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, 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.
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I want to cook beef short ribs with red wine, onions, garlic, thyme, and porcini mushrooms. To serve over creamy polenta laced with fontina cheese
I would LOVE an instant pot! What a nice April birthday gift this would be! Hint… hint… hint!!!
I usually do a Mississippi pot roast in the crockpot, but I would love to speed things up and use an Instant Pot.
I have seen some yummy sounding Instant Pot recipes since I first heard of them last year. I believe I would try chili as I have a good and quick recipe but it tastes better the linger it summers.
As silly as it may see… I just want to make some really good Swedish meatballs!
I will make braised lamb shanks!
I would make your Minestrone soup, it looks delicious!
A cheesecake.
We would make pot roast.
I will definitely make some fall off the bone ribs and then dessert!
I think my first dish would be your Instant Pot Korean Beef – I love your Asian recipes!
I would like to make a good chili recipe as my first Instant Pot venture. Good Luck to all who enter!!!
I can’t wait to try your instant pot Korean beef recipe! And so many more:)
I would make short ribs.
This soup looks wonderful on this snowy April morning. I would definitely try it and so many other wonderful things in the pot. Everyone is talking about them.
The first recipe I’ll try will be this minestrone soup – perfect for lunch with a chunk of Italian bread! Then I’ll start working backwards on the other Instant Pot recipes you’ve shared. Thanks for the give-away!
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE BEEF CHILLI
I would make this delicious Minestrone soup in it!
Chicken and dumplings! I moved to North Carolina for college and I’ve become a huge fan of slow-cooked southern foods. Carnitas too!
The easy mushroom risotto!