Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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, stock, 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.
- Use good-quality stock. The better quality your stock, the better your soup. Many brands love to pack in the salt so always opt for unsalted or a lower-sodium variety. Homemade stock is even better.
- 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 stock 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 stock can be substituted with vegetable stock.
Use vegetable stock 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 stock (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 chicken stock
- 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.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
I love to cook and have wanted one for so long. I will try your minestrone soup first. Thanks.
I’m honestly not sure what I would make first in an instant pot, probably a soup or chilli to start out easy and get the hang of it. It would also depend on what’s in my fridge at that time too of course!
I would make lots of soups and chili. Don’t have a lot of time for sit down meals
I would make hearty soups and the yogurt! Best of both worlds for our house!
The first thing I would make is baby back ribs. My best friend has an Instant Pot and made your short beef ribs with balsamic peach BBQ sauce recipe. They were amazing fall off the bone ribs and absolutely devine!
I would love to make your instant pot Korean beef. I have made your slow cooker Korean beef. But, would love to cook in a lot shorter time. Plus I want to try your mushroom risotto recipe.
I would make chili in my instant pot.
The first thing I would make is your Homemade Cream of Mushroom soup, which is my FAV!!!! Then I would try honey garlic chicken and chicken adobo. Mmmm I’m hungry now lol.
Hello Chungah!
I love all your recipes!!! I love tried and true recipes that work! I would love to win the Instant Pot to possibly make Korean Beef Short ribs or one of your great recipes!
Thanks alot!
I would make your delicious looking and sounding Minestrone Soup in my new Instant Pot if I were to win it..also I would like to try your Mac ‘n Cheese recipe.
This recipe sounds delicious – and you said its good for instapot newbies like me, so Minestrone is my first recipe of choice!
I would love to make my family’s favorite soup, lentil and spinach and I would also love to make this minestrone recipe.
First, I’d ake your Minestrone soup; it looks GREAT! Next I’d make General Tso’s recipe which is also yummy!
i would make this instant pot minestrone soup… sounds like a good recipe to use during this cold spell ! is summer here yet?
I would use the Instant Pot for everything I possibly could, to keep from having to use the oven or stove.
Yogurt first and so much more!
I want to try making yogurt in it!
I will definitely make this soup in my new Instant Pot. It looks delicious!
I make my nutritious Kale soup every week. Not to mention my whole rosemary chicken.
I would make your delicious minestrone soup!