This Instant Pot creamy tomato basil soup is incredible! It is fast and flavorful and PERFECT for a little grilled cheese dipping.

I love a good tomato basil soup, and this creamy pressure cooker version is so, so good.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top, get your bread or grilled cheese ready, and prepare to be amazed. This soup is luxuriously creamy and delicious.

White bowl with handles filled with creamy tomato basil soup and Parmesan cheese.

How to Make Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

If you blink, you might miss the prep. It’s so easy!

  1. Saute onions and carrots in a bit of olive oil
  2. Add the canned tomatoes, broth, basil, oregano, salt, and baking soda (helps neutralize the acid of the tomatoes!)
  3. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes
Cooking carrots and onions in instant pot; tomatoes, basil and broth added to carrots; instant pot with 10 minutes on the time setting; cooked tomatoes and carrots and broth in the instant pot.

After the soup cooks, let the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes before unleashing the rest of the pressure through the valve. Otherwise known as: quick release.

Blend the Soup

At this point, the soup needs to be blended. I use an immersion blender for this job because #easycleanup and #iamlazy but you can also transfer the soup to a blender in batches and puree until smooth that way.

Just take care and blend slowly (and vent the lid of the blender) as hot soup can be dangerous if left to its own devices.

Return the soup to the pot, if needed, and add the flour + milk + cream mixture.

Blending soup in instant pot with immersion blender; pouring in cream to instant pot.

A Few Thoughts

Continue to cook the soup until warmed through and slightly thickened.

It will turn a lovely shade of burnt orange and be super, super creamy.

As I’m typing this, I’m actually wondering if you could save a few minutes by adding the flour + milk + cream mixture BEFORE blending. As it blends, it may thicken up nicely that way since the soup is still blisteringly hot from the pressure cooker. If you try it, let me know! I’ll test it out, too.

Ladle lifting up scoop of instant pot creamy tomato basil soup.

What to Serve with Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

We almost always throw a plateful of toasty grilled cheese sandwiches on the table with this creamy tomato basil soup. This soup is an absolute wonder when paired with a grilled cheese sandwich.

There really is no better situation to find yourself in than dipping grilled cheese (medium or sharp cheddar only for me, pretty please) into a bowl of tomato soup.

You can also serve the soup with croutons, toast, OR skip the carbs altogether. It’s rich and thick enough to stand on its own, especially if you throw a bit of Parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Enjoy!

Dipping half of grilled cheese on sourdough bread into bowl of creamy tomato basil soup.

What to Serve With This

One Year Ago: Easy Brookie Pie {Brownie + Chocolate Chip Cookie}
Two Years Ago: The Best Cheesy Garlic Drop Biscuits {Red Lobster Knockoff}
Three Years Ago: Little Toasted Coconut Lime Bars 
Four Years Ago: Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
Five Years Ago: Cream Cheese Brownies {a.k.a. Cheesecake Brownies}
Six Years Ago: Lemon Blueberry Cake with Whipped Lemon Cream Frosting 
Seven Years Ago: Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake 
Eight Years Ago: Light and Fluffy Yellow Cupcakes
Nine Years Ago: Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Soup
Ten Years Ago: Strawberries and Cream Scones

white bowl with handles filled with creamy tomato basil soup with Parmesan for topping

Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Basil Soup

4.81 stars (31 ratings)

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • ½ cup diced onions
  • 3 cans (15-ounces each) diced or whole tomatoes (see note)
  • 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable – I use low sodium)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup cream (see note)
  • ¼ cup flour

Instructions 

  • In the insert of a 6-quart Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, heat the olive oil using the Saute function. Add the carrots and onions, and cook, stirring often, until the onions start to turn translucent, 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the tomatoes, broth, basil, sugar, salt, oregano, and baking soda. Give the soup a good stir making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot thoroughly.
  • Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before quick releasing the remaining pressure (if liquid spurts through the valve, close the valve, wait a few minutes and try again).
  • Carefully use an immersion blender (or transfer the soup in batches to a blender) to puree the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the pot if using a blender.
  • Whisk or blend together the milk, cream and flour until very smooth. Add to the soup while whisking or stirring constantly.
  • Select the saute function and cook, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the soup is heated through and thickened. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (this is important so you don't end up with bland soup). Serve immediately.

Notes

Tomatoes: in place of the three cans of diced tomatoes, you can use one large 29-ounce can plus one 15-ounce can. Diced or whole tomatoes work equally well here. Using a product like stewed tomatoes will change the flavor. I tested this recipe with regular diced or whole tomatoes (nothing added). Don’t drain the tomatoes before using.
Cream: you can sub the 1 cup cream with 1/2 cup milk (the soup will be slightly less silky/creamy if doing so).
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 120kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 18mg, Sodium: 842mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 8g