This Instant Pot hamburger soup is easy and flavorful! It's a healthier comfort food that uses simple everyday ingredients. The whole family is sure to love it!
I made a regular stovetop version of hamburger soup, so I figured I'd also test out an Instant Pot version. Soup leftovers for days, folks. Good thing this is a yummy soup! 🙂
This soup is great because you can throw in extra veggies if you have them on-hand, and you don't have to worry too much about measuring anything out, in my opinion. I love forgiving recipes like this. In my "real life" I rarely measure anything. I think there's a certain freedom in cooking when you ditch the measurements. Just don't try it with baking. And that is why I rarely bake.
I digress.
As always, I like using my Instant Pot to build flavor in a relatively short amount of time. I'm typically someone who is totally fine making most recipes on my stove, but sometimes it's nice to use the Instant Pot. It frees up the stove, it's hands off when you close that lid, and it's nice to use a gadget that may be collecting dust in a dark corner of the kitchen. 😉
I love how the Instant Pot makes everything fall-apart tender after only a short period of cooking. And you don't have to mess up the stove. But you do have to clean your Instant Pot... sorry.
This electric pressure cooker hamburger soup is delicious without being creamy. Like I put in the write-up of the stovetop version of this recipe, creamy soups are typically my favorite kinds of soups, but this one is a new favorite for me even sans cream.
The tomato broth is flavorful, and the beef and potatoes make it nice and hearty.
Pro tip: I like to use extra lean ground beef because it's a bit less fatty, so you can skip the step of draining the fat once you've browned it. There's still a bit of fat left, but I find it adds a nice flavor to the soup. If you do use a fattier ground beef, I would definitely drain some of the fat so the soup doesn't end up excessively oily.
Other delicious ground beef recipes you may like:
- Crockpot Beef Chili
- Easy Beef Bowls
- Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Homemade Spaghetti Sauce
- Instant Pot Beef Chili
Let me know in the comments below if you'll give this easy Instant Pot hamburger soup recipe a go.
Questions? Talk to me!
Instant Pot Hamburger Soup
This Instant Pot hamburger soup is easy and flavorful! It's a healthier comfort food that uses simple everyday ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 2 sticks celery chopped
- 1 pound extra lean (95% lean) ground beef
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (28 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 large Russet potatoes diced
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
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Add the olive oil, onion, and celery to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and cook for 4 minutes.
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Stir in the beef and garlic. Cook until the beef has browned, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). You shouldn't need to drain much fat if you're using extra lean ground beef, but feel free to drain some/most of it if desired (I didn't drain any).
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Stir in the tomato paste, then add in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, potatoes, and Italian seasoning.
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Close the lid, make sure the valve is on "sealing", press the "manual" button and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes.
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Once the countdown has finished, carefully do a quick pressure release.
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Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
- Serves 4-6.
- Anything from about 1 to 1.5 pounds ground beef will work.
- Use low-sodium beef broth if you're sensitive to salt.
- I use this 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Inactive time indicates the time it takes the Instant Pot to get up to pressure.
- Try the stovetop version if you don't own an IP.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Sydney says
Hello! I would like to try this soup but wasn’t sure if I could use frozen beef? This looks delicious!
Natasha says
Hi! That’s a good question. In theory it’s definitely possible, but then you couldn’t brown it, of course. I can’t really say without testing. You probably could add an extra few minutes and then if it’s still not done, continue cooking it with the sauté function after you take the lid off. I really can’t give you specific instructions without testing it, though, so just use caution and make sure the beef is cooked properly.
Yvonne says
So easy!! I also added canned green beans for added veggies.
Natasha says
♥️♥️♥️
Gordon says
Didn’t have tomatoes on hand, so I used a jar of salsa, added some canned black beans, and served “taco soup” over rice with cheese and sour cream toppings. Yummy!
Natasha says
I am so glad that you were able to adapt it based on what you had in stock! 🙂
Sue says
I love it! I added some sour cream and scallions as a topping. Definitely making this again.
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Kathy says
Can I use pasta shells instead of potatoes
Natasha says
I think that could work! Let me know.
Illona says
Thanks for putting your recipe out there Natasha! I've been making this recipe up in my head the last couple of days but haven't got to the actual doing. Like you, I just grab and put things in without much measuring, so you have saved me a lot of guess work. I can almost smell it already...LOL! IP soups are so very much more healthy and taste so much better than store bought canned. Plus, you know exactly what's in it & no added preservatives. I'm going to use my own home canned tomatoes. What is the green on top of the soup in your picture, celery leaf or cilantro? I usually use the little celery leaf chopped up. Thanks!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you like it!! 🙂 Haha yup, no measuring is the best... sometimes lol. I'm pretty sure I garnished it with parsley. I do love using chopped celery leaves though!
Jacqueline M. Armstrong says
I've made this several times and it's amazing. The leftovers are even better. I have some frozen ground turkey I want to use - has anyone tried it with that?
Regina says
This recipe is great we love it!
But could you please tell me the sodium intake and everything for it? I did not see that unless I missed it.
Natasha says
Hi Regina! So glad you liked the recipe. I just plugged it into my nutrition calculator for you (you can see the nutrition label in the recipe card). Please keep in mind that this is only an estimate and it'll vary based on the actual ingredients you use and any extra salt/pepper you use.
Janie says
So tasty and easy. A great way to use the burger when you don't want to make chili or tacos. My husband loved it. Its so hearty and yummy. I added 14 oz tomatoes and then filled the can up with spaghetti sauce. We like tomatoes but not 28 oz. I also added carrots and some frozen greens beans. this is a keeper for sure.
Natasha says
So happy you liked it, Janie!
Peggy Lampkins says
I somehow didn’t see the star rating when I wrote my comment...so definitely 5 stars!!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Peggy Lampkins says
Thanks for the awesome recipe, I’ve made it lots of times on the stove, before I got an Instant Pot...those of us who have one will fully understand...lol. This IP recipe is great! I made it pretty much the way the recipe calls for except I added 1 can of kidney beans, also added carrots when I added the potatoes. Then after it cooked I added some frozen corn and green beans. (All you really need to do is heat those anyway) Everyone is asking for the recipe!! Thanks a bunch!
Natasha says
You are very welcome, Peggy! 🙂
Lisa Foust says
Easy and yummy.
Thanks for sharing.
Natasha says
You're very welcome! Thanks for letting me know. 😀
Lainey says
I am making this for my work SOUP-erbowl party! I am wanting to double the recipe. Will the 6 quart hold everything in? Or should I just stick with the amount the recipe calls for?
Also, if I add carrots to the recipe, what step would I add them in so they wouldn't by mushy? Thanks!
Natasha says
Hi!! Love the idea of a Soup-erbowl Party lol. If I recall, the IP was quite full, so I think doubling it probably won’t work unfortunately. I’d add the carrots just prior to closing the lid and starting it up. The carrots will be quite soft, but I make soups in the IP with them often, and they don’t disintegrate or anything unless they’re sliced super thin.
Susan Kraft says
Very easy to follow. Loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha says
You’re welcome!!
Tresa says
Very simple. 2nd time using in IP. Very delicious.
Natasha says
Yay!! So glad you like it!
Barb says
I make this soup all the time! My only change is to add 1/2 inch pieces of carrots and sometimes diced rutabaga (if I have it) and very often I add chopped green cabbage. A generous dash of Worcestershire gives it a kick. I pressure cook for 5 minutes on high and quick release. Perfection!
Love your recipes!
Natasha says
Your additions sound delicious, Barb!! So glad you enjoy my recipes. 😀
Lynette GARRIS says
Could you cook this in a pressure cooker?
Natasha says
You mean like a regular pressure cooker (not electric)? I don't see why not, but honestly I don't own one and have zero experience using them, so I can't give you detailed instructions. I'd probably just use the stovetop recipe (linked) if you're unsure.
Deborah Price says
Made this for dinner tonight. Added extra potatoes (we love potatoes in soup). Hubby loved it, said I could make this anytime!
Natasha says
Yay! So glad it was a hit!!
Wendy says
Wow this is very similar to Carne Molida con Papas, a Mexican dish. We use either a green salsa or a can of tomato sauce and Knorr chicken cubes... kind of the same idea, I love to top it with sour cream and eat with a flour tortilla. So glad I found this recipe to try!
Natasha says
That sounds amazing!! I hope you like this version!
Wendy says
Thank you for the recipe, it is very good and easy. I’ve passed it on to three family members so far. I’ve also made your Easy Beef Bowls which were excellent too.
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Wendy! So glad you liked it. Thanks for commenting. I'm really glad you like the beef bowls too. Happy new year!
Sherry says
So yummy! Made it last night and it was my very first recipe in my IP. So good! I did add two carrot sticks chopped. I will be making it again.
Natasha says
That's great!! So pleased your first IP recipe was a success! Thanks for commenting 🙂
Tatjana says
I already made the mistake of adding italian seasoning to this minestrone soup and it just taste like rosemary...that's it. Suggest another seasoning? Or what brand of italian seasoning do you use? I'm about to toss that minestrone 🙁 sogross. Thanks for your help!
Natasha says
Maybe just leave it out or use a pinch of a herb you know you like? There’s really only a little bit in here. I use McCormick brand. Not too much comes out of the jar when you use a dash or two. ♥️
Amy Quinlan says
This was so east easy for a quick “comfort food” soup! Family approved! Added corn and shredded cheddar. Thank you!
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Amy!
Peggy says
Thanks for the AWESOME recipe! I’ve been making this on the stove for a few years, but my neighbor gave me an IP and this is only the third time I’ve used it. I was kinda afraid of it and skeptical, I didn’t think the food would be flavorful but Boy was I wrong!!! This soup is absolutely delicious!! Only thing I did different than the recipe calls for is I also added a can of kidney beans, drained. And a few carrots and then after it was done, I added about 1/2 cup frozen corn and a can of green beans. Turned out great! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!! Thanks
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Peggy! Instant Pots are pretty great for soups, I have to say. 🙂
Peggy says
Yes! They are! I’m getting ready to make it again right now. Thanks again for posting this awesome recipe! 😁❤️
Natasha says
You're very welcome, Peggy!!
Monica says
Great recipe. I added some carrots and bok choy that I needed to use up from the veggie drawer. I only had a pack of ground beef that was about 3/4 pound and it was fine. Thanks.
Natasha says
I am so pleased you liked it, Monica!
Kim says
Made it in the Power Cooker plus.. Yum, diffently a must have recipe to keep for those cold night.
Natasha says
So pleased the recipe worked out for you ❤️❤️
Kim H says
Making tonight with a salad! Hoping my 11 year old likes it. I added corn and peas. Can't wait for dinner! Smells awesome!
Natasha says
Fingers crossed! 🙂
Abby says
You left out some steps like when to add other frozen vegetables?? I’m a novice instant potter so I need specific directions made a great meal though
Natasha says
Hi Abby! Not sure what you mean about leaving out steps... it's all in the recipe card where I include the ingredients and instructions. Some readers have adapted the recipe for their own tastes so I'm not sure if you're referring to someone's comment or not. If you want to add frozen veggies, add them in prior to sealing up the Instant Pot. Glad you liked the recipe! 🙂
tired allen says
i just bought the insta pot yesterday, do i brown the meat in a skillet first? You do leave out steps...you jumped to stir the meat?
Add the olive oil, onion, and celery to your Instant Pot. Press the sauté button and cook for 4 minutes.
Stir beef and garlic. Cook until the beef has browned, stirring occasionally (about 5 minutes). You shouldn't need to drain much fat if you're using extra lean ground beef, but feel free to drain some/most of it if desired (I didn't drain any).
Natasha says
Hi! Nope... you brown it right in the Instant Pot (using the sauté function). Sorry - I noticed the typo and fixed it just now. It was supposed to say "stir in the meat". The sauté button acts exactly as a skillet does. I hope this helps and sorry for the confusion.
Heather says
I don’t have a instant pot so if I wanted to make this on the stove how long would I cook it?
Natasha says
You're in luck - I have the stovetop recipe linked within the blog post 🙂
Anita Lorenzen says
Do you have nutritional information for this soup? I am using an app that tracks food so I need to be able to add calories, fat, protein, etc.
I did make the soup and it is quite good. Thank you
Natasha says
Hi Anita! So glad you liked it. I don’t have nutritional info. I’d just use My Fitness Pal or something similar. I’m not a trained nutritionist, and I don’t find that many of the apps that automatically calculate that info are particularly accurate, so that’s why I don’t include the info at this time. Your best bet is to enter the weights/values of the actual ingredients you use. So many recipes have nutritional info that’s waaaay off. Even if you weigh the food it could be off unfortunately since ingredients themselves vary and packaging isn’t always accurate either.
Denise Squires says
Yum! Added some frozen green beans at the end. . tasty!
Natasha says
So glad you liked the soup!! 🙂
Ashley says
Could I double the recipe or would that be too much in the instant pot?
Natasha says
Hi Ashley! I think that it may be too much to put into a 6 qt. IP.
Faith says
Do you cook the hamburger in pan or just put in instant pot not cooked?
Natasha says
You put it into the IP raw. You're cooking it right in the IP like you would in a pan when you've got the sauté button pushed. Hope you like the soup!
Angie says
I just made this recipe because it seemed like a very simple one for a first time use. However the instructions doesn’t say what setting to actually put it on other than high pressure. So I put it on meat stew. I hope that is correct and I can’t wait to eat it.
Natasha says
Hi Angie! You would use the "manual" button and then adjust the time +/- to get the exact amount of minutes you want. That's how I have all my Instant Pot recipes set up. I don't like to use any of the pre-set buttons because they're simply pre-programmed time amounts (thus they're approximations), and different Instant Pot models have different buttons. It may cook your soup a bit longer than I intended, but this recipe is pretty forgiving so I am sure it'll still be fine. Let me know how it goes!
Kgrantt says
Hello!
I too am using MyFitnessPal. Do you know how many ounces is a serving?
Natasha says
I'm afraid I don't - sorry! I am not the best with math haha. It takes a bit more time, but I suggest weighing and plugging in the exact ingredients you're using. That's really the only way to get an accurate estimate of calories. Trust me when I say calorie counts/nutrition info on most online recipes can be waaay off.
Sara says
This recipe looks amazing for busy nights! I'd like to try it but my instant pot broke, do you think I could adapt this to a slow cooker? Maybe cut the potatoes smaller so they cook all the way through?
Natasha says
I think that should work! And you could always brown the sausage in a skillet prior to adding it to the slow cooker. Let me know how it goes! 😊
Beverly says
This is whats for dinner tonight as well as cornbread muffins:-)
Ro says
I’d like to swap out potatoes for macaroni noodles (elbows). Any suggestion when I’d put those in?
Natasha says
Hmm... I've cooked pasta recipes in the IP before, but without testing it, I can't really say whether the pasta will end up soggy or not. You could try adding the macaroni right before you seal the IP. Then cook it on high pressure for 5 minutes. Do a quick release once the countdown has finished. Everything should still be cooked, but like I said, without testing it in this type of recipe it's hard to speculate whether it'll work or not.
Shauna elliott says
Maybe add noodles at the very end after the steam hs come out?
Courtney says
Not sure if the person who wanted to sub macaroni tried it yet but my suggestion would be to do 1/2 the time on the box of the past minus one minute. So if the pasta says “al dente in 10 min” I would set your IP to 4 min, thats my rule of thumb 🙂 PS cant wait to try this recipe!
Natasha says
Thanks for the tip 🙂
Linen says
I added a couple carrots otherwise the recipe would be perfectly delicious as written.
My picky 6 year old ate it too and he changed his mind weekly about his likes and dislikes. Glad I caught him on a good week. LOL!
I’ll be bookmarking this to make again. Simple to make and great flavor.
Thank you!
Natasha says
Yay I am so happy it worked out haha. Hope he likes it next time too! 🙂
Shauna elliott says
I added carrots too! 🥕 can’t wait to try it... still cooking ❤️
Niki Maas says
We made this today, substituted 2 cans of Rotel for the tomatoes and it was nice and spicy and SO DELICIOUS!!
I can't wait to freeze some for later.
Thank you very much for the recipe.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it! You are very welcome. 😀
Kimberly says
I recently received an Instant Pot as a gift, and have (admittedly) been intimidated to use it. We decided to make this last night and it was surprising simple and SUPER flavorful! The only complaint I heard, was that there were no left overs! Ha! I will definitely make this again.
Natasha says
I am so happy it worked out! I know, when I first got the IP I was scared to use it as well. It definitely becomes less intimidating the longer you have it. I now don't even use a spoon to do the quick release (I used to stand like 5 feet away and use a long spoon to move the seal thing haha).
Pam says
Well, now I don’t feel so bad. I got my IP for Christmas, 2017! It IS intimidating, so I’ve been keeping my distance! But, I am going to go for it, and make this tonight. It’s cold and rainy here in Idaho, so it sounds so yummy! I did make a stew and spaghetti after I got it, and they were delicious SO, what’s my problem? I WILL make friends with my IP and my stand mixer this year!!! They both just look at me and laugh! 😂
Natasha says
I’m rooting for ya! Hope it worked out. Let me know! 🥰♥️
Natalie says
I did add a few things to my personal preference, but this is a great, quick soup! I will make it again!
Natasha says
So happy you liked it!
Hope Muniz says
Yummy! Your instructions were super easy to follow (I'm an instand pot newbie) and the flavor was so good!! I added a red and yellow bell pepper, carrots and fresh garlic. Sprinkled cheddar cheese to top it off, served with crackers. THANK YOU!!!!
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear it, Hope!! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. 😀
Aimee says
I’ve made this twice, hit the spot both times! A keeper for sure 🙂
Natasha says
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know, Aimee!
DMc says
Would love to try this recipe but I'm only cooking for one. Can you freeze this soup?
Natasha says
You bet!
Sandy LeTendre says
Do you have to use pressure cooker mode for soups? I just made sauerkraut kilbasa soup and when I hit soup mode after a bit there was a lot of steam coming out. What was I doing wrong? Everything was basically already cooked- can of beans, chicken broth, onion, cup of kraut and seasonings. That’s basically it so it only needed about 20 minutes but I don’t think under pressure
Natasha says
Hi Sandy! My guess is that you didn't move the valve to "sealing" if steam was coming out. Basically you used the Instant Pot as a regular pot with a lid on.
Blythe says
UnREAL!!! SOOOOOO good!
Natasha says
Awesome, so happy you liked it!
Meg says
I add a bag of mixed vegetables to my hamburger soup the one with peas corn and green beans as well as the diced tomato and potatoes! Everyone loves it!
Natasha says
Great!! So pleased to hear it, Meg!
Tracy says
I added a tsp of smoked paprika that really added a touch of depth to the flavour to the broth. A fantastic recipe and so quick to assemble. Thank you so much for sharing! ... yum! Yup, I'll be making this one again.
Natasha says
I am so happy you liked it! I love smoked paprika myself... I should try that next time I make this.
Lauren says
Will this all fit in a 3 Qt IP? I just bought a 3 Qt Instant Pot but didn't know if I needed to cut ingredients in half or if it would fit in the 3 Qt.
Natasha says
Hi! Sorry, I just saw this comment now... for some reason I haven't been getting all new comment notifications lately. I think the recipe will go over the max fill line on the 3 qt. IP, but maybe try halving it.
Kim says
Well You’ve Done It Again !!!
I made your chicken and rice instant pot
And now this and my husband said this is really good !!! I said I’ll keep using her recipes when we go on the road , RVing with the Instant Pot and Natasha will be joining us more often . Thanks
Natasha says
Aww I’m so happy to join you on the road!!
Evelyn Piper says
Used my Instapot that my sister sent me for Christmas for the first time and used your recipe for the Hamburger Soup cause my sister made it for me recently and I loved it. It came out exactly the same and I'm so pleased. Thank you so much for posting this recipe and helping others.
Cheers,
Evelyn
Natasha says
That's awesome!! So glad it worked out, Evelyn. 🙂
Robin Bullinger says
I made this today. I wanted no potatoes so put chunks of cauliflower. I also added some sliced mushrooms, green beans and some corn. Great flavor!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!!
Gina says
I loved this recipe I used ground turkey instead of hamburger my husband loved it
Natasha says
So glad to hear it!!
Jacqueline M. Armstrong says
Oh I'm so glad I just saw this - I just posted a comment about if anyone used ground turkey! I just found some in my freezer and am going to try it with that. I've made this soup twice with the ground beef and it's amazing. Can't wait to see how it turns out with the turkey. 🙂
Natasha says
Let me know! 🙂
Marg. says
Made this yesterday for supper, turned out great!
Natasha says
I'm so glad to hear it, Marg!
Erin Johns says
Made this tonight only I used 2 cans rotel tomatoes instead of regular, 1/2 cup lentils instead of potatoes and added frozen peas at the end. Delicious! Will be making this again!
Natasha says
Awesome! So glad you liked it!!
Annemarie says
I tried this recipe today. I had never made soup like this and used real beef patties. Didn’t have italian seasoning at home so used: Oregano, Basil, Thyme and Rosemary which makes the same combo. It came out really good. My son says the food smells really good. I will put this in my “copy me that” recipes.
Natasha says
I'm glad you liked it, Annemarie!