This Instant Pot Meatball Soup is flavourful, light, yet filling. Juicy meatballs, vegetables, fresh spinach, and perfectly cooked pasta are suspended in beautiful and clear broth. Delicious and satisfying Instant Pot soup is great any time of the year and made easily in your electric pressure cooker.
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Oh, Instant Pot, what a complicated relationship we have. It’s now been almost three months of me using Instant Pot and although I am not one of those people who thinks that it’s a life-changing appliance, I strongly like it.
The main thing to remember is that Instant Pot is not a magical solution and it won’t work for every family. I have another pressure cooker recipe created and scheduled to publish (most likely next week) and then I plan to finally write a post about all the things you need to know about Instant Pot before buying it and why you may not even want to get it. (Update: the post is finally written!)
For now, though, let me say that aside from my SodaStream and Nespresso, Instant Pot is one of the more used appliances in my kitchen. I use it about 2-3 times a week. I still have a few qualms about Instant Pot but I’ll address them in one of my future post.
Why use Instant Pot to make soup?
Let’s talk about this Meatball Soup. Is making it in a pressure cooker faster than making it on the stove? Here’s a revelation: NO!!! It is not faster. In fact, it might even be one or two minutes longer.
But why? Why? Why would you even want to use your Instant Pot to make Meatball Soup? It’s actually simple. It’s the simplicity.
Making Instant Pot Soup means that you don’t have to watch the pot on the stove, you don’t have to remember to add the pasta later in the cooking process. Or, if you are like me and don’t like cooking pasta in the soup on the stove directly, you don’t have to watch two pots and cook pasta separately.
Cooking pasta in Instant Pot
I usually find that cooking pasta in the soup makes the broth cloudy because of all the starch from the dough. It is not a problem for the taste of the soup but visually it is not too appealing.
So, whenever I make a pasta soup, I cook the pasta separately and once cooked (just a bit too al dente), I add it to the pot with the soup, thus keeping the broth clear.
One of the magical properties of Instant Pot is that it makes really clear broth and even cooking pasta in the soup keeps it still beautiful and golden.
How long does it actually take to make this Meatball Soup in Instant Pot?
I have mentioned it before in my Instant Pot Borscht recipe post, how bringing the pressure cooker to pressure takes a long time. This Instant Pot Soup cooks for 5 minutes but it takes 18-20 minutes to build pressure and then 4-5 minutes to release the pressure.
Add to that the time it takes to chop and lightly sauté the onion and the whole Meatball Soup takes about 40-45 minutes to make. I am pretty sure it would have taken the same time to make on the stove also. But Instant Pot-ting it (that’s a verb, right?) is so much easier and more convenient.
How to make Instant Pot Soup
Back to my Meatball Soup. It’s so easy to make. All you need to do is sauté an onion, add frozen veggies, frozen meatballs (try my dill meatballs or lentil-turkey meatballs), dry pasta, your favourite stock (I use Better Than Bouillon for my stock), then cook in your Instant Pot for 5 minutes.
Once cooked, add fresh spinach and serve. Easy-peasy and delicious! You get a flavourful and filling soup filled with juicy meatballs, vegetables, fresh spinach, and beautifully cooked pasta, and all of this beauty is suspended in clear broth. It’s just a perfect soup for the cold winter months and even spring and summer time.
Now, I have to talk a little bit about the vegetables. You need to use frozen veggies as the long cooking time and the time to come to pressure will cook fresh veggies to mush. Even frozen vegetables will be soft but I notoriously like soft vegetables.
If you prefer your vegetables to be firmer then you could:
- omit the frozen veggies and add more spinach in the end
- omit the frozen veggies and add frozen peas and/or frozen corn together with the spinach
- you could try using hot/boiling broth which should reduce the time it takes to come to pressure and thus the time the frozen vegetables are in the Instant Pot (I haven’t tried this option)
- cook the soup for 3-4 minutes instead of 5, add the frozen vegetables once the soup is done and finish cooking on sauté function
Do you want more Instant Pot Recipes?
Join my Real Ingredients Instant Pot Recipes Facebook Group!!! It’s a fun and safe place to share your own Instant Pot recipes made with Real Ingredients.
Also, watch this video to see how easy this soup actually is!!
Instant Pot Meatball and Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion
- 2 cups frozen vegetables (170 g)
- 1 pound frozen meatballs (about 30 mini meatballs)
- 1 cup dry pasta (120g, short pasta like ditali)
- 8 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- salt, pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the onion.
- Press the sauté function on your Instant Pot and wait for it to heat up.
- Add the vegetable oil to the pot and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes until it just starts to soften and turn colour.
- Add the frozen veggies, frozen meatballs, dry pasta, and the stock to the pot.
- Press Manual or Pressure Cooker button (depending on your model) and use the arrows to select 5 minutes. It will take about 18-20 minutes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure, depending on how cold the stock is.
- Once the 5 minutes of pressure cooking are up and your Instant Pot beeps that it's done do a manual quick release. I like putting a small kitchen towel on the pressure release valve to contain the steam a little bit. It took about 4 minutes to fully release the pressure.
- Open the lid, stir in the fresh spinach into the soup. Adjust seasonings as needed and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Teddy says
We finally, after a week of looking at used our new instant pot and made this soup. It was amazing, thank you.
Julia says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you!
Anna says
I make soup in my IP every week. This sounds perfect for a cold winter day. Since we have snow in the forecast, I need to make this asap!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
Julia, let me start by saying THANK YOU. I am the final holdout on the Insta-Pot. I haven’t bought one because I have a pressure cooker and a slow cooker — oh and a stove. So I’ve always thought that an Insta-Pot would be redundant. But I love the clarity of your soup — and I didn’t realize that the Insta-pot could do that. I’m curious to the reason behind that, but the results speak for themselves. I’ve never made turkey and lentil meatballs, but I think that combo sounds really hearty and delicious! Great idea.
Brandy says
I always keep homemade frozen meatballs in the freezer but until recently only used them in subs. This looks amazing and light for an even evening meal. Do you know if this soup freezes well?
Britt @ A Lil' Sweet, Spice, & Advice says
This looks like the most comforting bowl of soup! I think I might understand how you feel about the Instant Pot. I really like it, but have a few qualms about it. Can’t wait to read your post on it! Will definitely be trying this soup in it though!
Leslie-Anne says
This is the kind of soup I make my meatball loving kids all the time! In the Instant Pot I like to add frozen veggies at the end as well, if I’m looking for more of a soup than a stoup.
Tracy says
Oooh you don’t think it’s life changing? And complicated relationship? I’m really looking forward to that post about the pros and cons. I feel like I’m one of the only people on Earth who doesn’t have one and I see all of these amazing recipes and people raving, so I’m so curious to see what you say!! But dang in the meantime this soup looks like one for the Pro column of the list!
Amy says
Yum! This soup looks wonderful. I love meatballs in anything, so naturally I’m going to enjoy this soup. I actually just bought an instant pot but have yet to unbox it and start using it! I think I’m feeling a little intimidated and overwhelmed!
Amanda says
I love meatball soups, but I haven’t tried one yet in the Instant Pot. The broth looks so rich and comforting; I love that it isn’t cloudy! We’re snowed in today, so a pot of this soup sounds like a perfect way to warm up when we come in from shoveling, without having to stand in front of the stove.
Tina says
Thanks for the tips on making soup with pasta. I really never thought about the starch affecting the broth, this was super helpful. Your soup looks amazing, I have a weakness for meatballs!
Dama says
I’ve used my IP three times now and find it quite fascinating! I haven’t made soup in it yet, but it’s on my list. This soup looks so good right now. I have a belly ache and could totally go for something soothing like this. – even if it’s 11pm lol.
Sarah says
Yum.. warm soup sounds amazing right now. It’s rainy outside and I’m not feeling well! Maybe you could deliver 😀 (Also, I like that you mentioned it’s NOT faster than cooking on the stove, but still has some pros. I’m still debating an IP!)
Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy says
This soup sounds delicious. I DO NOT have an Instant Pot, and will likely not get one. With a pressure cooker and slow cooker….and just old fashioned cooking on the stove (OMG)….I think I am ok. That being said, it is only hubby and I at home, so I don’t have the time issues busy families have. I would give this a try in the pressure cooker and see how long it takes. Homemade soup is the best.