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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The first thing I would make is chili!
Pulled pork in an instant pot mhmm!
I hear risotto works well in the Instant Pot. Would love to try that.
Risotto in the IP is the best!
https://damndelicious.net/2018/03/21/instant-pot-mushroom-risotto/
This looks so good! Thank you!
Risotto is so good that I will make the effort every so often. I almost can’t believe it’s possible with almost zero effort. Can’t wait to try!
Let me know how it turns out if you get a chance to try it! 🙂
I would love to try butter chicken!
The first thing I would make in my instant pot is a “roasted” chicken!
I used to make an Italian cheesy tomato and garbanzo bean soup that was delicious. It would be nice to adapt it to the instant pot. Your soup looks yummy and healthier than my old recipe though. Thanks!
Sounds delicious. Soup is one of my favorite things to eat year round.
So I’d make chicken soup as my first thing in the instant pot
Any type of pasta salad. I’m a sucker for them, especially for meal prep.
The first recipe that I would make is MINESTRONE SOUP!!! 🙂 I love how easy this recipes is. I have to admit that before seeing this recipe I was intimidated by this kitchen appliance.
I would make my grandmothers chili from scratch. Thanks for the incredible opportunity! Cheers! xoxo
Kindly,
Heather
I love spaghetti squash with turkey sausage and marinara sauce
Korean spare ribs!
Would love to try your pot roast recipe in it.
I would love to try making some Bajan mac pie in the Instant Pot. My mom is originally from Barbados and we love to cook a big Bajan meal at reunions so it would be great to try out the recipe in the instant pot to cut down on cook time!
Pot roast!!
So many choices, but I think I’d start with chicken tacos!
The first recipe I’d make in the Instant Pot would be Crab Soup.
Chickpeas for hummus
I would love to use the IP to cook chicken breasts for shredding for other recipes. And short ribs, because I wish there was a faster way to cook them. And rice, because I’m rice illiterate.
I have a hummus recipe with rave reviews i’ve been wanting to try!