano, or Red Vine Tomatoes are great to use for tomato soup.
If using canned tomatoes, use whole peeled tomatoes or crushed tomatoes. I like to use San Marzano canned tomatoes for soup.
You can add garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, italian seasoning to add more flavor to tomato soup. Of course, don't forget the basics - salt and freshly ground black pepper. You can also add cayenne or paprika to add some heat.
More Soup Recipes You'll Love
Check out this 20+ Instant Pot Vegetarian Soup Recipes collection for more delicious soups!
Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Butter or Oil
- 7 cloves Garlic
- ½ Onion chopped
- 5 Carrot chopped (I used small thin carrots)
- 3 stalks Celery chopped
- 5 Tomato chopped
- ¾ cup Broth or water
- ¼ cup Romano Cheese grated (optional)
- ¼ cup Cream heavy whipping, use coconut milk for vegan
- 1 teaspoon Honey or sugar
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Basil leaves to garnish
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in Sauté mode and wait till it displays HOT. Add butter and let it melt. Add chopped onions, garlic and cook for a minute. Add in carrots and celery to instant pot. Add in the chopped tomatoes.
- Add broth to instant pot and stir it with all the veggies making sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot. Press cancel and close the lid with vent in sealing position.
- Start instant pot in manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 6 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture until it is smooth. Or transfer to a blender and carefully blend the soup in batches. (If you like your tomato soup to be very smooth, you can strain it over a fine mesh strainer)
- Stir in the cream and cheese. Simmer for another 2 minutes on sauté mode until the cheese mixes well. Add honey, salt and pepper to taste.
- Give the soup a taste and adjust broth or seasoning to taste, adding any extra of whatever you prefer to get your ideal thickness and flavor.
- Garnish with cilantro and grated cheese (optional). Creamy Tomato Soup is ready to be served with garlic bread or your favorite side.
Notes
- If you don't have fresh tomatoes, you can always replace them with canned tomatoes. Use good quality canned crushed or whole tomatoes. I prefer to use San Marzano tomatoes.
- This soup can be prepared in bulk and frozen to be enjoyed later.
- Vegan Variation: Use vegan butter or your favorite oil. Replace cream with coconut milk and skip the cheese or use vegan cheese.
- This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Pressure Cooker.
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
P says
Can I use chicken broth for the base or is the base you posted the best? I have both but wondering which is better for this
Meeta Arora says
You can definitely use chicken broth in this recipe. Hope you enjoy the soup!
Ari says
Love this recipe! So delicious and easy.
Bonus is that my 10 year old loved it and he’s a hard sale. Lol.
Thank you!
Meeta Arora says
It is great to hear your 10 year old loved it too!
Anu says
I added milk instead of cream and was still very good. V good recipe!
Meeta Arora says
Hey Anu - Glad to hear you enjoyed the tomato soup. Thank you for sharing that milk worked well too!
Shirley says
Can you double or triple this recipe in 6 qt instant pot and if you can would you change the time or anything?
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Shirley - I believe doubling the recipe will work, however I am not so confident about tripling it. Just make sure you are below the fill line when you make. Hope you enjoy it!
Sheena says
Is there an alternative for cream?
Piping Pot Curry says
Hey Sheena - You can skip the cream or add coconut cream/milk. Hope you enjoy it!