Instant Pot Creamy Tomato Dill Soup

I am forever grateful that there are so many easy Instant Pot soups that can be made in minutes! We always enjoy a good, comforting soup since the winter season here in Kansas is especially cold due to the humidity.

Instant Pot Sausage Bacon and Potato Soup really hits the spot, and so does Instant Pot Chicken and Noodle Soup, a family favorite around here.

If you enjoy Mexican-inspired soups, be sure to whip up a pot full of Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup. 

After I make my Instant Pot Holiday Ham, I use the ham bone to to make a big pot full of Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup.  My boys aren’t fans, but I am!

What to Love About This Recipe –

1. It doesn’t taste anything like canned tomato soup. Yay!
2. It’s perfect with a simple grilled cheese sandwich…we like to dip ours into the soup as we eat.
3. You can easily make a low-fat version by switching out the whipping cream for fat free half-and-half.
4. You only need a few ingredients to have homemade tomato soup in a hurry!

What Ingredients Do You Need to Make Instant Pot Tomato Dill Soup?

• Stewed tomatoes, pureed until smooth in the food processor – I like stewed tomatoes best for this recipe, but you can also use any type of diced tomato as long as you puree them in the food processor first.
• Aromatics: Scallions, celery, and garlic are the aromatics in this dish that provide the flavor foundation of the soup.  I use both the green and white parts of the scallions when I make this recipe. I also like to be sure to use freshly minced or crushed garlic in this recipe, never garlic powder or jarred garlic.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter for all of my cooking since I like to control the amount of salt I’m adding to taste in my recipes.
• Salt, sugar, and dried dill: I prefer cooking with kosher salt in all of my recipes since it is so mild in flavor.  Sugar is added to this soup recipe just to cut the acidity of the tomatoes a bit. I always use dried dill to make this recipe and if I have fresh dill on hand, I’ll garnish with that to make it look pretty when serving.
• Whipping cream: Whipping cream (aka heavy cream) makes this soup so luscious and creamy! However, since whipping cream has tons of fat and calories, feel free to substitute half-and-half or even fat-free half-and-half in place of cream.  It won’t be quite as dreamy in texture, but still very delicious.
• Croutons: Crunchy croutons on top of this soup as a garnish adds some fun texture. Sometimes we even garnish with grilled cheese sandwich croutons.

Recipe Tips for Making Creamy Tomato Soup with Canned Tomatoes

Be sure you don’t add the whipping cream before you pressurize the Instant Pot.  Any dairy products needed in Instant Pot recipes should always be added after the pressurizing process. (If you add dairy products during the pressurizing products, they will curdle.)

If you are using half-and-half or fat-free half-and-half instead of whipping cream, you may need to thicken the soup with a cornstarch slurry.

To make a cornstarch slurry, combine 2 Tbs. water (or broth) with 2 Tbs. cornstarch in a small bowl, whisking until smooth.  Add the slurry, a little bit at a time into the hot soup, stirring until the soup thickens. **The soup will also continue to thicken as it cools.

I have found that using dried dill in the recipe is just as flavorful as using fresh dill.  I was surprised by this since I love cooking with fresh herbs, but it makes this recipe very convenient to make since you don’t have to worry about having fresh dill on hand.

How to Make Instant Pot Creamy Dill Soup

1. Place the stewed tomatoes and all their juices into the bowl of a large food processor; process until smooth.
2. Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the desired amount of butter; when the butter is hot, add the scallions, celery, and garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes.
3. Stir in the salt, sugar, dill and pureed tomatoes with juices to the Instant Pot.  Securely lock the Instant Pot lid into place, choosing the high pressure setting for 3 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure.  When the timer sounds, perform a quick release to remove all the pressure from the Instant Pot.
4. Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot, gently giving the soup a stir.  Pour in the whipping cream and stir once again.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve the soup at once. Garnish with croutons, if desired.