
Instant Pot Tomato Soup is an easy peasy twist on a comfort food classic! The IP locks in flavor and gives this vegetarian soup a slow-simmered taste in a fraction of the time.
Switch your pressure cooker to the SAUTE function and sauté onion in 1 TBSP oil for 3-5 minutes, until edges are golden and tender. Add garlic at very end and cook 30 seconds more while stirring.
To deglaze any browned bits of onion from the pot, add vegetable broth and scrape with spatula. (This adds flavor to the broth and helps prevent the IP's auto-shutoff "burn" feature.)
Add chopped carrots, seasoning (salt, pepper, oregano, basil, and optional sugar) along with canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
Set to HIGH pressure for 15 minutes and allow to come to pressure, allowing a natural pressure release for about 10 minutes.
Use a hand held immersion blender to puree until fabulously smooth. You can also blend the soup, in two batches, in your blender or food processor.
Lastly, give the soup a taste and adjust broth/tomato/seasoning to taste, adding any extra of whatever you prefer to get your ideal thickness and flavor. Additional broth can be added for a thinner soup and 3-4 ounces of cream cheese or heavy cream can be added (after cooking) for a creamy soup. Simply add extra spices to compensate for any additions and taste as you go. Easy peasy!
Serve piping hot with a melty grilled cheese sandwich and enjoy!