Instant Pot Tomato Soup

Name: Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion ((chopped)); 2 garlic cloves ((minced)); 1 teaspoon sugar; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 cup chicken broth; 1/4 cup chopped basil ((or 1 tbsp dried basil)); 3-4 carrots ((peeled and coarsely chopped)); 6 oz tomato paste; 28 oz canned diced tomatoes; 14 oz canned tomato sauce; 1 cup half and half; parmesan cheese ((for serving)); croutons ((for serving))

Craving classic comfort food? Skip the can! This easy Instant Pot tomato soup comes together in 30 minutes with pantry staples, fresh carrots for natural sweetness, and simple layering tricks to help prevent burn warnings.

bowls of tomato soup in front of an instant pot, garnished with croutons, parmesan cheese, and cream.

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Why This Instant Pot Tomato Soup Works

leslie lambert, author of lamberts lately.

Ask anyone that knows me: one of my favorite meals in the world is creamy tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. It's right up there with my Rotel Dip in my all-time favorites!

My pressure and slow cookers see plenty of action for soup season - from my favorite Instant Pot Taco Soup to a rich Corn Chowder. But today is all about one of my faves. This yummy homemade Instant Pot tomato soup comes together in no time.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Cooking Level: Easy

Flavor Profile: Smooth & Creamy

Better Than Canned: Fresh carrots, a little bit of sugar, and seasonings create that nostalgic creamy tomato flavor you love from canned soup - just with a fresher feel.

No Burn Notice Stress: The ingredients are layered correctly and the tomato paste stays off the bottom of the pot, so you get an easy soup recipe without worrying about frustrating Instant Pot burn warnings.

Creamy Without Being Heavy: Blending the soup until silky smooth and finishing it with half-and-half gives it that great texture without making it feel too rich.

Trust me - if you're a tomato soup fan, this isn't much more difficult than opening a can and is so much better. Give it a try!

Ingredient Notes

ingredients for instant pot tomato soup, including canned tomatoes, carrots, basil, and half and half.

(See recipe card at the bottom of this post for full list and exact ingredient measurements.)

Olive Oil: Just a little bit for sautéing the aromatics.
Medium Onion & Garlic: These give your soup a great depth.
Seasonings: 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano. Don't worry - it won't be sweet! The sugar balances out the acidity of the tomatoes.
Chicken Broth: You can substitute vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
Fresh Basil: You can either use a handful of fresh basil or a little bit of dried basil - just whatever you have on hand!
Carrots: These add a little more sweetness to balance the tomatoes, plus they up the veggie content.
Tomato Paste: This will deepen that rich tomato flavor.
Diced Tomatoes: Don't drain these - that juice adds the exact bit of moisture we need.
Half and Half: We'll stir this in after blending for a rich finish.
Garnishes: Freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crispy croutons are perfect garnishes for serving.

Additions & Substitutions

Make It Extra Cheesy: Stir in ½ cup of grated Parmesan or sharp cheddar right along with the half-and-half for a super savory flavor profile.
Kick Up the Heat: If you love a little spice, toss in a pinch of red pepper flakes while sautéing the garlic, or drizzle a little hot honey over your bowl before serving.
Make It Vegetarian/Vegan/Dairy-Free: Swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth, and use full-fat canned coconut milk or unsweetened oat cream instead of half-and-half. It stays super creamy, even without dairy!
Add Some Protein: Turn this into a full meal by stirring in cooked shredded chicken, mini turkey meatballs, or cooked tortellini after blending.
Herby Twist: Swap the dried oregano for Italian seasoning, or throw in a sprig of fresh thyme during the pressure cook cycle (just remember to pull the stem out before blending!).

How to Get That Classic Canned Tomato Soup Flavor

If you love that nostalgic canned tomato soup (same here), you can easily tweak this fresher-tasting variety to be even more like its canned counterpart!

Add Extra Sweetness: Increase the granulated sugar from 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon (or a drizzle of honey) to match Campbell's sweeter formulation.
Swap for Whole Milk: Trade half-and-half for 1 cup of warm whole milk (or stir in 2 tablespoons of dry milk powder).
Use Tomato Puree: Replace canned diced tomatoes with 28 oz of smooth tomato puree to avoid seeds and skin texture.
Blend Ultra-Smooth: Blend on high for an extra minute - or run the pureed soup through a fine-mesh strainer - so it's 100% chunk-free.
Toss in Onion Powder: Add ½ teaspoon of onion powder with your spices for that savory hit of flavor.

How to Make Instant Pot Tomato Soup

cooking onions and garlic in an instant pot pressure cooker.

adding chicken broth and scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Sauté the Aromatics: Set your Instant Pot to Sauté and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent, then stir in the garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, and oregano for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Deglaze the Pot (Important Step!): Turn off Sauté mode and pour in the chicken broth. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly scrape up every last bit of browned onion from the bottom to prevent that dreaded "Burn" notice.

carrots, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes added to the instant pot tomato soup base.

pureeing the instant pot tomato soup with a hand-held immersion blender.

Layer, Lock & Cook: Layer in the basil, carrots, tomato paste, diced tomatoes (with juices), and tomato sauce on top. Give it a gentle stir without disturbing the bottom layer, lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing, and pressure cook on High for 10 minutes.
Release Pressure & Puree: Allow a 5- or 10-minute natural pressure release, then vent any remaining steam. Puree the soup directly in the pot using an immersion blender until completely smooth.
Add Dairy & Garnish: Stir in the half-and-half. Ladle into bowls and serve hot with fresh Parmesan, croutons, or more chopped basil. Even a little drizzle of olive oil is a great garnish!

Leftovers & Storage

In the Fridge: Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container. It will stay fresh and delicious in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days.

How to Reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between. For larger amounts, heat it on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. If the soup thickened up a bit in the fridge, just splash in a little extra broth or milk to loosen it back up.

Freezing (Pro Tip): Dairy can sometimes separate or become grainy when thawed and reheated. If you're planning to freeze this soup, ladle out your batch before adding the half-and-half and let it cool completely. Freeze in freezer-safe containers or ziplock bags for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, reheat on the stove, and stir in fresh half-and-half right before serving for that perfectly smooth, silky texture!

instant pot tomato soup in souper cubes freezing trays on a counter.

I love using Souper Cubes for this - they measure out perfect portions, so you can just pull one piece out of the freezer for a single serving!

Leslie's Testing Notes

Don't Skip the Carrots: Fresh carrots naturally cut through the tomato acidity, meaning you won't need to dump in extra sugar.
Use the Immersion Blender: An immersion blender purees everything right in the pot for easy cleanup. If you're using a countertop blender, be careful not to burn yourself, work in small batches, and vent the lid center with a towel so steam can escape.
Room Temp Dairy Works Best: Cold half-and-half can drop your soup's temp or curdle. Pull it out of the fridge early so it reaches room temperature, or warm it in the microwave for 15 seconds before stirring in.
Layer to Avoid the "Burn" Notice: Broth goes in first! Scrape up any stuck onions before floating thick tomato paste and sauces on top - this keeps heat from getting trapped on the bottom.

bowls of garnished tomato soup in front of an instant pot.

FAQs & Troubleshooting

The "Burn" notice usually means thick tomato paste or sauce stuck to the bottom of the liner and trapped heat. To fix it, hit Cancel, quick-release the steam, and scrape any stuck bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. To prevent it next time, pour your broth in first, deglaze the pot, and float the tomato products on top without stirring!

Absolutely! Just like my freezer salsa, this is a great way to use up garden tomatoes. You can use about 3 pounds of fresh, ripe tomatoes (like Roma or plum). Just chop them up and peel them first if you don't like tomato skins in your soup. Since fresh tomatoes release a lot of extra liquid, cut your broth back by ½ cup so your soup stays nice and rich instead of watery.

Canned tomatoes can sometimes have a little bit of an acidic bite. To smooth it out, stir in a tiny pinch (about ⅛ teaspoon) of baking soda. It will bubble up for a second and instantly neutralize the acid. You can also add an extra pinch of sugar or a splash of heavy cream to round out the flavor.

Dairy can separate or turn slightly grainy when frozen and reheated. For the absolute best texture, freeze your soup before adding the half-and-half. When you're ready to eat, thaw the soup, heat it up on the stove, and stir in fresh half-and-half right before serving.

Tomato soup can end up runny if too much steam condenses inside the pot. The easiest way to thicken it is to let it simmer on Sauté mode after blending to boil off any extra liquid. You can also stir in extra Parmesan cheese, a tablespoon of tomato paste, or a simple cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water).

Yes! Crushed tomatoes work great in this recipe and will give your Instant Pot tomato soup an even smoother texture. Substitute one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes for the diced tomatoes and cook as directed. You may not need to blend the soup as long before stirring in the half-and-half.

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I hope you love this easy soup recipe! If you try it, I'd love for you to leave a rating and tell me how it turned out in the comments below. Don't forget to add Lamberts Lately as a preferred source on Google for more easy recipes and ideas!