17 Instant Pot Soups, Stews, and Chilis for a Quick Comforting Meal in a Bowl

Katlyn Moncada
·7 min read

Pressure Cooker Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

While you might've spent all day working on a great gumbo before, this one only takes 30 minutes of prep, then cooks for just 8 minutes. This flavorful dish is one of our favorite pressure cooker recipes!
While you might've spent all day working on a great gumbo before, this one only takes 30 minutes of prep, then cooks for just 8 minutes. This flavorful dish is one of our favorite pressure cooker recipes!

If you've made this popular soup before, you might know authentic gumbo can take hours to make. That's due to letting shellfish, sausage, and veggies meld to nicely develop its signature flavor. This Instant Pot soup recipe quickly infuses those flavors after only 8 minutes under pressure.

Jalapeño Popper Chili

Make a meal version out of your favorite spicy appetizer with this jalapeno popper chili recipe featuring ground turkey, bacon, and beans. Give it a few hours in the slow cooker. Or try the pressure cooker to get the job done in about 30 minutes.
Make a meal version out of your favorite spicy appetizer with this jalapeno popper chili recipe featuring ground turkey, bacon, and beans. Give it a few hours in the slow cooker. Or try the pressure cooker to get the job done in about 30 minutes.

For a twist on classic chili, add cream cheese, bacon, and jalapeños! This is definitely an Instant pot chili recipe that won't disappoint.

Buy It: Instant Pot Duo 7-in1 Electric Pressure Cooker ($79, Amazon)

Pressure Cooker Ham and Mixed Bean Soup

This comforting soup was made for a chilly winter night. Use your pressure cooker to make it fast, then freeze the rest for later!
This comforting soup was made for a chilly winter night. Use your pressure cooker to make it fast, then freeze the rest for later!

Talk about cozy. Save this Instant Pot ham and bean soup for those especially frigid days. Serve with a chunk of crusty bread for dipping.

Related: Easy Winter Dinner Ideas That Are Ready in 20 Minutes

Moroccan Chicken and Cauliflower Stew

Start to finish:

What's it going to be? Pressure cooker stew or slow cooker stew? This North African-inspired recipe can be made in either handy appliance.
What's it going to be? Pressure cooker stew or slow cooker stew? This North African-inspired recipe can be made in either handy appliance.

We've taken spices popular in North Africa cuisine (think cumin, cinnamon, and ginger) to inspire this delicious Instant Pot stew. The quick chicken recipe is packed with layers of flavor, including apricots, olives, and garlic.

Texas Chuck Roast Chili

Masa Harina corn flour gets stirred into this hearty chili as a thickener (it also makes it super glossy). Look for this traditional ingredient with Mexican foods in your local supermarket.
Masa Harina corn flour gets stirred into this hearty chili as a thickener (it also makes it super glossy). Look for this traditional ingredient with Mexican foods in your local supermarket.

Boneless beef chuck roast serves as the meaty base for this pressure cooker chili recipe. The addition of chipotle peppers in adobo add a nice smoky flavor.

Buy It: OXO Good Grips Nylon Ladle ($7, Amazon)

Pressure Cooker Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Soup

Creamy, smooth, and utterly delicious, this veggie soup is a fall favorite. Plus, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months afterwards!
Creamy, smooth, and utterly delicious, this veggie soup is a fall favorite. Plus, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months afterwards!

Here's an easy vegan-friendly recipe to keep on hand. After your veggies are tender, finish your Instant Pot soup by blending with an immersion blender to get it nice and smooth.

Buy It: KitchenSmith Immersion Blender ($20, Target)

Pressure Cooker Country Lamb Stew

It might surprise you, but this hearty lamb stew is healthy too! As an added bonus, it only takes 45 minutes to toss together.
It might surprise you, but this hearty lamb stew is healthy too! As an added bonus, it only takes 45 minutes to toss together.

Tender cuts of lamb combined with fresh veggies make a perfectly comforting stew. And knowing it's a quick dinner that only takes 15 minutes to cook in your pressure cooker makes it all the more satisfying.

Related: 5-Ingredient Instant Pot Recipes for When You're Short on Time and Ingredients

Fast or Slow White Chicken Chili

A creamy take on chili with chunks of tender chicken and white beans is the perfect way to warm up a cold night. Try our slow cooker or pressure cooker versions to fit your time schedule.
A creamy take on chili with chunks of tender chicken and white beans is the perfect way to warm up a cold night. Try our slow cooker or pressure cooker versions to fit your time schedule.

Rich and creamy, you'll love how quick this Instant Pot white chicken chili comes together. Top your bowl with sliced radishes or pepitas for added crunch. If you prefer, follow the directions for making this white chili recipe in your slow cooker.

Buy It: Crock-Pot 7qt Manual Slow Cooker ($31, Target)

Spanish-Style Beef Stew

Make classic beef stew Spanish-style by using fire-roasted tomatoes, pitted green olives, and a blend of spices. To speed dinner along, make this soup recipe in your pressure cooker!
Make classic beef stew Spanish-style by using fire-roasted tomatoes, pitted green olives, and a blend of spices. To speed dinner along, make this soup recipe in your pressure cooker!

Fire-roasted tomatoes, pitted green olives, and a blend of spices make this Spanish-inspired beef stew recipe really special. A hint of orange zest and parsley go in at the end to really give it a burst of brightness.

Related: How to Clean an Instant Pot, Including the Small Parts You Might Be Skipping

Pressure Cooker Sweet and Spicy Beef Stew

What makes this Instant Pot stew recipe sweet and spicy, you ask? A mix of chipotle peppers, sweet peppers, and sweet potato!
What makes this Instant Pot stew recipe sweet and spicy, you ask? A mix of chipotle peppers, sweet peppers, and sweet potato!

This Instant Pot beef stew gets double the meat by calling for both beef chuck and ground beef. The sweet and spicy comes from bell peppers, chipotle peppers, and sweet potatoes.

Fast or Slow New England Style Clam Chowder

When it only takes 5 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker, you'll never want to buy the canned stuff again.
When it only takes 5 minutes to cook in the pressure cooker, you'll never want to buy the canned stuff again.

Yes, you can make clam chowder at home without spending a ton of time in the kitchen. To make it more flavorful, this creamy pressure cooker soup recipe also has bacon (because everything is better with bacon). If you don't want to use canned clams, you can also use shucked fresh clams with their liquid.

Related: 10 Delicious Instant Pot Fish Recipes for Any Night of the Week

Pressure Cooker Smoky Cassoulet

This yummy cassoulet goes from dried beans to delicious dinner in just under an hour. It's packed with navy beans, kielbasa, and pancetta, so you definitely won't go to bed hungry.
This yummy cassoulet goes from dried beans to delicious dinner in just under an hour. It's packed with navy beans, kielbasa, and pancetta, so you definitely won't go to bed hungry.

A cassoulet is a hearty dish containing pork and white beans made popular in Southern France. It's usually slow-cooked for several hours, but our inspired take on only takes minutes in your trusty pressure cooker.

Buy It: Cuisinart 6 qt. Electric Pressure Cooker ($100, Bed Bath & Beyond)

Pressure Cooker Spring Vegetable Soup

Start your meal on a healthy note with this vegetable soup recipe. Potatoes and onions make the slow cooker soup feel nice and hearty, while green beans and tomatoes offer a taste of summer.
Start your meal on a healthy note with this vegetable soup recipe. Potatoes and onions make the slow cooker soup feel nice and hearty, while green beans and tomatoes offer a taste of summer.

Grab some fresh green beans, potatoes, and carrots for this delicious Instant Pot vegetable soup recipe. If you've got a lot of leftovers, this would be a good recipe to freeze so you'll have a quick meal on hand for busy weeknights.

Buy It: 24-Piece Superior Glass Storage Containers ($27, Amazon)

Fast or Slow Seafood Cioppino

This Italian-American stew is the ultimate comfort food for seafood lovers. Instead of standing over the stove, we've got an easy multicooker or slow cooker version to fit your schedule.
This Italian-American stew is the ultimate comfort food for seafood lovers. Instead of standing over the stove, we've got an easy multicooker or slow cooker version to fit your schedule.

Pronounced like "cho-pee-no," this is an Italian-American dish that originated on the West Coast. It's a brothy seafood stew that's got bold flavors from clam juice and tomato paste. Here we've made a super-speedy Instant Pot version that needs just one minute of cook time under pressure. We recommend enjoying your bowl with a slice of sourdough.

Lamb, Bean, and Sweet Potato Chili

Is chili on your menu tonight? It should be! Especially when you can prep this lamb, sweet potato, and black bean chili recipe in the morning, and come home to a slow cooker dinner at the end of the day.
Is chili on your menu tonight? It should be! Especially when you can prep this lamb, sweet potato, and black bean chili recipe in the morning, and come home to a slow cooker dinner at the end of the day.

Instead of ground beef, this Instant Pot chili recipe is filled with lamb. It also gets a good dose of vegetables, including sweet potatoes, poblano peppers, tomatoes, and celery. Top your bowl with a dollop of Greek yogurt (or labneh, if you have it) for a creamy finish.

Pork Stew with Gremolata

Pressure cooker or slow cooker, you choose which handy kitchen appliance you want to make this stew with.
Pressure cooker or slow cooker, you choose which handy kitchen appliance you want to make this stew with.

Searing your pork in a skillet before adding it to your pressure cooker will help the meat develop complex flavor, making your stew even more tender and unforgettable. The gremolata (a simple blend of parsley, lemon peel, and garlic) adds a bright, herbal taste to every bite. Serve with hot cooked orzo or rice to complete your dinner.

Buy It: Cuisinart 10 in. Non-Stick Skillet ($25, Target)

Corn and Potato Stew with Cornmeal Dumplings

Start to finish:

Radishes' peppery bite plays well with the subtle heat of this chile-flecked stew. So, even though they're optional, we recommend them.
Radishes' peppery bite plays well with the subtle heat of this chile-flecked stew. So, even though they're optional, we recommend them.

Need a new plant-based dinner recipe? This one is definitely a keeper! The pressure cooker stew gets a hint of heat from jalapeño peppers. But don't worry, that heat is tamed by the sweet corn and creamy coconut milk that serves as the base. Serve with sliced radishes for a peppery bite.