Instant Pot Summer Soup
This instant pot summer soup is a light yet hearty meal made with fresh vegetables, wholesome grains, and a flavorful broth. It’s an easy way to put your pressure cooker to work and enjoy a vibrant, satisfying bowl of goodness, perfect for warmer days.
Some people skip soup in the summer—but I’m definitely not one of them. I enjoy it year-round. My grandmother always said that eating soup in the summer helps cool you down. I’m not sure of the science behind it, but I’ve never felt overheated after a bowl, even on hot days.
What I love about this summer soup is its incredibly fresh taste. The flavors come together beautifully, and it’s so satisfying without being too heavy. It’s light, flavorful, and the kind of dish you’ll want to keep going back for.
But don’t let the name stop you from enjoying it during the colder months. Just add a few chunks of bread and get ready for a scrumptious meal.
Why this recipe works
- You can eat a soup like pea soup and while it is delicious, it doesn’t make you think ‘summer’. This soup screams summer because of the ultra fresh zucchini and corn cut right off the cob.
- If you have a garden, you can use your fresh summer produce in this recipe.
- The grain farro gives the soup substance, which means it is hearty enough to be eaten by itself for dinner.
- Cooking farro in an Instant pot or pressure cooker lessens the cook time of the grain and causes it to thicken the broth, giving your soup a rich and satisfying texture.
- This recipe makes a good quantity of soup, which means, if you aren’t feeding a crowd, you can freeze it in an airtight container, defrost it, and serve it again another time (or two).
Helpful
Tips
- Zucchini and corn cook really quickly, so depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables, you can either 1) add them to the instant pot after the soup is done for an additional three-minute cook time, as I do in this recipe OR 2) stir them into the finished soup without cooking, after you’ve released the pressure. In the case of option 2, just cover the pot and let everything sit for 10 minutes. Either method will work.
- If you want this summer soup to be vegetarian, omit the chicken broth and add vegetable broth or just water.
- Want some meat in this soup? I find that pre-cooked shredded chicken breasts go well with the vegetables and broth.
- You can also add canned cannellini beans to make it thicker.
- Farro comes in two different ways, regular (30 minutes) or instant (10 minutes). I’ve used both and prefer the regular kind just because it feels heartier.
- I always wash my farro before using it. Here’s how: Place a smallish strainer in a large bowl and pour the correct amount of the grain into the strainer. Add enough water to cover the farro without covering the top of the strainer and swish the grain around the water with your fingers. Dump the water and repeat it two times.
- I have made meals in the Instant pot where I use the sauté function on the vegetables before I seal it up and start cooking. I have also done it without sautéing the vegetables with olive oil. Let me tell you, I hardly ever sauté anymore. I just throw the ingredients in the pot, seal it and start cooking. I never can tell the difference. The only thing I will sauté in the Instant pot before cooking is meat.
How to make instant pot summer soup
Pre-step
Get out your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Chop the onion in chunks and wash the farro. (See the helpful tips above.)
Step one
Gather the ingredients: farro, diced tomatoes, chopped onion, chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you prefer a vegetarian summer soup), garlic, oregano, basil, and salt. (A)
Step two
Place all the above ingredients plus 2 cups of water in the instant pot. (B)
Step three
Seal the IP and make sure the venting knob is in the sealed position. Press the pressure cook button, and the mode should be on Normal and the temperature High. These are the default factory settings, and I’ve yet to change them. Set the timer to 20 minutes. Please note that the pressure cooker will take around 10 minutes to come to pressure.
Step four
Wash the zucchini and fresh corn. (C)
Step five
Cut the zucchini first in 1/2 inch wheels and then in quarters. You want about two and a half cups, don’t go over that amount as you don’t want the contents to exceed the mark on the inside of the insert as it could overflow when cooking. Also take a sharp knife and slice corn kernels off the cob. You want about two cups but your veggie measurements don’t need to be exact. It’s soup! (D)
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Step six
When the IP beeps to let you know it is done, you can either wait five minutes and do a quick release by putting on an oven mitt and nudging the venting knob to let the steam out OR you can let the pressure release naturally, which takes between 10 – 15 minutes.
I do the quick release method.
Step seven
Open the cover of the IP.
This is what the soup looks like once you do. (E)
Step nine
Pour the zucchini and corn in the soup and stir. (F)
Step ten
Seal the IP again, making sure the venting knob is in the sealed position. Press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 3 minutes. At this time the IP will come to pressure again but does so at a quicker timeline.
Step eleven
Do a quick release: first, let the IP rest for 5 minutes, then don an oven mitt and nudge the venting knob to the venting position in order to let all the steam escape and the little silver button to retract.
I always transfer soup out of the IP and into either a serving dish or one of my Le Creuset pans.
I cut some crusty bread and ladle the summer soup into bowls.
So delicious. Want to give it extra pizzaz? Sprinkle some fresh parmesan on it before serving.
I hope you enjoyed this instant pot summer soup recipe.
Other popular soups recipe
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
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Summer Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes (one small can)
- 1.5 cups farro (washed and rinsed)
- 4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you want vegetarian or vegan)
- 2 cups water
- 3 teaspoons garlic paste (or 3 garlic cloves, crushed)
- 3/4 teaspoon salt (sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
- 1 teaspoon basil (dried)
- 2 medium zucchini (2.5 cups – sliced in .5 inch rounds and then quartered)
- 2 ears corn (2 cups – kernals cut off cob or you could use frozen if it's not available)
Instructions
- Place onion, broth, water, farro, diced tomatoes, salt, oregano, basil and garlic in Instant pot.1 medium onion, 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes, 1.5 cups farro, 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, 3 teaspoons garlic paste, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon basil
- Seal IP and make sure the venting knob is in the sealed position. Press pressure cook button, make sure it is on high and normal (default factory settings) and set the timer for 20 minutes.
- Cut the zucchini in 1/2 inch wheels and then in quarters. Also cut the corn kernals off the cob and set aside.2 medium zucchini, 2 ears corn
- Once the timer beeps to indicate it's done, wait 5 minutes before you do a quick release – don an oven mitt and nudge the knob to the venting position.
- Once the pressure has been released, open cover and pour in the zucchini and corn in with the soup. Give it a quick stir then seal the IP. Make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the pressure cook button and set the timer for 3 minutes. The IP shouldn't take as long to come back to pressure.
- Once the timer beeps, wait 5 minutes before doing another quick release. Open cover and transfer soup into a serving dish or pan.
- Serve, eat, and enjoy.
Equipment
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Helpful tips
- Zucchini and corn cook quickly, so depending on how crunchy you like your vegetables, you can either 1) add them to the instant pot after the soup is done for an additional three-minute cook time, as I do in this recipe OR 2) stir them into the finished soup without cooking, after you’ve released the pressure. In the case of option 2, cover the pot and let everything sit for 10 minutes. Either method will work.
- If you want this summer soup to be vegetarian, omit the chicken broth and substitute it with vegetable broth or water.
- Want some meat in this soup? I find that pre-cooked shredded chicken breasts go well with the vegetables and broth.
- You can also add canned cannellini beans to make it thicker.
- Farro is available in two different forms: regular (30 minutes) and instant (10 minutes). I’ve used both, and I prefer the regular kind simply because it feels heartier.
- I always wash my farro before using it. Here’s how: Place a smallish strainer in a large bowl and pour the correct amount of the grain into the strainer. Add enough water to cover the farro without covering the top of the strainer, and gently swish the grain around in the water with your fingers. Dump the water and repeat this process twice.
- I have made meals in the Instant pot where I use the sauté function on the vegetables before I seal them up and start cooking. I have also done it without sautéing the vegetables with olive oil. Let me tell you, I hardly ever sauté anymore. I add the ingredients to the pot, seal it, and begin cooking. I never can tell the difference. The only thing I will sauté in the Instant pot before cooking is meat.
Nutrition
Originally published in September of 2019.
This soup recipe makes me so excited for summer! I love the flavour combinations, it was absolutely delish!
Thanks Georgie! I get excited when I think soup. It’s one of my favorite meals!
This is definitely a keeper. Made according to the recipe except for a little grated Parm on top. Yummy!
I’m so glad to hear that, Mark. Thanks for letting me know.
can I make this without an IP?
a friend treated me this recipe and we loved it, but no insta pot. thank you.
Hi Marie, I’ve never done it on the stove before but I would say let the farro be your guide. It takes 20 minutes for the onion and farro. So try 30 minutes, then try the farro. If it is almost done, still has a bite, then add the zucchini, and corn and cook for another 10 minutes?
I’m just guessing but that sound right. At least on the stove you can check the doneness of both the farro and vegetables. Good luck and let me know how it comes out.
This was so good! I’m glad I made it even if it’s not technically summer.
Thanks Danielle! 🙂
Quick and easy to make. It was healthy, creamy, and comforting too.
Thank you Veena! It is all that and more!
What a delicious recipe Elaine! Thanks for a simple soup recipe with loads of flavour.
You’re welcome, Megan! Thank you for your comment.
What a great and yummy recipe to finish summer with. I will eat this all year round too.
Thanks Dannii. I’m glad to hear that, not enough of us that eats soup in the Summer.
You know I bought a bag of Farro and never knew what to do with it. So glad I stumbled across this recipe! I love how colorful and delicious it is. Definitely a keeper.
Thanks so much Denise! It’s such a great soup I had to share it even though it’s Autumn. 🙂
At my house, we eat soup all year round too! It’s seriously one of our favorite things to eat for lunch or dinner. Anyway, I saw this recipe and knew I had to try it. I didn’t have access to an instant pot, so I made it the old fashioned way – on the stovetop. 🙂 It was absolutely delicious and I love that it made enough for us to reheat for lunch later in the week. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks Rebecca! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I’m a huge soup lover and eat it at lunch and dinner too!
I could have this soup any time of the year and enjoy it just as much! This is a fantastic soup.
Thanks so much Danielle!
I’m a soup person and I love to eat it all year long. This soup is as delicious as it is gorgeous. Lovely recipe.
Thank you so much, Jo! I appreciate it.
I am SO that person who forgets about soup in summer, but I have heard your grandmothers expression before .- about cooling off! I love everything in this soup and so I tried it and it’s wonderful.
It really is delightfully delicious in the summer and no noticeable difference in how you feel the heat! Thank you for your comment Kita!
This summer soup recipe was so easy and perfect for helping me empty my veggie bin! I loved how fast it was to make in my instapot!!! Thanks for all the great tips!
Heidy
Thanks so much Heidy! I love that too as you can put just about anything in it and have it still taste delicious.
Elaine this really hits the spot- bursting with farm fresh ingredients and love that it is made in the instant pot. Set it and forget it!
I’m so glad to hear that!! Thanks for letting me know.