Instant Pot Southwest Vegetable Soup is an easy, 30-minute, beginner meal. This soup is loaded with hearty vegetables and protein-rich black beans, and seasoned with a spicy, smoky southwest flavor. It is also vegan and gluten-free.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, this Vegan Southwest Vegetable Soup is the perfect recipe to start with.
It's foolproof and easily comes together. Simply chop the vegetables and the Instant Pot does the cooking.
This southwest version of my Instant Pot vegetable soup has an added kick from the chilies in the tomatoes, and the fire-roasted corn brings a delicious smoky flavor to the soup.
It’s sure to be a hit with the whole family!
Ingredients
There are 8 main ingredients (plus seasonings) you’ll need for this Instant Pot Southwest Vegetable Soup.
*Full amounts in the recipe card below
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Canned tomatoes. Choose diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chilies for a mildly spicy soup. To leave the spice out, go with fire-roasted tomatoes—no green chilies.
- Vegetable broth. Any vegetable broth will do. But, you may need to add more salt for low sodium broth. Vegetable bouillon cubes are also an option.
- Fire-roasted corn. Use fire-roasted corn for the best taste. The fire-roasted corn adds a delicious smoky flavor to the Southwest vegetable soup. Or substitute with sweet corn and ⅓ teaspoon smoked paprika.
- Bell pepper. Use red, yellow, or green bell pepper.
Instant Pot Instructions
This Instant Pot Southwest Vegetable Soup recipe is so simple. It only takes 2 effortless steps to bring this soup together.
- Chop and prepare all the ingredients.
- Toss everything into the inner pot of your pressure cooker.
How to set the Instant Pot
Make sure the inner rubber seal is properly inserted before sealing the lid. Then turn the steam release valve to the “sealing” position.
- Press the “manual” or “pressure cook” button (depending on your model).
- Set the cooking time to 4 minutes using the plus or minus buttons to add or remove time.
- Then, use the “pressure” button to set the pressure to “high”.
That’s it!
Now let your Instant Pot do the cooking!
*Labeling on the buttons may vary depending on the model of your Instant Pot or the brand of your pressure cooker.
FAQs Southwest Vegetable Soup
Nope! The cook time remains the same.
Yes! I have included stovetop instructions in the recipe card below the Instant Pot Instructions.
I do not recommend using uncooked beans. They require extra cook time which would overcook the vegetables. Also, the dry beans would require extra liquid which is not accounted for in this recipe. Only use cooked beans. They can be canned, frozen, etc as long as they are pre-cooked.
Tips for Success
- Black beans. If your canned black beans are split, add them to the soup after cooking. This will keep the beans from overcooking and splitting further.
- Tomato base. Add tomato sauce for more tomato flavor. I’ve made this southwest vegetable soup with and without the tomato sauce and love it both ways!
- Extra heat. If you love spicy food, add a small diced jalapeño or hot pepper (seeds removed) to the soup before cooking.
We'd love to hear from you!
If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
See ya there!
Recipe
Instant Pot Southwest Vegetable Soup (vegan)
Ingredients
For The Soup
- 5 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chilis
- 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fire-roasted corn, frozen or canned
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small bell pepper, slice into 2-inch strips
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, optional
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Gather and prepare your ingredients.
- Add everything to the Instant Pot and stir to combine.
- Seal the lid and use the “manual” or “pressure cook” button to set the Instant Pot to 4 minutes at high pressure.
Note: The Instant Pot takes about 15 minutes to come to pressure before sealing and cooking. - After the 4 minutes is up, allow the pressure to naturally release for 5-10 minutes. Then, carefully turn the steam knob to “venting” to release the remaining pressure.
- Carefully open the lid and stir the soup. Set a small portion aside to cool, then taste and adjust seasonings if needed.
- Serve with tortilla chips, diced avocado, vegan cheese, or your favorite Mexican soup toppings.
Stovetop Instructions
- Gather and prepare the ingredients.
- Add everything to a large soup pot and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover. Simmer for 35-45 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- The soup is ready when a fork easily pierces the softened vegetables.
- Serve with tortilla chips, diced avocado, vegan cheese, or your favorite Mexican soup toppings.
Notes
- Tomato Sauce - For a tomato-based soup add in one 8oz or 15oz can of tomato sauce–depending on how tomatoey you want the soup. I have made it with and without the tomato sauce and love it both ways. You can always add the tomato sauce in after the soup is cooked if you decide you want the extra flavor. Add agave or maple syrup to tone down the tomato, if needed.
- Black beans - If your canned black beans are split, add them to the soup after cooking. This will keep the beans from overcooking and splitting further.
- Veggie broth - Boullion cubes are a great option and will give full flavor to the soup. But feel free to use your favorite broth and season the soup to your liking.
- Fire-roasted corn - There is no need to defrost the corn. Toss it right into the pot from the freezer.
- Instant Pot models may vary - If so, the buttons may be labeled differently depending on the model you own.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
Hearty vegan soups
Where You Get Your Protein is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Where You Get Your Protein will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.
Janice
We loved this soup. I added a beef bouillon cube and a splash of soy sauce to deepen the flavor. Also, be sure to squeeze a lime on top of your serving. It really brightened the taste!!
Marlena Luna
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. A squeeze of fresh lime juice sounds perfect. Thank you for sharing your great feedback!