This oat soup is warm and nourishing and made with steel-cut oats, simple vegetables, and gentle spices. Naturally creamy and satisfying, it's a great choice for everyday plant-based eating.

Why you'll love this oats soup recipe

A comforting bowl of oat soup with vegetables is delicious, filling, easy to digest, and perfect for a light, hearty, and satiating meal. This soup will brighten up your plant-based journey in every way possible.

This is why you'll love making this steel-cut oats soup time and again:

• Naturally creamy without dairy or coconut milk.
• Easy to digest as it's made with whole grains - steel-cut oats. Perfect for post illness recovery or when you want a comforting meal.
• A nourishing meal to break intermittent fasting, as it is gentle on the stomach.
• Nut-free, dairy-free, tomato-free.
• Keeps you full longer because it is rich in fiber. Reduces hunger pangs!
• Customizable & versatile soup. You can add seasonal vegetables of your choice to make this soup rich in nutrients.
• Cooks quickly, perfect for busy days when you want a light, soothing meal that is home-cooked.
• Whole-food and plant-based.
• Budget-friendly - a great, simple dinner for the whole family.

Ingredients and substitutions

Find the Ingredients with actual measurements at the bottom of the post. The list below is just a reference.

• Steel-cut Oats: We love steel-cut oats. These whole-food oat groats are super versatile and give the soup a creamy & chewy texture. So good! You can substitute it with thick organic rolled oats. The cook time would remain the same. Add another ⅓ cup of liquid. DO NOT use instant oats or quick oats.
• Aromatics: Onion, ginger, and garlic. The fresh minced ginger root adds a warm note to this nourishing plant-based soup. Don't skip the ginger! You may, however, skip the onion and garlic.
• Vegetables: We added a simple mix of frozen vegetables - green peas, corn & carrots. No need to thaw the vegetables. You can also add finely chopped green beans, zucchini, and mushrooms.
• Seasonings: Ground black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and Himalayan pink salt. You can replace the oregano with Italian seasonings or just a dash of parsley and chives.
• Oil: Olive oil or avocado oil.
• Garnish: Chopped green onion. You can replace it with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro.

Expert Tips

• Adjust consistency: The oatmeal soup thickens as it sits. Add warm water or vegetable broth while reheating before serving to adjust the consistency.
• More veggies: Add seasonal veggies like zucchini, diced shitake mushrooms, green peas, roughly chopped green beans, or colored bell peppers to make this healthy oat soup your own.
• Oil-free version: You won't miss the oil in this recipe! Skip the oil. Dump everything together in the Instant Pot and pressure cook.
• Tomatoes or no tomatoes: This soup helps soothe our GERD symptoms. Hence, we skip adding tomatoes and prefer to keep it simple & easily digestible. However, you can throw in a diced medium Roma tomato or ½ cup crushed tomato from the can if you prefer tomato-based soups.
• Cheesy flavor: Add a tablespoon of nutritional yeast and ¼ cup of almond milk.

How to make oat soup

Find the detailed step by step recipe along with measurements + Video at the bottom of the post.

• Sauté aromatics: Set the Instant Pot on sauté function. Add oil and, when hot, gently release the onion, ginger, and garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes soft.
• Sauté veggies: Add the frozen vegetables, the steel-cut oat groats, and the seasonings. Give everything a good mix. Cancel the sauté function.

• Deglaze pot: Add water and deglaze the pot very well by scraping the sides and the bottom of the pot with the help of a spatula. This will help loosen any stuck food particles and prevent the burn error.
• Pressure cook: Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and pressure cook on high pressure for 10 minutes, followed by 5 minutes natural pressure release. Then release the rest of the pressure manually by moving the valve from the sealing to the venting position. Open the lid carefully. Cancel the pressure cook mode.
• Serve: Now add chopped green onion. Mix well and serve the steel-cut oat soup immediately. You can add lemon juice for a bright flavor. Enjoy!

Stove-top version

• Sauté vegetables: Set a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch pot over medium-high heat on the stove top. Add oil and when the oil becomes hot, gently release the onion, ginger and garlic. Sauté until the onion becomes tender and the raw smell from the ginger and garlic vanishes.
• Cover & Cook: Add the steel-cut oats, the frozen vegetables, water, seasonings, and salt. Give everything a quick stir. Now, deglaze the pot with the help of a spatula to remove any stuck food particles from the bottom and the sides of the pot. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the oat groats turn creamy. Stir the soup often.
• Serve: Serve this old-fashioned oat soup garnished with chopped green onion.

Serving Ideas

This easy vegetable oat soup is delicious on its own. We sometimes enjoy pairing it with lightly toasted teff or spelt bread. Its hearty, satisfying nature often makes a second bowl more tempting than adding a side.

However, if you want a complete meal, you may choose any of the following sides:

• Crusty whole wheat Sourdough Bread.
• Stir-fried veggies or a bowl of steamed assorted vegetables.
• A light salad, like roasted vegetable salad or a light green salad.
• Moroccan couscous for a light grain-based side.
• Brown rice with vegetables for a heavier meal.
• Air-fried veggies like acorn squash, brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes, smashed brussel sprouts, roasted beets, carrots and potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower, mushrooms and onion, baby gold potatoes, roasted radishes.

Storage & reheating

Fridge:

Store the soup in glass airtight containers for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Freezer:

Transfer the soup into thick freezer-safe glass containers. Do not overfill the containers as the soup might expand when frozen. Freeze the soup in these containers for up to 2 months. The soup will thicken considerably. You need to add more water or broth to loosen its texture.

Reheat:

Stove-top: Heat the soup in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove top. Stir often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Heat the soup slowly to maintain the creaminess.

Instant pot: You can reheat this soup in the instant pot set on sauté mode. Once, warm or hot serve immediately to maintain the creamy texture of the soup.

Microwave oven: Transfer the soup in microwave safe bowl and reheat on high for 2 minutes.

MORE PLANT-BASED SOUPS MADE IN THE INSTANT POT

• Instant pot lentil soup with potatoes.
• Bean and potato soup instant pot.
• Potato leek soup instant pot dairy free.
• Instant pot vegetable soup with potatoes.
• Instant pot Portuguese bean soup.
• Dry Lima Beans Instant pot.
• Instant pot red lentil soup.
• Old fashioned vegetable barley soup.
• Sweet Potato and kale soup with coconut milk.
• Vegan mushroom barley soup.
• Instant pot quinoa soup.

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I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU! If you try this creamy oats soup recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I would love to hear how it turned out for you, or any changes you make.