Instant Pot tomato soup is a creamy soup made mostly with pantry staples in 30 minutes. It is keto, healthy, vegetarian, and super comforting, making one of those Low Carb Dinner Recipes to pair with grilled cheese sandwiches.
Instant Pot Tomato Soup Recipe
There are several reasons to make this creamy tomato soup in the Instant Pot:
- Quick and Easy: Our easy recipe with many staple ingredients is ready in 30-35 minutes.
- Comfort Food: It is perfect for rainy or chilly days, especially when paired with a grilled cheese sandwich.
- Healthy: This recipe is keto, low carb, gluten-free, and vegetarian.
- Balanced flavors and smooth texture – It is tangy, and slightly sweet, with a great smooth, creamy texture.
- Mess-Free: To make this low-carb tomato soup recipe you will need an Instant Pot, an immersion blender, and a wooden spoon. This means you won't have much to wash afterward.
Ingredients and Substitutions
To make this Instant Pot tomato soup, you'll need:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or regular olive oil)
- 1 sweet onion, diced (e.g. Vidalia)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup of canned fire-roasted tomatoes (or you can roast fresh tomatoes)
- ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth if you prefer)
- 16 oz marinara sauce (choose one without added sugar such as RAO's, or homemade Pomodoro sauce)
- 2 teaspoon granular sweetener, e.g. Erythritol
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (not tomato sauce)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil (preferred), or ½ tablespoon dried basil plus extra to garnish
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (or enough to get to your ideal thickness. If you prefer, use Greek yogurt)
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum (You can omit it if you don't have it and add extra 1-2 oz cream cheese to the soup)
How to Make Tomato Soup in the Instant Pot
- Turn on the sauté function of your Instant Pot and let it heat for about 2 minutes. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring now and then, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring. PIC. 1
- Stir in the roasted tomatoes and then the broth to deglaze any browned bits of the onion from the pot.
- Add the marinara sauce, sweetener, tomato paste, and seasonings (basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper). PIC. 2
- Turn off the sauté function. Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set it to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally, for about 5-10 minutes.
- Unplug the Instant Pot and add the cream, cream cheese, and xanthan gum. PIC. 3 Use a handheld immersion blender to puree the tomato soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend the soup, in 2 batches, either in your blender or food processor. PIC. 4
- Adjust the broth and seasoning to taste to get to your ideal thickness and flavor.
- Serve hot with a melty low-carb grilled cheese sandwich.
Stovetop method
Heat a stainless steel pot over medium heat, add the oil and cook the onions for 3-4 minutes and then the garlic for 30-60 seconds.
Follow steps 2 and 3 above.
Put the lid on the pan and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and follow steps 5 to 7.
TIPS FOR KETO TOMATO SOUP
- We adapted the classic tomato soup recipe to make it keto or low carb. You can eat more without breaking your diet!
- Make sure to use a sweetener always to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. We used a sugar substitute but if you are not on a low-carb diet, you can replace it with honey or sugar.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a kitchen blender or food processor but cream the soup in batches.
- For a vegan tomato soup, replace heavy cream with canned coconut milk and skip the cream cheese but double the amount of xanthan gum.
- Want to make it healthier? Use Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream.
- If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can use a pan to make it on the stovetop.
- Make sure your Instant Pot is at least 4 qt to make this Instant Pot tomato soup recipe without surpassing the limit line.
- I used fire-roasted canned tomatoes to give a light smoked touch to our soup, but you can roast fresh tomatoes or use another type of canned tomatoes.
- Use more broth or stock to thin the soup to your preferred consistency. Or, add more xanthan gum for a thicker soup.
- For a spicy tomato soup, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or use a spicy tomato sauce.
Canned vs. Fresh Tomatoes for Making Creamy Tomato Soup
Take these factors into consideration when choosing which one is best to use in this creamy soup recipe made in the Instant Pot:
- Flavor: The canned fire-roasted tomatoes in this soup have a robust, slightly smoked taste that boosts the flavor of this soup and it is not easily achieved with fresh tomatoes when cooking in the Instant Pot.
- Fresh tomatoes are best for salads and gazpacho. Unless you use great quality fresh tomatoes harvested seasonally, fire-roast, or oven-roast them properly, they won't add as much flavor to this Instant Pot tomato soup as canned fire-roasted tomatoes.
- Availability: Canned tomatoes are available all year round while fresh tomatoes are most in season from May through October, varying a bit depending on where you live. makes this soup accessible any time of year. Keep the ingredients on hand in your pantry for fresh, healthy meals on demand.
- Readiness to Use: Canned tomatoes are already peeled and ready to use while fresh tomatoes require you concassé them (remove the peel and seeds, and then chop them).
What to Serve with Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Croutons, toasts, or crackers
- Sandwiches such as grilled cheese or grilled panini.
- Salads such as a light and fresh salad
- Bread such as crusty bread, focaccia, Irish soda bread, cauliflower bread, Brazilian cheese bread, or Portuguese corn bread.
Difference between Tomato Soup and Tomato Bisque
Tomato bisque is a creamy tomato soup made with dairy-based ingredients such as heavy cream or milk. On the other hand, tomato soup has a base of water, broth, or stock and is not necessarily creamy.
Do I have to use baking soda in tomato soup?
Not necessarily! Adding a dash of baking soda to the soup will neutralize the acidity of the tomatoes. But if you use a small amount of sweetener (i.e. sugar) it will balance the acidity quite well. You can choose either!
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Reheat in a pot on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring now and then until hot. Or, cover the soup and reheat it gently in the microwave.
How to Freeze
Because this keto tomato soup contains dairy, the best way to freeze it is to puree the soup and leave the dairy out. Then, once the soup is cool, place it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat the soup over medium-low heat. Then, whisk in the cream cheese, heavy cream, and xanthan gum until homogeneous and thickened to your desired consistency.
Other Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot French Onion Soup
- Weight Watchers Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Instant Pot Potato Leek Soup
- Cabbage Soup Diet Recipe
PIN & ENJOY!
Instant Pot Tomato Soup (Keto)
Equipment
- 1 immersion blender
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or regular olive oil
- 1 sweet onion diced (e.g. Vidalia)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup of canned fire-roasted tomatoes or you can roast fresh tomatoes
- ⅓ cup low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth if you prefer
- 16 oz marinara sauce choose one without added sugar such as RAO's, or homemade Pomodoro sauce
- 2 teaspoon granular sweetener e.g. Erythritol
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste not tomato sauce
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil preferred, or ½ tablespoon dried basil plus extra to garnish
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or enough to get to your ideal thickness. If you prefer, use Greek yogurt
- 2 oz cream cheese softened
- ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum You can omit it if you don't have it and add extra 1-2 oz cream cheese to the soup
Instructions
- Turn on the sauté function of your Instant Pot and let it heat for about 2 minutes. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring now and then, until tender. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds while stirring.
- Stir in the roasted tomatoes and then the broth to deglaze any browned bits of the onion from the pot.
- Add the marinara sauce, sweetener, tomato paste, and seasonings (basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper).
- Turn off the sauté function. Lock the lid, turn the valve to sealing, and set it to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes. After cooking, let the pressure release naturally, for about 5-10 minutes.
- Unplug the Instant Pot and add the cream, cream cheese, and xanthan gum. Use a handheld immersion blender to puree the tomato soup until smooth. Alternatively, you can blend the soup, in 2 batches, either in your blender or food processor.
- Adjust the broth and seasoning to taste to get to your ideal thickness and flavor.
- Serve hot with a melty low-carb grilled cheese sandwich.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
John / Kitchen Riffs says
This looks great! Lotta flavor -- such good stuff. Thanks!