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Home » Blog » Recipes » Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (Whole30, Keto)

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup (Whole30, Keto)

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Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is one of my favorite Whole30-friendly vegetable side dishes because it’s hands-off, delicious, and healthy. Plus, I clean out the fridge when I make this comforting soup!

A side view of Instant Pot Vegetable Soup in a white bowl.

My favorite vegetable side dish

At least once a week, I make this vegetable-packed soup to accompany whatever entree I’m cooking. Why? Because I’m lazy, thrifty, and want to feed my family healthy and umami-packed food. This Instant Pot soup is so simple and  comforting—plus, I routinely cook up the not-so-fresh vegetables languishing in my crisper.

A step-by-step collage of how to make simple Instant Pot Vegetable soup, a healthy family favorite.

An Instant Pot makes it easy!

As I said before, I’m always looking for shortcuts to deliciousness and the Instant Pot totally delivers on that front. Using an electric pressure cooker doesn’t necessarily make this soup faster than on the stovetop, but I don’t need to babysit it all. In fact, after I’ve dumped the ingredients inside, I just set it and wait for it to finish cooking!

While the soup is cooking the Instant Pot, you can concentrate on cooking the main course (e.g. Umami Roast Chicken, Cracklin’ Chicken, Wonton Meatballs, etc.) and the soup will be piping hot and waiting for you to serve when it’s convenient for you. Or you can just sit on the couch and watch Bravo—you do you, boo.

Can you make this soup on the stovetop?

Of course! Just plop the ingredients in a pot and simmer until tender. It’s just way less of a hassle to use an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker because you don’t have to babysit the soup!

Essential Umami Boosters For Big Flavor

In my cookbooks and on this blog, I’m always reminding you about the importance of adding ingredients that impart umami—the fifth taste (a.k.a. savoriness or meatiness). In this Instant Pot Vegetable Soup, I always use an amazing bone broth (e.g. either homemade or store-bought), a splash of fish sauce, and a few dried shiitake mushrooms. All three of these ingredients are high in umami and they magically transform this humble vegetable soup into a comforting showstopper.

What vegetables work best in this soup?

In this recipe, I suggest my favorite vegetable combination of baby bok choy, carrots, and potato—but that’s because I normally have these veggies in my fridge or pantry. You can definitely leave out the potato if you don’t eat them or use a different leafy green. Some great greens to use in this soup include cabbage, kale, and watercress. If you’re using quick cooking greens like baby spinach or baby kale, simply drop them in after the soup is done pressure-cooking and just stir them until wilted.

Slicing baby bok choy for healthy Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

There’s really no wrong combination—just cook like your frugal and smart granny would and dump in vegetables that need to be eaten. Soup vegetables are meant to be soft so don’t get bent out of shape if the vegetables are mushy.

How do you make this soup a complete meal?

Dump in some leftover cooked meatballs! My favorite ones to add in are Asian Meatballs, Wonton Meatballs, and Weeknight Meatballs (from Ready or Not! cookbook). I normally plop them in with the veggies and cook everything together.

A bowl filled with Instant Pot Vegetable soup and meatballs.

Alternatively, you can stir in some leftover cooked protein at the end like leftover Weeknight Roast Chicken or Instant Pot Kalua Pig.

How do you store and reheat leftovers?

You can keep the soup in the fridge in a sealed container for up to four days or freeze it for up to 6 months. You can reheat it in the Instant Pot for zero minutes under high pressure and manual release (the soup will reach high pressure and stop cooking).

Time to get your vegetable soup on!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 6 cups Instant Pot Bone Broth or chicken stock
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch coins
  • 1 medium russet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
  • 1 pound baby bok choy, cleaned and cut in half or quartered
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced

Equipment:

  • Instant Pot (6-quart or larger)
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Garlic press
  • Ladle
  • Get all of my equipment recommendations by clicking here!

Method:

Pour the broth into the metal insert of the Instant Pot. You can use chicken, beef, pork, mixed meat broth…whatever!

Pouring bone broth into an Instant Pot to make Instant Pot Vegetable Soup.

Carefully drop in the carrots, potatoes, and shallots.

Adding potatoes, carrots, and shallots into an Instant Pot to make paleo Instant Pot Asian soup

Stir in the garlic and shiitake mushrooms. (You don’t need to rehydrate the ’shrooms first if you are plopping them into the Instant Pot because they will soften under high pressure. If you’re cooking the soup on the stovetop, you should soak the mushrooms in water until tender.)

Adding minced garlic and dried shiitake mushrooms into the Instant Pot to make healthy Chinese soup.

Pour in the Red Boat fish sauce and stir in the baby bok choy.

Stirring in baby boy chow into an Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and program it to cook under high pressure for 2 minutes. (Pro Tip: It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for the soup to come up to high pressure before the two minute countdown starts!)

Locking the lid on an Instant Pot to cook Whole30 Vegetable soup for 2 minutes under high pressure.

After the soup has finished cooking, release the pressure manually.

Manually releasing pressure for Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Stir the soup and taste it for seasoning. Add salt and additional fish sauce if needed.

Someone adds salt to the Instant Pot Vegetable Soup.

Ladle into soup bowls and top with scallions.

Sprinkling sliced scallions on top of Instant Pot Vegetable Soup.

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup may become a favorite in your household, too!


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Overhead shot of a bowl of Instant Pot Vegetable Soup, a Whole30-friendly vegetable side!
Print Recipe
4.84 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup

Instant Pot Vegetable Soup is a fast, healthy, and easy Whole30-friendly vegetable side dish and you can clean out the fridge, too!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time30 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: gluten-free, Instant Pot, keto, low carb, paleo, soup, Whole30
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 205kcal

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Instant Pot Bone Broth or chicken broth
  • 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced into ¼-inch coins
  • 1 medium russet potato cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
  • 1 pound baby bok choy ends trimmed and cut in half or quartered
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt 
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

  • Pour the broth into the metal insert of the Instant Pot.
  • Carefully drop in the carrots, potatoes, and shallots. Stir in the garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and Red Boat fish sauce. Mix in the baby bok choy.
  • Lock the lid on the Instant Pot and program it to cook under high pressure for 2 minutes.
  • After the soup has finished cooking, release the pressure manually. Taste the soup and add salt or fish sauce to taste. 
  • Ladle into soup bowls and top with scallions.

Notes

Pro Tip: It takes about 10 to 15 minutes for the soup to come up to high pressure before the two minute countdown starts!
Tried this recipe?Mention @nomnompaleo or tag #nomnompaleo!

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 4g
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JG says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    You plop in cooked meatballs with the veggies right? 2 minutes would only warm not cook 🙂

    Reply
    • Angelina Hong says

      August 20, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      Yes! Cooked meatballs 🙂

      Reply
  2. Jen says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Can you make this in a slow cooker? Unfortunately I don’t have an instant pot, but I like the idea of walking away and letting it cook 🙂

    Reply
  3. Betsy says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Hee hee! I usually jump right to the recipe, but this time skimmed the commentary and was amused by this suggestion. I’m fresh out of “baby boy choy”, but hope to try the recipe once I acquire some. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Cheryl says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    Can you use regular bok choy? My produce section didn’t have baby bok choy! 🙁

    Reply
    • Angelina Hong says

      August 20, 2020 at 5:55 pm

      Totally!

      Reply
  5. Hannasmom says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    This is delicious! I like the taste but not the texture of mushrooms so I added some magic mushroom powder to it for the umami. So good!

    Reply
  6. Melissa Williams says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    This was amazing ! I made it with leftover turkey breast . Will definitely include in meal prep for the week .

    Reply
  7. Carolyn Nelson says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    Is this good if frozen and reheated? Don’t want mushy veggies!

    Reply
    • nomnompaleo says

      August 11, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      I’d make it fresh if you don’t like soft vegetables!

      Reply
  8. Kerrie Diodati-Zacharski says

    August 11, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    Is it okay to use fresh shitake mushrooms?

    Reply
  9. Jenny says

    November 24, 2020 at 12:30 am

    4 stars
    This was very good! I added some fresh ginger because I thought it would go well and I had some that needed to be used up. I’m thinking of adding frozen wontons next time to add a twist to this. Do you think I would need to cook the wontons ahead of time and add in at the end or do you think they would turn out if I just throw them in and cook as the recipe says? I love your recipes and I love that they are so easy, quick and healthy! Keep them coming 😊

    Reply
  10. Melanie says

    December 19, 2020 at 11:18 pm

    Looks simple and delicious. I am a vegetarian but my husband is not, so I am always looking for healthy dishes for him.
    On a side note – be careful when you manually depressurize!! I use a long wooden spoon. 😀

    Reply
  11. Suzie Towns says

    July 24, 2021 at 9:15 pm

    Best source of dried shitakki? I looked on Amazon…confusing

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      August 5, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      I buy them at the local Chinese market or I mooch them from my mom…

      Reply
  12. Deb says

    March 26, 2022 at 12:46 pm

    Can you substitute fresh mushrooms for the dried?

    Reply
    • Michelle Tam says

      March 26, 2022 at 10:01 pm

      Sure! Dried shiitake mushrooms add more umami than fresh, though.

      Reply
  13. Ellen Lawler says

    December 10, 2022 at 2:03 am

    5 stars
    I ended up with a pound of baby bok choy when my husband went out of town before I could use them as I’d originally intended. I was delighted to find this recipe when I was despairing of wasting the bok choy. My local grocery was out of dried shiitake mushrooms but had fresh which I used. I took a guess and sliced 6 fresh ones instead. I found the soup a little bland initially so added extra fish sauce and some lemon juice to brighten it. It was delicious!! I’ll happily make it again.

    Reply

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