Instant Pot

7 Cozy Instant Pot Soup & Stew Recipes to Warm Your Home (& Heart)

First up: no-soak black bean soup with allllll the toppings.

August  5, 2020
Photo by Julia Gartland

I can hardly remember life before I got an Instant Pot. The electric multi-cooker has changed my dinner game in so many ways, not least of which: no-soak bean soups.

Yes, you read that correctly. The Instant Pot is able to turn dried legumes—completely sans soak—into tender, creamy bites floating in a thick, flavorful broth, through utter magic (pressure cooking). Which means next time you come home with a bag of dried black beans, the only thing you need to remember to do is press a button.

Check out my go-to method for no-soak black bean soup below—it's rife for riffing, and don't you dare skimp on toppings!—along with six other cozy-as-heck soups and stews I've been making in my Instant Pot lately.


Our Favorite Instant Pot Soups & Stews

1. Instant Pot No-Soak Black Bean Soup (With Alllll of the Toppings)

The most difficult part of making this super-speedy black bean soup (no presoaking required whatsoever)? Pushing a button. Once the pressure cooking is complete, and those beans are nice and tender, simply season to taste and go wild with toppings.

2. Martha Stewart's Instant Pot Beef Stew With Dijon & Tomato

Keep this cozy Martha recipe handy during the chilly winter months, for when you want rich beefy flavor in just over an hour. Make it a complete meal with the addition of mashed or roasted potatoes, toasty bread, and a glass of red wine (we'd recommend a Cab or Zinfandel).

3. Instant Pot Indian Tomato Coconut Soup

Instant Pot expert Urvashi Pitre brings us this creamy, coconutty, wonderfully spicy soup that comes together in 20 minutes flat (seriously).

4. Melissa Clark's Instant Pot Chili

Instead of standing over a stove tending to your chili for over an hour, let the Instant Pot help cut down that cooking time in half—while keeping all of those same smoky flavors.

5. Sheri Castle's Instant Pot Chicken & Fluffy Dumplings

"The chicken was fantastic, the broth was amazing, and the dumplings, though a bit heavy, were delicious nonetheless," wrote one reviewer of this Instant Pot-ified take on classic chicken and dumplings.

6. Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup

You might remember this soup (which sometimes goes by the name "hamburger soup") from your elementary school days. This updated version is just as nostalgic and comforting as the original, only with brighter, more complex flavors.

7. Instant Pot Coconut Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha)

"This Thai-style soup is brothy, fragrant, and delicately flavored," writes Urvashi Pitre. Bonus: It reheats exceptionally well, and actually tastes even better a day or two after you make it.

What's your favorite soup to make in a pressure cooker or slow cooker? Let us know in the comments!

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Ella Quittner

Written by: Ella Quittner

Ella Quittner is a contributing writer and the Absolute Best Tests columnist at Food52. She covers food, travel, wellness, lifestyle, home, novelty snacks, and internet-famous sandwiches. You can follow her on Instagram @equittner, or Twitter at @ellaquittner. She also develops recipes for Food52, and has a soft spot for all pasta, anything spicy, and salty chocolate things.

1 Comment

Lynda R. January 7, 2019
I love making soups in my Ultra Instant Pot. One of my favorites is Roasted Red Pepper soup that uses carrots and potato for creaminess. Cooks quick in the pot, and blends beautifully with an immersion blender.