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.
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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!
Instant Pot Minestrone Soup.
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.
Ingredients needed
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrot
- Garlic
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Basil
- Bay Leaf
- Diced Tomatoes
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth (or bone broth or parmesan broth)
- Kidney Beans
- Garbanzo Beans
- Ditalini Pasta (or any preferred pasta)
- Zucchini
- Kale (or baby spinach)
- Red Wine Vinegar
- Parmesan
- Parsley
How to make it
- 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.
Recipe tips
- 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.
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.
FAQs
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.
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.
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.
What to serve with it
- Crostini
- Breadsticks
- Arugula Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Fennel & Celery Salad
- MORE → 30+ EASY sides for soup!
Wine pairings
- Look for Italian red wines to pair with this lasagna soup. Chianti, Barbera, Barolo are all great picks.
More instant pot soup recipes
- Instant Pot Lasagna Soup
- Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup with Sausage & Kale
- Instant Pot Persian Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Weight Loss Soup
- Instant Pot Chicken Pho
- Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
- Instant Pot Bean Soup with Pesto
More soup recipes
- Creamy Italian Quinoa Soup
- Tomato Orange Soup
- Smoky Chipotle Potato Soup with Cheddar
- Slow Cooker Cauliflower Soup
- Curried Butternut Squash Soup
- Avgolemono Soup (Lemon Chicken Soup with Dill)
- MORE → 25+ Classic Italian Soups
Did you try this instant pot minestrone soup?
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Instant Pot Minestrone Soup
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)
After Pressure Cooking:
- 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)
For Serving:
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Press SAUTE and add olive oil to Instant Pot. Once hot, add onions, celery and carrots. Saute 2-3 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer. Hit CANCEL.
- Add oregano, basil, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, tomatoes, broth, parmesan rind, beans and pasta to the pot. Stir to combine.
- Set pot to seal and cook on MANUAL high pressure for 5 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes for the pressure to build, then the countdown timer will begin.
- Once the time is up, quick release the pressure and remove the lid. 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. Enjoy!
Notes
- 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.
- Freezing: You can freeze this soup. 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.
Equipment
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2020. It was updated in 2022 to add new photographs and information. The original minestrone soup recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Ah this looks so easy and delicious! I love my instant pot. I think I’d use brown rice pasta. Good idea to add the veggies at the end, I hate overcooked veggies!
Agreed Becca – I really don’t like mushy zucchini at all!
Love all of the veggies in this minestrone soup! It’s the perfect way to warm up at the end of a chilly winter day!
Definitely a good soup for these chilly days we’re having! We had snow this morning!
Oh, I bet my husband would love this minestrone soup! I’d just make it with GF pasta so I could eat it too. Maybe even my kids would enjoy it!
I’m hoping the kiddos would like it too! I always loved minestrone as a kid, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of veggies.
I love how hearty and bright this soup is – it can be the whole meal with just a piece of crusty bread!
Thanks Pech!
Just by reading the recipe it has already become my favourite. Instant pot soups are a delight as they are easy and quick to make. I like the addition of red wine vinegar gives it a citrus taste.
Oh my- this soup is amazing! Every bit as good as authentic minestrone soup served in a Italy! Prego! 5 Stars plus
I’m so glad you liked it Martha!
AH-mazing Minestrone! So good. Especially wonderful during the coldest month of the year. The zucchini was just the right texture (not mushy at all!). I will never leave it out of minestrone again. Be sure to use San Marzano tomatoes — the flavor of quality tomatoes really shines with all these wonderful veggie flavors. I used balsamic vinegar instead of red wine vinegar in error but it didn’t hurt the outcome. Top with sprinkled fresh grated parm and you have satisfying, healthy meal. This was such a great recipe – and IP minimized the mess and cooking time. Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Lee!
Hubby and I really enjoyed this minestrone! Thank you.
Thank you Vic!
Had this tonight and it was the bomb.com! My fiancé can’t stop raving about it. The only addition I made was ground turkey. I cooked it first, with the onions, carrots, and celery. This is definitely in our rotation.
So delicious and easy to make! Adding to our family favorites!
Thank you Juli!
This soup had so much flavor! I followed the recipe exactly and will be making again in the future. Tasted even better the days after. Thanks for such an easy and satisfying minestrone!
Thank you!