Easy Vegetable Beef Soup recipe made in the Instant Pot gives you a huge batch of high-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free, dairy-free delicious soup in half the time. Great for meal prep and weeknight dinners.
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About Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Soup is the ideal comfort food, especially vegetable beef soup. But it's not usually a quick meal.
Rarely would you have time to make it on a weeknight unless you start dinner by 2pm.
Great for slow Sunday afternoons but soup is typically best when it has enough time to simmer and allow all the flavors to combine.
That's where the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) comes in, and this Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup recipe is ready in half the time than if it was prepared on the stovetop.
It takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to use the Instant Pot, whereas it would take around 3 hours if cooked on the stove or even longer in the slow cooker.
Of course, this homemade vegetable beef soup recipe is easily adaptable to the stove top and the crockpot. See notes below for alternative prep/cook.
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Ingredients
Beef: For this soup, the best cut of beef is one with more connective tissue like chuck or round. Beef stew meat is a great option since it's best when it has enough time to simmer and tenderize. Chuck roast cut into bite-sized pieces is also a good option.
Veggies: There are over 10 cups of veggies in this vegetable beef soup! Onions, bell peppers, carrots, celery, garlic, frozen mixed veggies, canned tomatoes, and potatoes.
Broth: Any type of stock or broth can be used, like beef stock, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. Unsalted or low-sodium is preferable to keep the sodium from being super high. In a pinch, water can be used in place of the stock.
Spices: The spices in this Instant Pot vegetable beef soup are Italian seasoning, dried parsley, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, and salt. Feel free to add a bay leaf if you want.
Garlic salt is used to season the beef, but you can use a combo of salt + garlic powder or your favorite all-purpose beef/steak seasoning.
Veggies in Soup
Onions: All onions will work well - yellow, white, Vidalia, and red onions. Use what you have and/or prefer.
Bell peppers: Same as onions, all bell peppers are great in this soup. It was tested with green bell pepper as well as orange bell pepper, and there was not a noticeable difference in taste.
Carrots: Fresh, chopped carrots are a standard in vegetable soups. They are often in the bag of mixed frozen vegetables, so feel free to omit the fresh carrots.
Celery: Another great vegetable for soup, though it can be replaced with any other veggie you want.
Garlic: Because this is such a large batch of soup, be sure to use at least 3 cloves of garlic. But up to 6-8 cloves would be delicious if you like garlic. You can use garlic powder if needed.
Frozen mixed veggies: This recipe was tested with a bag of frozen mixed vegetables with carrots, green beans, corn, and peas. Use 12-16 ounces. Canned mixed veggies could be used as well. Make sure to drain before using.
Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes give richness as well as extra liquid and nutrients. Petite diced tomatoes are best since they don't overwhelm the soup. But that's a personal preference. If possible, get no-salt-added.
Potatoes: Any potato works. Red potatoes and white potatoes hold their shape the best. Baking potatoes, Yukon Gold, and Russet potatoes don't hold their shape as well, but they will result in a thicker soup. The recipe was tested using russet potatoes. Sweet potatoes would also be tasty in this recipe.
Recipe Cost
- stew meat 1.3 pounds: $11.65
- garlic salt ½ teaspoon: $0.06
- onions 2 medium: $1
- bell pepper 1 medium: $0.98
- carrots 4 medium: $0.80
- celery 2 stalks: $0.28
- garlic 4 cloves: $0.24
- frozen mixed veggies 16 ounces: $1.14
- potatoes 2 pounds: $1.20
- canned tomatoes 15-ounce can: $0.96
- beef broth 32-ounce carton: $1.37
- Italian seasoning 1 teaspoon: $0.18
- dried parsley 1 teaspoon: $0.33
- salt 1 teaspoon: $0.01
- paprika ½ teaspoon: $0.07
- garlic powder ½ teaspoon: $0.04
- red pepper flakes ½ teaspoon: $0.10
- black pepper ¼ teaspoon: $0.03
TOTAL COST: $20.44 or $2.56/serving (Based on San Diego grocery store 2025)
Note that this is not the recipe; it's simply to show the cost breakdown of ingredients. Scroll down to the full recipe to see the specific ingredients and directions.
Budget-Friendly Tips
- Look at the price per ounce or pound to get the best deal on beef.
- Buy larger or "family-sized" containers of beef stew meat. They usually cost less per pound.
- Freeze leftover beef vegetable soup that you won't have time to cook to prevent food waste (which saves on your food budget as well).
How to Make Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Easy vegetable beef soup made in the pressure cooker so it's ready in half the time with the same, slow-simmered flavor you'll love.
- Step 1: Brown meat on the Sauté setting. Remove and set aside.
- Step 2: Sauté the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and celery.
- Step 3: Add remaining ingredients.
- Step 4: Pour in broth and water. Only add enough water that it goes to the fill line.
- Step 5: Stir and cook on high pressure.
- Step 6: Release pressure and enjoy!
Timing of Soup
Total recipe time of a recipe made in the Instant Pot can be a bit confusing since recipes often leave out the time it takes to bring it to pressure as well as release the pressure.
However, it's important to me that I share the most accurate info, so here's an outline of the time it takes to make instant pot beef vegetable soup from start to finish:
- 7-10 minutes to sear the beef
- 10 minutes to sauté the veggies
- 5 minutes to add the remaining ingredients
- 15-20 minutes for soup to come to pressure
- 25 minutes cook time
- 10 minutes to release the pressure
To streamline the process, chop the veggies (onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery) while the beef is searing.
Then mince the garlic, chop the potatoes, and get all the remaining ingredients out while the veggies are sauteing. (If you have time, you can start to clean up)
That way, it's about 25 minutes of hands-on time (preparing and cooking), and 55 minutes of hands-off cooking time.
Top Tip
Searing the meat and sauteeing the veggies before cooking the soup adds a nice depth of flavor.
Recipe Tips
When searing the beef, you don't need to cook the meat all the way through. You simply want to get a nice brown crust on the beef.
Searing the meat caramelizes the natural sugar in the beef and browns the proteins to form a brown crust on the surface of the meat that enhances the savory flavor of the meat. Plus, the browned bits also boost the flavor so you don't have a bland soup.
How to Fix a Mistake
- Not enough flavor: If your soup is lacking flavor, you can add extra spices like garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, or Italian seasoning. You can also sprinkle with extra salt. Or try adding something acidic like lemon juice, red white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
- Too salty: Chop one small potato, and add to the pot. Simmer for an extra 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Potato helps absorb the salty flavor.
Make-Ahead Ideas
Soup is great to make ahead of time. Prepare as directed and transfer to airtight containers to keep in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave, on the stove, or in the Instant Pot whenever you're ready to enjoy.
For the microwave, simply reheat in a microwave-safe bowl in 60-second intervals, stirring between.
To reheat on the stove, put the vegetable beef soup in a pot and heat over medium until warm.
If using the Instant Pot to reheat the soup, transfer the soup to the Instant Pot and use the sauté function to heat it. Heat, stirring occasionally,
Storage Suggestions
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-7 days or in the freezer for up to 6 weeks.
If freezing, I recommend storing it in smaller portions so you can defrost the amount you need instead of having to defrost a huge amount of soup.
To reheat:
- In the microwave: Place on a microwave-safe plate, and heat for 45 seconds at 100% power. Flip and microwave for another 30-45 seconds until warm.
- In a skillet: In a dry skillet over medium heat, place _ and cook for about 3 minutes per side until warm.
Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup freezes well, so it's great for batch freezer cooking and meal prep.
Variations
Ingredient Options
Beef: Any chuck or round beef cut into about ½-inch to 1-inch pieces can be used. Ground beef can be used in place of pieces of meat. Simply cook about 1.5 pounds of ground beef (and drain off any excess fat if needed) and follow the remaining instructions. Leftover beef, like leftover pot roast, can also be used.
Veggies: Most vegetables in this soup can be interchanged. If you prefer bell peppers, use another bell pepper in place of onion, celery, or carrots. Or add extra just because.
You can also double the frozen mixed veggies in place of adding the fresh carrot, bell pepper, and/or celery. Or replace with more fresh vegetables instead of frozen.
I wouldn't leave out all of the onion since it gives this soup its classic vegetable beef soup flavor.
Garlic powder can be used in place of fresh. Use 1 ½ teaspoons of garlic powder to replace the fresh.
Alternative Prep and Cooking
Stovetop:
- Follow the instructions, but instead of cooking in the pressure cooker, simmer on the stove for at least 2 hours on medium-low heat.
- Be sure to stir occasionally.
- Alternately: try this recipe for Old Fashioned Beef and Vegetable Soup
Crockpot Vegetable Beef Soup:
- Add all the ingredients to the slow cooker.
- Cook on Low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
How to Make Allergy-Friendly
Homemade vegetable beef soup is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vegetable beef soup might taste bland if you use only water, a less flavorful broth, or your spices are expired. Another reason is that potatoes soak up a lot of the seasoning and salt.
Luckily, searing the meat and sauteing the veggies before cooking help prevent this. Also, adjusting the spices to your taste preferences helps.
If the soup tastes bland, add 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice. Add in teaspoon-sized increments if desired.
If you want it to be spicier, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or paprika, and simmer for 5 minutes. Increase in ¼ teaspoon increments if needed.
Or sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon garlic salt.
To thicken your vegetable beef soup, stir together 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ cup cold water. Mix and add to soup. Let cook for about 15 minutes to thicken. Repeat with another 1 or 2 tablespoons of cornstarch plus cold water if needed.
Another option is to add a can of creamed corn and cook for 15 minutes. This should thicken the soup.
Soup almost always tastes better the longer you allow it to simmer which gives the flavors a chance to completely combine.
Yes, you can cook meat and vegetables at the same time in an instant pot for this vegetable beef soup.
Nutrition Benefits
Thanks to all the veggies and spices, you'll get tons of antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients. Beef is also full of nourishment and satisfying protein.
Each serving (2 cups) of vegetable beef soup has over 1 cup of veggies, 7 grams of fiber, and 23 grams of protein.
Plus, it's full of vitamins and minerals like 172% RDA of Vitamin A, 63% RDA of Vitamin C, 37% RDA of Potassium, and 17% RDA of iron.
Pairing nutrient-rich beef with tons of veggies makes for a healthy meal that gives you a variety of nutrients.
What to Serve with Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup
This is technically a pretty balanced meal in and of itself, but one serving is not going to sustain you for long since it's lower in calories.
To make this more satisfying for longer, serve it with crusty bread, crackers, or another carbohydrate like twice baked potatoes or over rice.
Serving Tip
Sprinkle with fresh parsley or chopped green onion for extra color and flavor.
Final thoughts:
Vegetable beef soup is the perfect comforting soup especially on a cold winter day. Full of nutritious veggies and tender beef, the whole family will enjoy this warming, hearty, and delicious pressure cooker vegetable beef soup.
Because it's cooked in the Instant Pot, it's ready in half the time with the same, slow-simmered flavor you'll love.
MORE BEEF SOUP RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE:
Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1.25 pounds beef stew meat
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 2 medium onions diced
- 1 medium bell pepper diced
- 4 medium carrots diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 16 ounces frozen mixed veggies
- 6 small potatoes chopped
- 1 (15 ounce can) can no-salt added diced tomatoes undrained
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups beef broth
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Heat the Instant Pot to Sauté, and add the beef. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Brown the beef on all sides (about 7-10 minutes), and transfer it to a plate.
- Add the onions, bell peppers, carrots, and celery and sauté for 10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Stir in garlic, frozen mixed vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes (including juices), all seasonings, and beef broth. Scrape up any of the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Pour in water until it reaches the fill line (about 3-4 cups), and stir well.
- Use the Pressure Cook function and cook for 25 minutes. Cover and set the Instant Pot lid to sealing.
- Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes then set the lid to Venting and release the pressure manually. Stir well, and enjoy!
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
Meme
This post was originally published on December 17, 2022. Text, recipe, and photos have been updated.
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