Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
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So cozy, so hearty! Loaded with vegetables, beans, pasta + Parmesan rind for extra flavor. Vegetarian-friendly!
Featured Comment
With so many soups and stews being made, my Instant Pot has been working some major overtime this winter. We call it our magic pot. And now our lovely magic pot can make the best minestrone soup there ever was with the touch of a button.
why i love this recipe
- One pot meal. This is one of those weeknight hero recipes where you can throw all of your veggies, beans, broth, pasta and greens into one single pot for a quick and easy clean up.
- Versatile. The recipe can easily be bulked up to add meat or made vegetarian (or vegan).
- Freezer-friendly. Minestrone soup freezes very, very well (sans pasta, of course) without significant changes to flavor and texture.
is this minestrone soup or vegetable soup?
Both minestrone and vegetable soup include veggies, but minestrone is typically a thicker soup that includes beans and pasta (or rice).
tips and tricks for success
- Use short cut pasta. Ditalini, macaroni or a small shape pasta similar in size to the vegetables is ideal.
- Add more vegetables. Minestrone can serve as a clean-out-the-fridge meal, adding in other veggies you have on hand such as shredded cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes and green beans.
- Choose your meat. As written, this recipe does not contain meat but you can easily add ground beef, shredded chicken or crumbled Italian sausage.
- Save leftover Parmesan rinds. Get more out of those expensive Parmesan cheeses by using up the leftover rinds! Adding a Parmesan rind slightly thickens the broth and adds a level of nutty richness to the soup.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
what to serve with minestrone soup
Tools For This Recipe
6-qt Instant Pot®
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup: Frequently Asked Questions
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all great subs.
The red wine vinegar adds brightness and helps balance out the flavors.
The chicken broth can be substituted with vegetable broth.
Use vegetable broth and skip the Parmesan.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers without the pasta (or else they will get mushy) in individual freezer bags, thaw overnight, and reheat on the stovetop, adding freshly cooked pasta and a splash of broth (if needed) when serving.
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon fennel seed
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (16-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 (3-inch) Parmesan rind
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup shaved Parmesan
Instructions
- Set a 6-qt Instant Pot® to the high saute setting. Add olive oil, garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in basil, oregano and fennel seed until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, zucchini, Parmesan rind and bay leaf; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 5 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
- Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in pasta and cook, uncovered, until tender, about 8-11 minutes.
- Stir in kale until wilted, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in red wine vinegar; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan.
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Looks damn delicious! Can’t wait to make this in my brand new instant pot!
This soup!!!
I am going to make EVERYTHING in my Instant Pot! I cannot wait to get started!!!
I world cook a chicken for lunches and dinners
I want to try ribs…….I hate cooking ribs traditionally. That would be awesome. Oh, and cheesecake!!!!!
I would love to make chicken tortilla soup in the instant pot!
I think I would make a chicken soup first although this Minestrone looks delish
Lamb shanks for suree! Some braised short ribs, ox tail, omg the possibilities are endless
I would love to make a lot of different food, but the first thing I’d make would have to be some tomato soup!!
Definitely some pot roast with potatoes! And then pho!
Soup! It takes so long normally and I’m intimidated by traditional pressure cookers!
Butter chicken
I would definitely make your minestrone but I have also seen a recipe for a giant instant pot pancake that I would love to try!
Definitely going to make polenta because I never have before. Then cauliflower mashed potatoes
Mac and cheese!
Instant pots can cook lots of things. Think vegan. Think herbivore. Think wild game. Think soups. Think vegetarian. Think meat eaters. French, Italian, Asian, African and traditional American recipes benefit from an instant pot. An instant pot can help you prepare ANY dish you desire. You just need a good imagination a good recipe and a good instant pot.
I would make your potato corn chowder I have been dying to try!
I would make some chili!
Hi! What a fantastic opportunity. I’ve been a fan for a while and love to follow your adventures. I am a teacher and work a fairly long day so this would be a real asset in my house. I would cook lamb tangine with apricots served with rice (no cous cous as daughter is GF) Hmmm that smell tho!
I would make homemade black beans in it!