Super rich, insanely creamy Instant Pot Tomato Soup. Made with canned tomatoes for convenience, it's really quick & easy to make & involves minimal washing up. Dinner win!
I am totally that girl who loves a piping hot bowl of soup when it's chilly out and aside from my Instant Pot Red Lentil Soup, this Instant Pot Tomato Soup has got to be my all time favourite. I absolutely adore my Easy Tomato Basil Soup, but it's made using fresh tomatoes and I don't always have enough on hand to make it. However, I do always have a can of tomatoes which means that I can make this Instant Pot Tomato Soup at the drop of a hat.
Add to that the convenience of using an Instant Pot and it's now my go to quick and easy dinner, perfect for when your fresh produce selection is looking pitiful and you really can't be bothered to go shopping.
Make some of my No Knead Focaccia Bread to accompany it, maybe some golden and crispy vegan croutons and you can have a super easy, tasty and hearty dinner on the table in no time!
If you don't have an Instant Pot don't worry, because I have included stove top directions too!
I am quite literally obsessed with my Instant Pot (<<< affiliate link) in case you haven't noticed:
A slow but steady stream of new Instant Pot recipes are appearing here and I think that it's a trend that will continue because this little appliance makes my life so much easier. 
One pot, no watching, no having to stir. Just throw it all in, walk away and forget about it. It even keeps the food warm if you forget about it or aren't ready to eat. Busy Mom win!
How to make Instant Pot Tomato Soup
This Instant Pot Tomato Soup is made using simple ingredients and is extremely low effort.
You start by sautéing the onions and garlic right there in the Instant Pot. No extra washing up is going on here today! Then you quite literally throw everything else in, give it a quick stir and cook on high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally, then blend it up until silky smooth.
I like to blend mine in my Blendtec blender (<<<affiliate link) because it makes the soup incredibly smooth and creamy.
If you have one I highly recommend the extra step of ladling out the soup and blending it in batches (it won't all fit in one go). If you don't though, a stick blender right there in the Instant Pot will do a good job and save you a bit of cleaning up.
This is why I am loving this Instant Pot Tomato Soup:
- It's so easy!
- It's super thick and creamy
- No oil is necessary
- It's healthy and low in calories
- Everyone likes tomato soup (no arguments at dinner time!)
- It freezes well and leftovers reheat perfectly
For more Vegan Instant Pot recipes, check out these great options:
- Vegan Instant Pot Portobello Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Lentil Dal
- Teriyaki Instant Pot Rice
- Seasoned Pressure Cooker Black Beans
- Healthy Chocolate Instant Pot Steel Cut Oats
- Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry
And if you love this recipe, please do check out my cookbook, and subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Instant Pot Tomato Soup
Author:
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves garlic , chopped
- 796mls / 27oz / 3⅓ cups canned crushed tomatoes , or passata
- 156mls / 5.5oz / 1 heaping ½ cup tomato paste , NOT sauce or ketchup (tomato puree in the UK)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 70g / ½ slightly heaping cup raw cashew nuts , not roasted
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 -2 tablespoons sugar *
- 1200mls / 5 cups water
INSTRUCTIONS
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS (My Instant Pot is a 6 quart. If yours is a different size you will need to scale the recipe up or down accordingly).
- Saute the onions in a couple tablespoons of water in the Instant Pot. Once starting to go golden, add the garlic and cook stirring frequently for another minute then turn off the Instant Pot.
- Add all of the other ingredients. Put the lid on and seal the vent. Set to high pressure for 7 minutes then allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, or use a stick blender in the Instant Pot (the soup will be creamier if you use a blender). Return to the Instant Pot. If you prefer a thinner soup, boil some water in a kettle and add it gradually until you get the thickness you like. Check seasoning and add more salt, pepper or sugar if necessary before serving.
On the stove top
- Saute the onions in a couple tablespoons of water in a large pan. Once they are starting to go golden, add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute.
- Add all of the other ingredients and cook over a medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth, or use a powerful stick blender in the pan (the soup will be creamier if you use a blender). Return to the pan. If you prefer a thinner soup, boil some water in a kettle and add it gradually until you get the thickness you like. Check seasoning and add more salt, pepper or sugar if necessary before serving.
NOTES
- Sugar brings out the flavour of the tomatoes and really helps the overall flavour of the soup. I like to use 2 tablespoons in this recipe. If you aren't sure add 1 tablespoon at the beginning, then taste when cooked and add another tablespoon if necessary.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?If you did, be a ☆ and let me know what you think by rating it and commenting below. Tag me on Instagram too. I am @avirtualvegan and my hashtag is #avirtualvegan ________________________________________________________
NUTRITION
Nutritional information is provided for convenience & as a courtesy. The data is a computer generated estimate so should be used as a guide only.
Sarah says
Lovely! Made mine with the same amount of fresh vine tomatoes and about 1 litre of water. I sprinkle some jaggary on top of my cut tomatoes and caramelise themin the oven for extra flavour. Will deffo make this now and lay off the animal products. Thanks
Gen says
Very good! Loved how creamy it turned out. A little too sweet for me so I will cut back the sugar. Will make it again for sure!
Patrick Phyle says
So simple but so delicious. I know I will never buy canned tomato soup again!
Dakota says
Can I use almond mile for the creaminess
A Virtual Vegan says
It won't be anywhere near as creamy if you use almond milk instead of the cashew nuts. And it will end up a lot thinner unless you adjust the water quantity. I'm personally not a fan of almond milk in soups and savoury sauces either because it's flavour always comes through. It's not neutral enough.
Briana Metzler says
I would like to make this soup on the stove top. I do not have cashews, if I were to use almond milk, could I use 1/2 cup?
A Virtual Vegan says
The cashews are what makes it creamy. It will still be nice without but won't be nearly as rich and creamy. I think if I were you I would replace 1 or 2 cups of the water with non-dairy milk.
Amy says
Delicious soup! So impressed with the rich, creamy texture that the cashews create without any dairy. Very flavorful.
Lisa says
I have a nut allergy, what could I use in place of the cashews? Thank You
A Virtual Vegan says
Hemp seeds would work or maybe soaked sunflower seeds? I think hemp seeds would have the most neutral taste.
Robin says
This was Fantastic. Very easy and very tasty. It’s a keeper
Sheila says
Delicious!
Theresa says
This soup is sooo good! And so easy to make! Thank you!
Debbie. Pritchett says
This soup is amazing! I love using my instant and being vegan this recipe is a real hit . It is so easy. It has such a great tomatoe soup flavor. I do not buy can soup, thank you so much.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Debbie. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it!
Nina says
Thanks for this fabulous recipe. I live in the UK. I own a Heston Blumenthal Slow Fast Cooker . When cooking on the fast setting I think it is very similar to an Instant Pot. I halved the recipe and used 1 x 14oz tin of organic chopped tomatoes. One tablespoon 15ml tomato puree and 1 tablespoon 15ml sun dried tomato paste. I used 25g raw cashew nuts and 1/2 tablespoon agave syrup. I cooked it on the soup setting. I didn't have any dried basil to hand. I blended it in my Vitamix and then afterwards added a couple of teaspoons of frozen chopped basil leaves. It turned out amazing. I am sure if you served it to anyone they would be convinced it was loaded with butter and cream. Thanks again, only just discovered your site.
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Nina. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it and that it worked in your Slow Fast Cooker. Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Jenny says
I'm not even a vegan but I was searching for healthy tomato soup recipes thought this one sounded interesting. Holy smokes... it is some of the best tomato soup I've ever had! It genuinely does taste creamy, who knew cashews could do that. Followed the recipe exactly (went with 1T of sugar which I think is plenty) in the Instant Pot and used an immersion blender to get it silky smooth. Will absolutely make this again and again. Thanks for an amazing recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's awesome Jenny! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Cashews are an absolutely amazing ingredient and a vegan's secret weapon! They make the best creamy sauces and are perfect for adding to soups like this one as you have discovered. I'm really happy you found my recipe and gave it a try and thank you so much for coming back to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Barb says
I was wondering if you can skip the Cashews? Can I use Almond milk instead? I am not eating nuts at the moment as I am on a SOS DIET. No Salt, No Sugar and No Oils.
A Virtual Vegan says
You could skip the cashews. Hemp seeds would work instead if you wanted a nut free option. I'm sure you could also replace some of the broth with plant-based milk too although I haven't tried it myself so can't say for sure how it will fare in an Instant Pot. Perhaps add it at the end to thin the soup out then warm it gently through with the sauté function or on the stove top.
Suee33 says
Made this Tomato Soup last night in the Instant Pot .
One comment and something I will never do again is add the cashews to the Instant Pot - The emersion Blender does not get all of them and can bot get all the tiny pieces, Then transferring ALL the soup to the blender is a real pain. I will hold the cashews out of the IP and blend with some of the soup after the soup has cooked, for an easier process and creamier soup.
A Virtual Vegan says
Sorry you had problems blending your cashews with an immersion blender. That's why I recommend using a blender unless you have a super powerful immersion blender. I don't find blending it a pain at all. It takes a few minutes. The reason the cashews are cooked in the soup is so that they become really, really soft and so are very easy to blend and make the soup very creamy. They also flavour the soup as it cooks. I tried it both ways when recipe testing and you wont get the same result if you add them at the end.