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Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup (No Cream) makes a quick and easy weeknight meal. When tomatoes aren’t in season you can still make incredible tomato soup with canned San Marzano tomatoes. As a healthier alternative, this soup is prepared with milk instead of heavy cream. Pair this light and delicious tomato soup with a simple grilled cheese sandwich.
★★★★★
Such a delicious recipe and came together so quickly. Loved that it was light, without heavy cream or cheese, and still tasted wonderful. Thank you Nisha for sharing this, truly a keeper recipe!
– Khushi
During the winter months, I love cozying up with a comforting bowl of soup in my blanket. If I’m lucky enough to watch TV without any interruptions, even better.
What I love about this creamy tomato soup is that it’s made with San Marzano tomatoes which are a great alternative when fresh tomatoes aren’t in season.
Also, this soup is made without heavy cream, instead I used milk. The milk tones down the acidity in these canned tomatoes and I also add a touch of sugar to balance out the flavors. And yes, I can assure you this soup is still creamy and delicious.
If you’re looking to make tomato basil soup with fresh tomatoes, check out my Vegan Tomato Basil Soup which is made with roasted tomatoes, onions, and garlic. It’s just as delicious and you seriously don’t need any milk, cream, or cheese.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Comforting & Healthier Option – The ultimate comfort food for cold winter nights. By using milk instead of heavy cream you’re saving on fat and calories. Milk, too, provides a smooth and creamy texture and balances out all the flavors in this soup.
- Rich Flavor with San Marzano Tomatoes – San Marzano tomatoes are renowned for their sweet and robust flavor. By incorporating these high-quality tomatoes, your soup will have a distinct taste that sets it apart from soups made with regular canned tomatoes.
- Easy Instant Pot Recipe – Ideal for busy individuals who prefer a simple, quick, and easy recipe. Using an Instant Pot simplifies weeknight meals.
Ingredients
- San Marzano Tomatoes – I highly recommend using San Marzano Tomatoes for this recipe. You can easily find this at any grocery store. Alternatively, you may use crushed tomatoes as well, but the taste will be slightly different.
- Milk (NO CREAM) – This recipe calls for milk, no cream. Additionally, the milk needs to be at room temperature and added slowly to the hot tomato soup to prevent curdling.
- Sundried Tomatoes – When buying sundried tomatoes, make sure you use the ones prepared in olive oil. Again, you can easily find this at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.
- Vegetable Broth – For the maximum amount of flavor, add vegetable broth to this recipe. I love the Pacific Foods organic brand. Feel free to use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth.
- Tomato Paste – This adds color and some richness to this soup.
- Fresh Basil – Fresh basil will be added once the soup is cooked and before blending. The basil makes such a big difference in the flavor.
- Sugar – You’ll need to add a teaspoon of sugar to help balance out the flavors.
*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*
How to make Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup Recipe?
1. Click Saute mode on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add oil, followed by crushed red pepper and a bay leaf. Saute for 30-45 seconds. (Image 1)
2. Now add garlic and onions. Season with salt and black pepper. Saute for 4 minutes – make sure the onions don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. (Image 2)
3. Next season with very little salt and black pepper. I recommend using less salt since you’ll be making this soup with vegetable broth which already contains salt. (Image 3)
4. Add sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Saute for a minute and press CANCEL on the Instant Pot. (Image 4)
5. Now add the San Marzano tomatoes, vegetable broth, and dry basil leaves. Stir well scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure there is no sticking. (Image 5)
6. Close the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes and allow the steam to naturally release. (Image 6)
7. Once done this is what you should have. (Image 7)
8. Add fresh basil leaves and stir. (Image 8)
9. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup. Be careful the hot soup doesn’t splatter. (Image 9)
TIP: You may also use a regular blender such as Vitamix or BlendTec if you prefer a smoother consistency.
10. Once done, add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir. This is what you should have. (Image 10)
11. Now slowly add room temperature milk a little bit at a time – by doing this slowly, you will prevent any curdling. (Image 11)
12. Here is the final result. Adjust salt as needed. Enjoy with cheese sandwiches. (Image 12)
Expert Tips
✓ San Marzano Tomatoes – I highly recommend using San Marzano Tomatoes for this recipe instead of crushed tomatoes or regular canned tomatoes. San Marzano Tomatoes are imported from Italy and add the maximum amount of flavor.
✓ Milk – Make sure the milk is at room temperature. Also, add the milk little by little to the tomato soup mixing in between. This prevents the soup from curdling.
✓ Hand Blender – After adding fresh basil, use an Immersion Hand Blender to blend the soup. The consistency will be slightly thick with a little texture.
✓ Deglaze – After adding tomatoes and vegetable broth, make sure you deglaze the bottom of the instant pot to make sure nothing is sticking to the pot.
Serving Suggestions
→ Feel free to top the tomato basil soup with some more fresh basil, black pepper, and croutons if you wish.
→ You may also add some freshly grated parmesan cheese.
→ My favorite way to enjoy Tomato Basil Soup is with a simple grilled cheese made with white bread, a little butter, Havarti cheese, fresh basil, and black pepper. This exact sandwich is shown in the images.
→ A light salad of your choice.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Simply omit the milk or use a non-dairy milk that is creamy such as, coconut milk or unsweetened cashew milk.
Yes. This recipe is naturally gluten-free.
For the fresh tomato version, check out my Tomato Basil Soup (vegan).
Once cooled, place the soup in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, heat the soup on the stove or in a microwave.
More Instant Pot Recipes
Dal, Lentils & Beans
Tomato Dal | Andhra Style Tomato Pappu Recipe
One Pot Meals
Green Moong Dal Khichdi (Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Tomato Basil Soup (Quick, No Cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
for the soup
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- very little salt to taste
- 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in oil, I like Trader Joe’s
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 28 ounce canned San Marzano tomatoes, or canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup whole milk
FOR GARNISH
- chopped fresh basil leaves
- to taste black pepper
Instructions
- Click Saute mode on the Instant Pot. Once hot, add oil, followed by crushed red pepper and a bay leaf. Saute for 30-45 seconds. Now add garlic and onions. Season with salt and black pepper. Saute for 4 minutes – make sure the onions don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Next season with very little salt and black pepper. I recommend using less salt since you'll be making this soup with vegetable broth which already contains salt.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and tomato paste. Saute for a minute and press CANCEL on the Instant Pot. Now add the San Marzano tomatoes, vegetable broth, and dry basil leaves. Stir well scraping the bottom of the pan to make sure there is no sticking. Close the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes and allow the steam to naturally release.
- Once done, open the lid, add fresh basil leaves and stir. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup. Be careful the hot soup doesn't splatter. TIP: You may also use a regular blender such as Vitamix or BlendTec if you prefer a smoother consistency.
- Once done, add a teaspoon of sugar. Stir. This is what you should have. Now slowly add room temperature milk a little bit at a time – by doing this slowly, you will prevent any curdling. Adjust salt as needed. Enjoy with cheese sandwiches.
Notes
- San Marzano Tomatoes – I highly recommend using San Marzano Tomatoes for this recipe instead of crushed tomatoes or regular canned tomatoes. San Marzano Tomatoes are imported from Italy and add the maximum amount of flavor.
- Milk – Make sure the milk is at room temperature. Also, add the milk little by little to the tomato soup mixing in between. This prevents the soup from curdling.
- Hand Blender – After adding fresh basil, use an Immersion Hand Blender to blend the soup. The consistency will be slightly thick with a little texture.
- Deglaze – After adding tomatoes and vegetable broth, make sure you deglaze the bottom of the instant pot to make sure nothing is sticking to the pot.
Such a delicious recipe and came together so quickly. Loved that it was light, without heavy cream or cheese and still tasted wonderful. Thank you Nisha for sharing this, truly a keeper recipe!
Hi Khushi. I’m so glad you enjoyed this soup. :))))
Is there a way to make this on the stove? This recipe sounds so good but I don’t have an Instant Pot. Thanks!
Hi Mari. Sure you can. Use a large pot, cook the onions/garlic as is on the stove. Add the Aan Marzano tomatoes with water (step 5), then stir, cover with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes on low-medium heat. I don’t think you will need to cook the soup longer than 20 minutes. Check in between to avoid sticking. Once cooked, turn off the stove. Add the basil leaves (step 8) and with a hand blender, CAREFULLY blend. Be careful because the soup will be super hot. Then serve. Let me know. 🙂
Nisha, I alway enjoy making your recipes and this recipe is no exception! It is so good and easy to make. My husband really enjoyed it as well. Thank you for sharing!