The Instant Pot makes Vegetable Beef Soup so much faster than traditional cooking methods. If you follow these keys to success, you can whip up a hearty Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup in an instant. (Okay, technically not in an instant but pretty close.)
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I love dinners where you can just throw everything into one pot and just let it all cook together.
When you’re a working mom and have things going on in the evenings, this is a lifesaver.
If I have to do a bunch of prep work before I can cook my meal, it just doesn’t work on busy weeknights.
I want to share some keys to success for this wonderful Vegetable Beef Soup recipe.
Key to Success #1 – Pre-brown Your Ground Beef
I buy my lean ground beef in bulk and brown it all at once in my big skillet.
When the beef is cooked through, I drain it well (and sometimes rinse it with warm water to get the extra grease out) then package up 1-pound portions into quart-sized freezer bags.
If you have a FoodSaver, you could use that here as well.
I let the bags of browned ground beef cool on the counter-top (bag open).
When cool, I flatten the ground beef and remove as much air as possible. Then I lay them flat in the freezer until they’re needed.
I use the browned ground beef in recipes like this soup, spaghetti sauce, baked ziti, lasagna, or pretty much any recipe that uses browned ground beef.
Key to Success #2 – Use Frozen Vegetables
There are many different options that you can use for frozen vegetables.
I used one that was specifically designed for soups that had potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, corn, green beans, onion, peas, and celery.
This is the first time I’ve seen this mix at my local grocery store.
I usually just get the bag that has green beans, carrots, peas, and corn because that’s the one my store carries.
I used to be able to find a bag with okra in it and I really loved that one but it’s no longer available at my store.
Just use what you love!
If my frozen vegetable mix doesn’t have it, I like to add diced tomatoes from a can (with the juice) and sometimes diced new potatoes from a can (drain the juice.)
The canned potatoes shortcut is one of my best tips.
Tip! Use canned diced new potatoes if your frozen vegetable mix doesn’t include potatoes.
Key to Success #3 – Add Flavor With Onion Soup Mix
A packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix will add lots of flavor to your soup without a lot of effort and expense to buy the individual seasonings.
It really adds a depth of flavor with the beef base and the onion.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you can also make this recipe in your slow cooker or on the stove top.
In the slow cooker, you’ll want to cook your soup for about 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
On the stovetop, bring the soup to a boil then turn down the heat to medium-low and simmer for about an hour, until vegetables are tender.
We like to eat this soup with Jiffy Cornbread Muffins or Ritz crackers.
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Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup
Ingredients
- 1 package 28 oz frozen vegetables
- 1 pound ground beef browned
- 33 ounces tomato juice
- 2-3 cups water
- 1 packet Lipton onion soup mix
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in 6 Qt Instant Pot. Close lid.
- Turn steam release handle to SEALING. Press the Beef/Stew button or set to pressure cook for 35 minutes. After 10 seconds, the Instant Pot will start.
- When cooking cycle is completed, let steam release naturally or use the Quick Release Valve.