Instant Pot Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Using fire roasted tomatoes infuses this Instant Pot tomato soup with a subtle sweet-smoky flavor that is hard to resist. You get simmered-all-day taste with the convenience and simplicity of a quick, hands-off meal.
While I love to make roasted tomato basil soup when fresh tomatoes are plentiful, I’ve also been looking to master a quick, simple recipe that uses only canned tomatoes. And now, after making and eating a lot of tomato soup this fall and winter, I can confidently say this is the one!
Why you’ll love this Instant Pot tomato soup
For being so simple to make, this soup has a surprising depth and mix of flavors. It’s still, at heart, a familiar tomato soup: just a really, really good one!
- No-fuss: everything cooks right in the Instant Pot.
- Rich, enticing taste: thanks to the fire roasted tomatoes and other seasonings.
- Healthy: lots of veggies, no cream.
- Cook once, eat twice: this makes a pretty big batch, and the soup keeps beautifully in the fridge or freezer, so it’s great for storing or sharing.
You’ll need a sweet or yellow onion, a few carrots, chicken or veggie broth, tomato paste, garlic, dried seasonings, and canned crushed tomatoes.
What are fire roasted tomatoes?
As outlined by Bon Appetit, fire roasted tomatoes are exactly as described: tomatoes that are charred over a flame before being canned. This extra step brings out tomatoes’ natural sweetness and gives them a smoky flavor at the same time. You can even see the black flecks, like so.
Look closely, and you’ll usually find fire roasted tomatoes right next to regular canned tomatoes on your grocery store shelf.
What if I only have regular crushed tomatoes?
You can definitely use regular crushed tomatoes in this recipe and still expect a great result! The fire roasted variety just adds that extra layer of flavor.
How to make it; tips and tricks
Making this Instant Pot tomato soup couldn’t be simpler. You’ll begin cooking the carrots and onions using the sauté function, then add the remaining ingredients and let the pressure cooker work its magic.
- Don’t worry about dicing the onion. You can just slice the onion into strips. It will stick less to the bottom of the pot that way, and it all gets blitzed into a smooth soup in the end.
- Scrape the pot very well after adding the broth. Ensuring no little bits of veggies or garlic are stuck to the bottom helps maximize flavor and, even more importantly, avoid a burn notice.
- Break out the immersion blender. Puréeing this soup in the pot is so much easier than transferring batches of hot, steaming liquid to the blender.
What to serve with Instant Pot tomato soup
Obviously, tomato soup and grilled cheese are a classic pair and you can never go wrong there! This soup is also delicious with panini, crusty Dutch oven bread, or these miraculously quick and easy garlic breadsticks for dunking.
Add a few more veggies with a simple Italian or arugula salad, or some tender roasted broccolini.
Of course you can just throw some croutons or crackers on top of the bowl and call it a day! No fuss and equally delicious.
Storage and freezing tips
This soup recipe makes a pretty big batch. It’s easy to cut the recipe in half if you like, but the leftovers store and reheat very well, so it can be nice to save leftovers for a rainy day.
- To store for a few days: Keep soup refrigerated in an airtight storage container for 4-5 days.
- To freeze: Store soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container — I love these tall, reusable deli containers — for up to 4 months. Leave a bit of room at the top of the container, because the soup will expand slightly as it freezes. Thaw the container overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, if possible.
- To reheat: Transfer soup to a Dutch oven or saucepan set on the stovetop over medium-low heat, and stir occasionally until wisps of steam and small bubbles rise from the soup. You can also reheat the soup in the microwave, which tends to work best for small portions.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Creamy Wild Rice Instant Pot Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Cheddar Chowder
- Healthy Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Helpful Equipment
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Instant Pot Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 large sweet onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 (28 ounce) cans fire-roasted crushed tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 15-20 cranks fresh-ground black pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to its sauté function and warm the oil. Add onion and carrots, then cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden and slightly tender. Add garlic and cook 30-60 seconds more.
- Pour in broth and scrape the bottom very well to remove any browned bits. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Close and seal the Instant Pot, and cook for 12 minutes on manual/high pressure.
- When finished, allow an 8 minute natural pressure release, then vent remaining steam and open the lid.
- Purée until smooth using an immersion blender, or by transferring the soup (very carefully!) in batches to a traditional blender.
- Test and add extra salt and/or pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Notes
- Yield: This recipe yields a fairly big batch of soup. It’s easy to cut the recipe in half, but leftovers keep very well and can be frozen, so I find most people prefer the larger volume as a starting point. Worst case scenario: cook once, eat twice!
- Cooking Time: The cooking time estimate of 30 minutes includes about 10 minutes for your Instant Pot to come up to pressure.
- Storage: Keep soup refrigerated in an airtight container for 4-5 days.
- Freezing: Store soup in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating, if possible.
- Reheating: Transfer soup to a Dutch oven or saucepan set on the stovetop over medium-low heat, and stir occasionally until wisps of steam and small bubbles rise from the soup. You can also reheat in the microwave; this tends to work best for small portions.
