Step by Step Vegetarian Taco Soup Recipe made in Instant Pot. A family-friendly, vegetarian one-pot meal filled with beans, vegetables and spices. Zero Oil Soup Recipe, made from scratch and makes a perfect weeknight dinner when craving take out.
Easy Vegetarian Taco Soup Recipe made in Instant Pot is a family-friendly, vegetarian one-pot meal filled with beans, vegetables and spices. This wholesome soup satisfies most diet types. It is gluten free, plant based / vegan, vegetarian and lacto-ovo vegetarian. The recipe is grain-free so it can be easily enjoyed by anyone who is looking for low carb vegetarian meal options.
Homemade one pot Vegetarian Taco Soup satisfies your take out cravings without the excess calories. Made from scratch, this is a NO OIL soup recipe that is filled with ample portions of vegetables and beans that keep you full for long.
Made using pantry staples, this soup is pretty much a DUMP and START recipe that hardly takes 15 mins of cooking.
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Back in 2012, when we visited US on a holiday, Mexican food had some great vegetarian options that caught our attention. We loved burritos, guacamole and salsa + nachos. It was also the first time I discovered Black Beans which is extensively used in Mexican Cuisine.
I cannot label this soup recipe as an authentic Mexican Taco Soup but it definitely caters to our vegetarian taste buds.
The soup can be refrigerated and frozen making it perfect for meal plans and busy weeknight meal options.
Imagine coming back home tired to a steaming bowl of taco soup. Sheer bliss!
5 Reasons to try Vegetarian Taco Soup
- Filling meal in a bowl - Healthy dose of vegetables, beans and spices
- Zero Oil Recipe - Ideal for Weight Watchers
- Freezer Friendly Recipe using pantry staples
- Perfect for Meatless Mondays
- Vegetarian, Vegan and Gluten Free Soup Recipe
Ingredients
The complete list of ingredients is provided in the recipe card below.
Vegetables - Corn and Bell Pepper (Capsicum)
You can follow Instant Pot Corn on the Cob Recipe Instructions to make-ahead and freeze some corn.
Tomatoes - I have blanched the tomatoes in hot water, peeled the skin and blitzed them into a thick puree. You can use canned diced tomatoes for this recipe and reduce the effort.
If you enjoy smoky flavor, roast the tomatoes, peel the skin, crush them lightly and use for the recipe.
Black Beans - You can use Canned Black Beans or use Instant Pot Black Beans made from scratch. It requires no soaking and results in perfectly cooked beans.
They are economical in comparison to the canned ones, contains no preservatives and can be made ahead, stored in bulk (frozen) and used for cooking during the week.
Spices - Store bought Taco Seasoning can be used along with some Paprika and cayenne for heat. Adjust heat according to your family's preferences. As Indians, we love spicy food and add a tad bit extra.
Substitutions
Black Beans can be substituted with Kidney Beans / Pinto Beans. They can be either cooked from scratch (soaked and pressure cooked) or you could opt for store bought can of beans.
Root Vegetables like Sweet Potato, Pumpkin or Butternut Squash can be added to the soup during fall or winter months. In Summers, zucchini, yellow squash can be used.
Sweet Corn - Fresh or Frozen Corn can be used. Baby corn (chop them in 1/2 inch pieces) can be added as well.
You can add cooked Quinoa or Millets of your choice to this soup if you are craving for some carbs.
Instructions
Step 1 and 2- In the Instant Pot Steel Insert, add all the ingredients one by one without mixing - onion, garlic, black beans, veggies, tomato puree followed by spices and seasoning.
Step 3 and 4 - After water is added. Close the Instant Pot Lid and Pressure Cook on High for 8 minutes. Allow Natural Pressure Release (roughly 20 minutes).
Step 5 - Perfectly cooked Taco Soup. This can now be mixed using a ladle.
Step 6 - Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup for thick texture (this is optional but highly recommended).
Step 7 - Chunky Vegetarian Taco Soup is ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- As mentioned in the step by step process, do not mix ingredients before pressure cooking. If you do, you might face BURN signal while the soup is cooking in Instant Pot.
- This soup recipe contains NO OIL. However, if you want to add oil, use 1 tablespoon olive oil which can be added first, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
- Partially blending the soup - This step is OPTIONAL. I highly recommend it as it adds natural creaminess and thickness to the soup.
- This soup is a meal by itself and does not need any side or bread as accompaniment. However, if you crave something crunchy, add baked tortilla chips on top just before serving.
Freezing / Storage Instructions
The soup stays fresh in the refrigerator up to 4 days.
You can freeze the soup for long shelf life.
I would recommend freezing 1 cup portions into individual containers or zip lock bags. This can be easily thawed and re-heated in a microwave or stove top.
Toppings
Ripe Avocado
Low Fat Yogurt (ditch that sour cream)
Baked Tortilla or Nachos
Cheddar Cheese (optional)
Chopped Cilantro, Lime Wedges
Salsa - Check out some of our favorites below
Mexican Salsa Recipes
Roasted Tomato Salsa - Better than regular salsa
Other Instant Pot Vegetarian Soup Recipes
Carrot Ginger Soup (Vegan)
Tomato Bisque (Creamy Tomato Soup)
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No Oil Vegetarian Taco Soup (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Black Beans If using canned, drain the liquid and add
- 2 Onions medium size, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups Tomatoes 5 medium size tomatoes, blanched and pureed OR use canned / diced tomatoes
- 3 Garlic Cloves fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup Sweet Corn
- 1 cup Bell Pepper finely chopped
- 3 tbsp Taco Seasoning OR use - 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 2 ½ cups Water or Vegetable Stock
- 1 tsp Salt
- Finely chopped cilantro leaves
Garnish / Optional Ingredients
- Half an Avocado, diced or cubed
- Fresh Jalapeno Slices
- Cilantro finely chopped
- Lemon wedges or slices
Instructions
- Switch on the Instant Pot, and in the Steel Insert, add all the ingredients one by one without mixing - onion, garlic, black beans, veggies, tomato puree followed by spices / seasoning and salt.
- Slowly add water or vegetable stock. Do not mix the ingredients using a ladle.
- Cover the Instant Pot Lid. Pressure Cook the soup on HIGH for 8 minutes. Allow natural pressure release (NPR) (approximately 20 minutes) or if you want quick release, allow NPR upto 10 minutes before manually releasing the pressure.
- Once you open the lid, mix the ingredients using a ladle.
- Using an immersion blender, blend half the quantity of soup. This provides natural thickness and creaminess to soup.
- Switch off the Instant Pot, serve the soup warm and once the leftovers have cooled down, refrigerate or freeze to use later.
Notes
- DO NOT MIX ingredients before pressure cooking. Mixing might cause BURN signal while the soup is cooking in Instant Pot.
- This soup recipe contains NO OIL. However, if you want to add oil, use 1 tablespoon olive oil which can be added first, followed by the rest of the ingredients.
- If using Store Bought Taco Seasoning, reduce the quantity of salt added to the recipe.
- The recipe uses Black Beans. You can add Kidney Beans or Pinto Beans as a variation. Beans provide creaminess and makes the soup filling. They can be either cooked from scratch (soaked and pressure cooked) or you could opt for store bought can of beans.
- Root Vegetables like Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkin or Butternut Squash can be added to the soup.
- Corn - Fresh or Frozen Corn can be used. Instant Pot Corn on the Cob is the best way to stock some corn at home.
- Partially blending the soup - This step is OPTIONAL. I highly recommend it as it adds natural creaminess and thickness to the soup.
- This soup is a meal by itself and does not need any side or bread as accompaniment. However, if you crave something crunchy, add baked tortilla chips on top just before serving.
- The soup gets done with 8 minutes of cooking time. However, Instant Pot requires some time to build pressure (pre-cooking) and release pressure (post cooking) which takes additional time.
You can freeze the soup for long shelf life (couple of months easily).
I would recommend freezing 1 cup portions into individual containers or zip lock bags. This can be easily thawed and re-heated in a microwave or stove top. Suggested Toppings - Ripe Avocado, Low Fat Yogurt (ditch that sour cream), Baked Tortilla or Nachos, Cheddar Cheese (optional), Chopped Cilantro, Lime Wedges and Salsa.
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