Instant Pot Minestrone Soup

Name: Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion (diced); 1 stalk celery (diced); 1 large carrot (diced); 4 cloves garlic (minced); 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano; 1 teaspoon dried basil; 1 bay leaf; Pinch red pepper flakes; 1 28- ounce can diced tomatoes; 1 14- ounce can crushed tomatoes; 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth; Parmesan rind (optional); 1 15- ounce can kidney beans (drained and rinsed); 1 15- ounce can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed); 1 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (or any preferred pasta); 1 medium zucchini (sliced into half coins); 2 cups fresh kale (or baby spinach , chopped); 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

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Instant Pot Minestrone Soup cooks in just 5 minutes! This easy soup is loaded with veggies, beans, and delicious pasta, then topped with lots of nutty parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. Serve it with crostini for dipping into that delicious broth.

Hopefully you guys aren’t over the Instant Pot soups yet, because I’ve got another delicious soup recipe for you – and it’s amazing!

Minestrone Soup Instant Pot

This hearty soup will quickly become one of your soup recipes!

The best part may be all that melty parmesan cheese that’s piled on top. But really, it’s also all about the creamy beans, the delicious tomato broth and all those bright, vibrant vegetables. Serve it up with some crusty bread and you’re in for a real treat!

It’s the perfect soup recipe to sneak lots of fresh vegetables into your diet too.

What’s Minestrone Soup made of?

Ingredients for minestrone soup instant pot recipe on counter.

Minestrone Soup Ingredients:

Olive Oil
Onion
Celery
Carrot
Garlic
Dried Oregano
Dried Basil
Bay Leaf
Diced Tomatoes
Crushed Tomatoes
Chicken Broth (or bone broth)
Kidney Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Ditalini Pasta (or any preferred pasta)
Zucchini
Kale (or baby spinach)
Red Wine Vinegar
Parmesan
Parsley

How to Minestrone Soup in the Instant Pot:

Press SAUTE and add olive oil to Instant Pot. Add onions, celery & carrots. Saute until softened.
Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Hit CANCEL.
Add oregano, basil, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, chicken broth (or vegetable broth), parmesan rind, beans and pasta to the pot.
Set the cook time for 5 minutes. on high pressure.
Once the time is up, quick release the remaining pressure.
Press SAUTE and add zucchini and kale (or spinach). Saute 2-3 minutes until pasta is fully cooked and vegetables are tender.
Add red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve sprinkled with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

There’s a couple key steps to making Minestrone Soup Instant Pot friendly:

Add a parmesan rind into the mix. This adds tons of yummy flavor to your soup. I save my parmesan rinds in the freezer for special occasions like this. I’ve also found that stores sometimes carry parmesan rinds in the cheese section (love that this is happening now!)
Don’t add the veggies until after pressure cooking time. To ensure the healthy vegetables don’t get overcooked and soggy, I add them after the pressure cook. Then, once the lid is removed, I turn the pot to SAUTE and simmer the zucchini and kale or spinach for a few minutes, until they’re just tender.
Season at the end. After the soup is cooked, I add in a glug of red wine vinegar to add a bit of acidity (lemon juice also works). Then I season really well with salt and black pepper. The amount of seasoning you need will depend on the salt levels of your broth and the canned beans.

Overhead close up of bowl of minestrone on wood background.

FAQ

What kind of pasta for do you use?

Any pasta will work for minestrone. I used small shells. But ditalini, elbow macaroni, small shell pasta and mini farfalle will all work here. You can also omit the pasta for a low carb healthy soup. A great option is to add in some cauliflower to your soup when pressure cooking.

What’s the difference between minestrone soup and vegetable soup?

Minestrone soup adds in beans and pasta, but it’s still loaded with veggies. So, it’s essentially a more hearty version of vegetable soup.

Does minestrone soup contain meat?

As written, this minestrone soup recipe does not contain meat. However, it would be delicious with some shredded chicken, or with browned and crumbled Italian sausage or ground beef.

What can I add to bland minestrone soup?

Wondering how to add flavor to your minestrone? I’ve got a couple key tips in this recipe:
Add a parmesan rind. This adds tons of yummy flavor to your soup. I save my parmesan rinds in the freezer for occasions like this. I’ve also found that stores sometimes carry parmesan rinds in the cheese section.

Season at the end. After the soup is cooked, I add in a glug of red wine vinegar to add a bit of acidity (lemon juice also works). Then I season really well with salt and black pepper. The amount of seasoning you need will depend on the salt levels of your broth and the canned beans.

Can you freeze Minestrone Soup?

You can definitely freeze this Instant Pot Minestrone. However, the pasta will become soggy, and the soup will become thicker as the pasta will continue to soak up that liquid. To solve this, I like to prepare the soup without the pasta, then when I’m ready to serve it, I add some cooked pasta to the warm soup.

Instant Pot Minestrone recipe variations:

Swap out the zucchini for frozen green beans.
In place of the kidney beans, use cannellini beans or white beans.
Don’t have oregano and basil on hand, simply use some italian seasoning.
In place of kale, throw in some baby spinach.
Make it dairy free by using nutritional yeast in place of parmesan.

What to serve with Minestrone Soup:

Wine pairings for Minestrone Soup:

Look for Italian red wines to pair with this lasagna soup. Chianti, Barbera, Barolo are all great picks.

Hands holding bowl of instant pot minestrone soup.

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More instant pot soup recipes:

More soup recipes:

Watch the Web Story of me making this Instant Pot Minestrone Soup.

Instant Pot Minestrone Recipe