Set your pressure cooker (e.g., Instant Pot) to the Sauté setting. Add the ground beef and diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is browned and onions softened. (Don’t break up the meat completely — leaving some larger chunks gives nice texture.)

Add the chopped carrots and potatoes, beef broth, onion soup mix, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.

Dump the can of diced tomatoes (with their juice) and the can of tomato paste on top — but do not stir them in yet.

Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the steam release knob/vent to the “Sealing” position. Cancel the Sauté setting. Select the Pressure Cook or Manual function and set it to 7 minutes at high pressure.

After the cooking cycle finishes, let the pot sit undisturbed for 15 minutes (natural release). Then carefully release the remaining steam manually by turning the valve to “Venting” in short bursts.

Open the lid. Stir the soup well to incorporate the tomato paste that was layered on top.

Finally, stir in the frozen mixed vegetables. Let the residual heat in the soup cook the frozen veggies (just a few minutes is enough).

Serve hot — ideally with some nice crusty bread.